The Autumn 2013  fruit harvest will be modest. A wonderfully hot and dry summer has been great for flowers and people – but  the extended cold Spring meant that  there were few insects around to pollinate fruit trees and a cold wind from the north-eas to make matters worse.

The gorgeously hot summer has been great for  the flowers and people. The insect population has partly recovered but  the low  levels of  insects  earlier in the year mean that several fruit trees are bearing no fruit or very low yields. Where  there were early signs of fruit  we have lost  some of the crop over the dry summer – this affected the pears particularly.

– very few plums ( no greengages or red plums), few crab apples and few pears.

– the apple  trees have  fruit – the big old Bramley apple  is again full of fruit but the fruit is still quite small –  it need a lot of rain in the next few weeks to plump it up  ready for picking at the end of September.

– the good news in all this gloom is a magnificent  blackberry crop.

– the medlars are also doing well – perhaps we should learn to love medlars as they crop very reliably.

If you are picking blackberries  please observe the conservation code:

– if it is too high to reach – it belongs to the birds                                                                                                    (do not pull stems down to  get at the fruit)

– if it falls to the ground  – it belongs to the field mice                                                                                               (do not pick it up)

– everything in between  you may have –  enjoy!