A message from the Director: |
|
|
Hello everyone! The winter has been short and we are back to a full schedule with upcoming spring orchard installations, steward trainings, improvements to the Camp Washington Farm, and much more. As we prepare for spring, we know that not everything will work out: there will be setbacks, late frosts, and other unexpected weather. But we take a lesson from our friendly fruit trees, who are always braced for chaos. They grow extra branches in case something happens, they grow an overabundance of fruit in case there are pests or critters, there are many kinds of fruit trees in the orchard in case some varieties are affected by disease.
|
| |
|
Whatever way this spring emerges, we follow the advice that “The best fertilizer is the farmer’s shadow”. Our presence and attention is the best currency in the orchard, and no matter how many springs we see, stewards and the trees will creatively respond to change. I think this year we are going to see more fruit than ever before! |
|
|
| Cheers, Chris Smyth Common Orchard Project Director |
|
|
| Orchard Steward Training & Updates
We are working to expand offerings for volunteer orchard stewards. Anyone who cares for community orchards is welcome to join in! We are now incorporating more hands-on classes and sessions out in a variety of orchards across the region, utilizing more text notifications for time-sensitive seasonal tasks, and developing a member website to store online resources. |
|
|
| Coming Soon: Spring Compost Sale
We have been turning piles of food scraps and wood chips into compost for the past year and this spring is the first time we will be selling our finished compost to the public from the Camp Washington Perennial Farm. Stay tuned to our Instagram and Facebook page for how to reserve bags of compost!
|
|
|
Featured Orchard: Midway School Orchard |
|
|
Increasingly we are partnering with Cincinnati Public Schools to add more orchards to their already impressive and growing Green Schoolyard Program. These 15 trees went into Midway School last fall, so they are still young, but the teachers and students are excited to see them grow! This is one of what will be 10 orchards at CPS by the end of the year, and we continue to explore these plantings with other school districts. |
| |
|
Upcoming Workshop: Fruit Tree Grafting
Join us at Camp Washington Perennial Farm for a hands-on workshop in grafting apple and pear fruit trees. The rootstock, scion wood, and tools needed will be provided, but feel free to bring your own grafting knife. Participants will leave with several newly grafted fruit trees to plant at home or in community gardens.
Learn more and register here. |
|
|
In the right conditions, fruit trees might set more fruit than you can use! Thinning involves removing excess fruit to improve overall fruit size and quality. Trees that benefit from fruit thinning include apples, pears, plums, peaches, and nectarines.
For young trees - 2 years and under - pinch off fruits/flowers to encourage root and shoot growth. For trees older than 3 years that are producing fruit, the best time to thin is generally after the first week of June. Each type of tree has different thinning approaches, but you’ll be surprised how much you thin to help the tree grow!
|
| | |
Green Umbrella leads cross-sector collaboration to accelerate climate action across Greater Cincinnati. |
| |
|
|
