Natural England hope that a new guide will curb the demise of the English fruit orchard.
Traditional orchards are a classic feature of the English landscape and are fantastic places for wildlife but they have been disappearing at an alarming rate.
According to Natural England over 75% of traditional orchards in England have vanished since the 1950s.
New guides produced to help orchard owners
Orchards are home to wildlife
Restoring and managing orchards is good for wildlife and it is hoped the new guides will also help protect the orchard eco-system.
The guides are designed to provide practical advice to land managers on how best to look after orchards in their care and are now available as PDFs by following the links below.
Orchards are important for a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna and in 2007, traditional orchards received UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority status in recognition of their importance to wildlife.
Wildlife is attracted to the mosaic of habitats such as dead wood, scrub, hedgerows, unimproved grassland and ponds.
Declining bird species such as the lesser spotted woodpecker and bullfinch can thrive in orchard environments, as can a wide diversity of mosses, lichen and fungi and bat species.
Traditional orchards also provide important habitats for the beautiful, but rare noble chafer beetle, that lives in the dead wood of older trees.
TIN013 – Traditional orchards: site and tree selection – This information note provides guidance on how to select sites for new orchards and the types of tree to plant within new and existing orchards.
TIN016 – Traditional orchards: formative pruning of young trees – This information note provides guidance on why young fruit trees require formative pruning and on how to prune them. The main part of the guidance applies mainly to apples and pears, in particular dessert varieties. The final section explains the main differences when pruning other fruit trees.
TIN017 – Traditional orchards: maintenance pruning – This information note provides guidance on the reasons for the routine pruning of fruit trees and advice on the different methods of achieving this.
TIN019 – Traditional orchards: fruit tree health – This information note provides information on identifying, and managing for, the main pests, diseases and nutrient deficiencies that may affect a traditional orchard.
