Any Room at the Inn?

 With Air-BnB Being So Popular


The old pubs and inns are still worth considering for a weekend retreat or staycation. For a time there the Beer Garden would've supported a small orchard for the guests enjoyment. You could be thinking that there would not be the room to do that these days, with Apple trees being so large and needing specialist care and knowledge when it's pruning or mulching times, that it's not worth the effort? Well that's not so the case these days! With a multi range of rootstocks available and the encouragement for wildlife biodiversity it couldn't be more simplified. These tree planting diagrams show how to train fruiting trees against a wall or a fence. I like option b. and was thinking how fruitful it would be for the old country pub to grow a grafted multi fruit tree this way in their kitchen garden or around the Beer Garden. If I did start my own grafting project, I think I would aim for this kind of planting arrangement, easy for the harvesting and looks pretty too. I reckon different coloured blossoms may look awesome in spring perhaps ascending or descending the trunk giving that plain wall or fence some colour and movement. You can imagine how it's simpler to prune to shape if the branches are not haphazardly shooting out all around the place. An M106 rootstock could spread the branches to 6ft or more either side of the trunk giving a lot of growing and picking space at a comfortable height. Ideal for smaller spaces or where there's things going on like along a footpath or outside seated area. Possibly saving on the costs of expensive seasonal regional delicacies and drawing fans for the dishes prepared from the pub's orchard garden. The chef could work on speciality cuisine that is unique to the area and makes the staycation that little bit more memorable and special. This is perhaps where the beauty of Apple tree grafting can be most appreciated, a multi range of fruits from one trunk. There are expert tree grafters advertising their grafting skills around the country, normally orders are taken in the spring for an autumn or winter delivery, many can fruit within the next year or two. Very nice indeed.

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