Grafting Guide - Apples

A communal grafting lesson

Now is a great time to start grafting your fruit trees, a particularly useful skill to master to preserve your trees or even introduce new varieties onto your existing trees.

At this time of year signs of new buds swelling up on trees will be apparent, this is a great indicator that the tree is ready for grafting.

I'll be grafting some apple trees onto new root stock which is currently in transit and have cut some 'scions' (fruiting stems from an existing tree, usually 6-12 inches in length and about 1/2 inch in diameter). These scions are bound together in a plastic bag and are kept in the back of the fridge until I need them. This ensures that the stems are kept dormant whilst I await the late rootstock delivery - darn snow!

These will be MM106 sized root stocks which will give a particular sized tree at maturity. What's MM106 I hear you ask? Well, fret not - take a look at this guide to grafting which I have produced to learn an effective and simple way to ensure you can continue the lineage of your favourite fruit trees. (or as I sometimes do, 'borrow' a cutting from a neighbours tree!)

CLICK LINK FOR FULL GRAFTING GUIDE:

http://www.eucan.org.uk/docs/200910Be/Wayne_Farrell.pdf

TWO SHORT VIDEO GUIDES:

Grafting Guide - Apples

Country Smallholding Magazine feature.

The January 2011 edition of Country Smallholding magazine printed one of my photographs of the flock of chickens I managed in my gardening job. I had sent a few of to the publishers and hope to see some more featured over the next few weeks. There is a brand new magazine enclosed with this months magazine called 'Your Chickens'. Pretty cool.

Country Smallholding Magazine feature.

Mead Update

Just thought you may like to see a short video of the initial fermentation process in the Mead I recently made. Have a nose: HERE

Mead Update

Introductions....

Meet Chicken number 2. (They don't have names as yet). She's a Columbian Blacktail. A cross between a Rhode Island Red and White Sussex - both reliable, good mannered heavy layers.

These birds have a great temperament, friendly and are good layers. An average of 300 eggs a year can be provided by this lass, I've got six of them so I reckon I'll be egg bound.
Their plumage is a rich chestnut brown and the very end of their tails is black, hence the name. Sometimes the black marking is not so prominent as one of the hens is mostly pure gingery Rhode Island with just one tiny under-feather showing any black colouration.

As soon as I can catch these ladies I'll tag their legs with coloured rings and name them accordingly, Mrs Yellow, Mrs Pink, Mrs Blue etc...

Due to the winter period they have taken a laying break and are more content with hiding under the coop to avoid the snowflakes.

Introductions....

Welcome to Winter

This is the first time the pullets and other hens have seen a dusting of snow. Unusually quiet at feeding time early this morning but the occasional grumbling tone could be heard.

VEG GARDEN TIP - Now's a good time to mulch some of the remaining perennial vegetables (I only say this because as soon as the snow came down I thought, oh bugger, that's what i should have done!) The artichokes, rhubarb have been tended too....sorry asparagus, I meant well!

A great site for homebrew can be found here: http://www.selfsufficientish.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=19. Friendly bunch and eager to try something different!

Welcome to Winter

What to do when it snows? Ah, drink cider of course!

It's started to snow upon our hill, lovely large flakes and the pets have freaked out a little.

Thought I'd take this opportunity to sample some of the home-brews that have been bubbling away over the past few weeks and have now settled somewhat. So far I've been disgusted, enticed, confused and pleasantly surprised by the flavours that danced around inside my mouth.

Cider one (first attempt made from one variety of cider apple) - TASTE - Complex! First sweet, then sour, then a sudden rush of unpleasant sock aroma, then a warming 'thinness' like white wine.

Cider two (a blend of four Gloucestershire apples, ciders, cookers 10% and desserts) - TASTE - Rich and strong, slightly acidic, not unpleasant but in need of a long maturation period - should mellow.

Parsnip wine - Still fizzing, coming to the fermentation end though. TASTE - Good, very interesting taste, a certain 'zing', definite lemon influence and that mellow parsnip edge. This one should develop finely over the next 6 months.

Perry - Bottled and slowly maturing in the coolness of the shed. TASTE - Since bottling some weeks back the flavour has enriched tremendously. Initially it was unpalatable and I thought it was the disaster of the whole homebrew batch. This sample however was great, a good sweetness, light and very refreshing - just requires carbonation and it will be perfect. Come March the perry should provide a good drink.

What to do when it snows? Ah, drink cider of course!

Have honey.......make Mead.

This year the bees provided two large harvests of the sweetest, most fragrant honey. Everyday I eat honey and felt it was a good time to try to drink some too, in the form of Mead. Hopefully a strong Viking version! The best mead is ready in approximately one year after bottling.

The following recipe is for a medium sweet mead (if you like it dry use less honey. Sweet - add more!)

3.5lb Honey

15g Yeast Nutrient

1 tsp Yeast

4 lemons - juiced. (alternatively use 15g Citric Acid)

(4.5 litres- 1 gallon water total)

• Use large pan bring 2 litres water to boil
• Add the honey, stirring so that it does not stick and burn
• Add more water (2.5 litres)
• Bring to a rolling boil, at this point a thick scum may form on the surface which should be skimmed off with a spoon
• Reduce the heat
• Add the lemon juice (or citric acid)
• Add the yeast nutrient
• Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature
• Pour into a clean, sterilised demijohn
• Allow to settle (overnight is best), plug the top of the demijohn with cotton wool to keep foreign bodies out
• Use a clean jar (or similar) and quarter fill with warm water
• Monitor the temperature of the mead solution, you are aiming for the jar of water to be within 5 degrees of the mead.
• When this temperature is reached add the yeast to the jar and swirl the solution gently
• Wait 15 to 20 minutes for the yeast to dissolve
• Add to the mead

• Fit a clean bung and airlock and place demijohn on newspaper. Keep in a moderately warm place (e.g kitchen is ideal).
• Within a few days the fermentation process will have started (bubbles and froth appearing)
• When fermentation has ceased (no vigorous bubbles rising) Rack the liquid into a clean demijohn and top up to within 3 fingers of the neck with clean water if necessary. (Make sure to leave the sludge 'lees' behind).
• Store the demijohn in a cool place and leave to mature - at least a year - if you can resist! The wine mead should be clearer and inviting to drink.

A slight twist on the recipe would be to add some oranges as well as the lemons.

Have honey.......make Mead.