Eastington Community Orchard Group

Winter planting at Browning’s Orchard

On bright winter days it’s bracing and pleasant to be out in the orchard, digging holes for trees. This photo from 2012, in Coneygree Orchard, shows winter clothing but you soon warm up and there’s always the roaring fire at The Old Badger to look forward to!
Brownings Orchard is ready to take it’s first 20 trees this winter and preparing the holes will be done on December 2nd.

The saplings are already in the nursery at Coneygree, having been made by ECO members in the spring. We used prunings from the existing trees to graft onto rootstocks which only cost £4. A similar sapling from a commercial nursery would cost £15, so learning to graft our own is very worthwhile – as well as technically satisfying.
Watch out for e-mails if you are already a member and posts on our facebook page and so that you can join in and help us re-create this orchard, which provided vital cider and perry to the travellers passing through or staying at the King’s Head, in days gone by.