The Journal gives a weekly update on events in our English apple orchards, using pictures and video clips to follow seasonal activities and giving the consumer a level of detail not available from any other source.
All aspects of growing, harvesting, storage, grading, packing and marketing are included enabling consumers to understand the challenges English growers face in supplying our sophisticated market place.
At this time of the year, apple and pear growers are busy assessing the 'fruit set' and deliberating the need for thinning.
What we do not expect are hailstorms!
We are always looking out for frost and there has been frost about, particularly worrying for our UK vineyards.
This week there has been some nasty weather about and hailstorms in some areas.
Hail is something that used to haunt me when I was a grower; back in 1978 after three 'testing years' I walked my orchards on a Monday with my agronomist and we marvelled at the potential crop, he said your Dad would have been so pleased and proud. That week I enjoyed the prospect of my patience and determination over the last 3 years finally 'coming good'
But Friday at around 5pm it 'hailed'
That year 60% of my apples were damaged, and the worst damage was on the outside of the tree where the potentially best apples wuld be in the sunshine!
Friday 24th April The English Apple Man together with circa 250 fellow mourners attended the Funeral of a Dear Friend.
Richard Frank Barnes was a wonderful friend to so many. Most of all a 'family man' with his wife Patricia, children Alistair, Catherine, Susannah and Mathew. His personality made such an impression on so many people and they were there to share their memories of him.
To say he was loved by all, is not an understatement!
Richard Frank Barnes was born in Sandhurst, Kent on the 11th of March 1944.
His parents were Stuart, a lifelong Arsenal fan and frugal tenant farmer, and Constance Barnes, a nurse, as was her daughter Richard's elder sister Janet. Home was Maplesden at Hole Park Estate in Benenden, Kent on a mixed farm, with a focus on flax (for silk) during the war, and hops after.
I am indebted to Richard's eldest son Alistair and his younger brother Matthew for allowing me to use part of their Eulogy to Richard.
Richard's daughters Catherine and Susannah expressed their love and memories for their father in a joint tribute of their own.
LOVE was at the centre of their memories. Their father's love for them, their love for him, his love for life and the many friends he made through out his life, his love for family gatherings, family holidays in France. Love was central to his life, anyone who met him loved him.
As we enter the month of May, The English Apple Man reflects on events
The weather has been dry for sometime now and while the land was so wet just a few weeks ago making tractor movement in the orchards difficult/impossible for early crop protection sprays to be applied, risking the early infection of apple scab. Now my grower friends are praying for some rain; 'not a deluge, just a nice steady rain'
Setting a crop?
Achieving a crop, e.g. setting flowers into fruitlets is dependent on pollination AND fertilization
Apple blossoms have five petals and numerous stamens, but the ovary consists of five carpels, each of which contain two ovules.
Next comes fertilisation, which can happen very quickly (hours) when temperatures are high, but days when the temperature is cold.
To achieve pollination and fertilization pollen must be passed from the pollen sacks to the style and grow down the pollen tube as quickly as possible. In warm weather this can happen in a matter of hours; in cold conditions it can take days. If the pollen does not reach the ovary in time (approx 4 days) it is too late!
The process is known as the Effective Pollination Period (EPP). The EPP varies by variety and Cox our national apple has a shorter EPP; no wonder it is difficult to achieve consistent heavy crops.
Over the last week the temperature has been favourable for EPP (although one or two reports of temperatures below freezing have been recorded.
It's a 'funny old game' tis fruit growing, we pray for favourable weather conditions during winter months; e.g. chilling. units, then worry about an overset, and start estimating the need for thinning!
In a week or two we will know, and thinning requirements will be decided.
On Tuesday afternoon, The English Apple Man visited an old friend David Budd at Stevens Farm and enjoyed a drive around some of his apple orchards
Below: Braeburn in blossom with a distant view of 'All Saints Church' spire at Highgate in Hawkhurst
I have on many occasions mentioned the fact that when I left school in 1958 there was circa 14 hop farms in the Parish of Hawkhurst, and at that time there was only two proper fruit farms; our fruit farm on the Western side of the parish, just 1/2 a mile from the Kent border with East Sussex, while on the eastern side of he parish, the other fruit farm set just in the parish of Hawkhurst close to the parish of Sandhurst.
As was the tradition back then, other farms grew a few apples, but were primarily hop farms. Now the 14 hop farms have "long gone" but these two apple farms still exist.
