Monday 2 April 2012

Apples and Pears

My Minarette apple and pear trees are bursting into life again after their long sleep.

My first few photos are of the apple tree (Scrumptious), arranged in a sort of time-sequence.




 Notice the ants in this next photo..





Apple bud with spider, ant and aphids!

The next batch of photos are of the pear tree (Conference).


Remember this one, Sue? This is the twig you transformed into both a Traffic Cop and a Ballerina.




It's unfortunate that I recently made a public commitment to keep my fruit trees well watered this year, because we have a Drought Order coming into force on 5th April. This places some very severe restrictions on the use of water - you are not allowed to water your garden with a hosepipe, or even to use a hosepipe to fill a water-butt. The penalty for non-compliance is a fine of £1000 !  I suppose it's a good thing that my garden is small, and I will be able to water it with a watering can. Those people with big Allotments are really going to be in trouble.

10 comments:

  1. Do they let you use underground irrigation? You know drip, which supposedly uses less water?

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  2. For now, we do not have problem with the water. We had all the winter a lot of snow.
    I love your micro. Good work.
    Ellada.

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  3. The little policeman's arms are growing! Our pear is in flower now and I am anxiously watching the peach and nectarine!

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  4. I have only had to water once so far. Way out here, I don't usually worry about our water bans too much anyway.

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  5. We have bans sometimes in the summer but never this early. I feel for you. Do you have a water barrel?

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  6. Trees looking good, so far we've been catching up on water but I fear we are still behind.

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  7. We had similar bans lifted this year for the first time in the five years since I've been back in OZ. I have a water tank so they don't really affect me but what does irritate is that there aren't similar bans on how water is used inside peoples houses...

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  8. I already manage with a watering can on my allotment as there's no mains water supply. I have three water butts which catch the rain, and when they run out I end up taking water down there in bottles when I'm desperate, though the plants mainly seem to cope without too much watering.

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  9. What sort of crop do you get from your minarettes mine seem to be one year on one year off.

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  10. Elaine; my fruit trees have never produced an abundance. Last year I had 11 pears which was the most I have had to-date, and my record for apples is I think 21. But it's not quantity that counts, but quality!

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