My family bought our farm, Ditchells in the early 1920's where my Grandfather ran what was known as "The Moor Game Farm" rearing pheasants, partridges and other game birds, supplying shooting estates across the UK!
During the 1920's and thirties' he planted several orchards of Cox Orange Pippin with Beauty of Bath and Worcester Pearmain as pollinators. He died before the onset of WW2 and after the war Dad turned it into a proper fruit farm. Cox Orange Pippin was very profitable in the post war years and many apple growers enjoyed a period of relative profitability.
On the eastern side of the village Henry Budd developed Stevens Farm and while his son David was a young man, Henry passed the management over to David.
I sold Ditchells to John Collingwood from Benenden in 1991; "I was 49 and concerned about the future, especially as my son and daughter were in established careers and unlikely to join me at Ditchells. A few years later I joined Home Grown Fruits in a quality technical role. Culminating my 'career' as UK Technical Director for Worldwide Fruit Ltd.
As we move into mid April apple blossom is appearing in many orchards. Some modern varieties blossom earlier than the main varieties of the past. For example Gala is earlier than Cox and Braeburn much earlier!
Recently (5th April) I visited my son who has an espalier 'orchard' in his garden. Gala - Braeburn - Scrumptious - Bladon Pippin growing happily along a fence and enjoying the sunshine and protection from cold winds.
Below: Canker branch will be removed
To maintain control of tree vigour, we carry out the 'winter pruning' in late spring. And follow this up with a 'summer pruning' session in late June/early July after the longest day. This controls the vigour and encourages fruit bud initiation. Sometimes it is necessary to bring in a replacement branch. (see below left)
This year the Gala tree has good blossom, but Braeburn, Scrumptious and Bladon Pipping are 'shy of blossom. The probable cause is the heavy crop on them in 2025 (which was thinned, but probably not enough) and not picked early enough (away on holiday? ) leaving trees stressed in the Autumn influencing fruit bud initiation!
This is the classic 'Garden Orchard Scenario' - allowing a large crop one year followed by a small (or no ) crop the next years. Commercial growers prune to retain sufficient bud wood, thin in early summer (June) to balance crop load and often 'quality thin' in August to remove any unwanted fruit (sub standard fruit)
Trophy display for National Fruit Show - Long Term Storage Awards
Each season the NFS runs a competition for the best samples of Long Term Stored apples and pears
Below: Caroline Ashdown - General Manager at Allied Growers
The skill of the storage operator is what is being judged. Of course the quality of the stores is paramount and the nutritional balance of the fruit influential. Looking back over the year's when varieties like Cox were the leading UK varieties and the stores were less sophisticated, it was very challenging. Today modern varieties, like Gala, Braeburn and Jazz are more likely to be the subject of judgement.
In days past, when dessert apples were not stored beyond the early spring; (end of March) and stores were at best C/A (controlled atmosphere) the quality of the fruit - not just visually, but especially nutritionally could and indeed would cause surprises.
The samples removed from UK stores at the end of February are then assessed by a team of judges under the management of Caroline Ashdown (it's been her role for a number of years now)
Today with ultra modern stores DCA (Dynamic Controlled Atmosphere) when UK dessert apples are often stored around to the following June/July in perfect condition. and the science of storage disorders is much better understood, the Store Operator has a greater "knowledge Bank" at his disposal!
Below: left. Harvestwatch and right. Safepod system
DEAR ENGLISH APPLE MAN READERS - After last week's blunder, this week the Journal is complete!
Page 1
The world of foliar feeding has come a long way from the 'far off halcyon days of my youth' back in 1958 when I left school, I remember Dad swore by application\s of "Bone Meal" applied by hand casting under our apple trees. Then all of or trees (predominately Cox Orange Pippin) were grown as 'Standards - around 25 feet high or 'Bush trees' around 18ft high!
Bonemeal is an organic fertiliser high in phosphorus. Phosphorus is one of the three major nutrients that plants require for healthy growth and is represented by the chemical symbol 'P' Unlike liquid fertilisers, bonemeal releases nutrients slowly, making it ideal for providing long-term nutrition for a wide range of plants.
Apple trees need a balanced diet of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, with nitrogen being the single most important nutrient for both growth and fruit production. How much you feed, and when, depends largely on whether your tree is young and still growing or mature and bearing fruit. A newly planted tree gets as little as half a pound of balanced fertilizer per year, while a full-sized mature tree can handle up to 10 pounds.
It was only in the late 1970's that we started growing on the 'Centre Leader' tree - closer planted in the row and circa 8 feet in height.
I remember well an old school friend of my Dad (they were both at Judd School in Tonbridge) visiting Dad regularly in that decade, 'playing on their boyhood friendship, while lauding the benefits of MAXICROP - liquid seaweed.
Eventually Dad gave in and once used, we were committed to using this foliar feed. The 'proof in the pudding' was when after a very wet winter, in spring as the trees came to life and the fibrous feeding roots were killed off, and very quickly a hot very dry early summer as the young leaves were developing, where Maxicrop had been applied the leaves were green and healthy; where it had not. the leaves were yellow and stressed!
Our venture into Foliar Feeding had started!
This week's English Apple Man Journal, features almost nothing about apples & pears, but posts memories of an old friend and indulges in nostalgia.
Remembering an old friend - Andrew (Andy) Rutherford
Sadly as we grow old we lose dear friends, each one passing brings back fond memories of the past. Nostalgia is a wonderful comfort in old age and it becomes more precious with each passing day.
Way back in our youth I played football with a special group of friends. From 16 years old until I was aged 23 I was part of Hawkhurst United a local football team playing village football in Kent & East Sussex. In that seven year period we grew into a very good team, winning many trophies and culminating in winning a local Charity Cup which meant so much to us all.
AS mentioned in 1965 we reached The Hawkhurst Charity Cup Final, last won by Hawkhurst United exactly 30 years previously when my father was the star centre forward.
One of my team mates was Andrew (Andy) Rutherford whose family moved into 'Wetheringhope' a large house on Hawkhurst Moor opposite The Eight Bells Public House where we celebrated many a Cup Win with 'Black Velvet' (Champagne & Guinness) Andy played for Hawkhurst between 1957 and 1967.
Andrew was nearly six years older than me and when I first played for Hawkhurst he was in the air force. By 1960 he was back and part of the team as we progressed to a higher league culminating in our many on field successes!
Over the years since our football days, Andrew and I met regularly, playing Golf at various Charity Golf Events. Westerham and Cherry Lodge regular charity venues. We also played at Tenterden Golf Club with Roy (Jumbo) Avery who became an excellent club golfer after retiring from football.
Andrew was a member Dulwich & Sydenham Hill Golf Club with it's panoramic views across London where we would play occasionally and sharing a coffee beforehand with his delightful wife Ann, who I remember would sometimes come to watch Andrew playing for Hawkhurst United with her father in those far of 'halcyon days of our youth' I still have memories of Ann and her father, with my father watching us from the touchline!
Canker is probably the most difficult disease faced by apple growers World Wide.
Below: Dr Mat Papp-Rupar, Plant Pathologist Project Leader NIAB
While many pests and diseases challenge the production of clean healthy fruit, most can be dealt with either by a chemical spray or more environmentally friendly means. Canker has at this moment in time, no weapon, either chemically or otherwise, capable of efficiently killing the spores which are the first enemy of infection!
Containment is currently the only means of keeping canker in check. Over the years we (fruit growers and scientists) would get excited by some new canker strategy. But it is still the number one global challenge.
In a recent presentation Dr Mat Papp-Rupar, Plant Pathologist Project Leader NIAB gave the most comprehensive overview of the history of global battle against apple canker.
Containment is the only practical way of dealing with canker!
Before we review Mat's Canker presentation, I am including a passage from my Journal in 2020 which reviews a canker research update.
Research - The ongoing research for controlling canker has been going on for decades, with 'every so often' a new breakthrough or more accurately 'a better understanding of the canker beast' surfacing. As a grower, I like many was convinced the infection came from the nursery as the 'source of infection' and no doubt that was true in some cases. We know an orchard which has suffered severe canker in the past is the last place to plant a canker susceptible variety. Today we recognise the importance of orchard hygiene; the removal of overwintering canker spores on any pruning's left in the orchard is a 'launch pad' for canker in the next growing season. Pruning in wet weather creates a high risk of spreading infection from one cut surface to another. Leaf abscission when canker spore are prevalent (wet & humid conditions) is another danger zone!
For the full EAM review from February 2020. Click on: Canker - the number 1 challenge for apple growers
This page initially shows the latest journals. You can use a journal's link to view the full story.
It is now much easier to find a particular journal of interest. Just type your search terms into the search box or select the month and/or year and click Submit.
I have completed the process of reworking my entire archive of journal pages into the style of the new website to make them more accessible to users of mobile phones etc.
Although the content now adapts to the size of the display, some of the archived journals still have photographs that won't fit and so get cropped. Archived journals are best viewed on a computer screen!