SLOG Events
SLOG holds practical and interesting events for our members throughout the year including grafting and budding workshops (where you can create your own trees, all materials provided), pruning workshops for both standard and espallier trees, orchard visits, seasonal meetings with guest speakers and members apple pressing days where you can bring your own apples to be pressed (with some volume limits). We also have a stand that tours some of the local fairs and events. You always learn something at a SLOG event!
FORTHCOMING EVENTS ​
​​​​​​​​Saturday 24th January: The SLOG Winter Pruning Workshop will NOT be at Grange Community Orchard this year.
Westmorland & Furness Council have appointed new contractors to manage this orchard and they have already pruned it.
Sarah Bradley has kindly offered us the use of her orchard at Witherslack. Since parking there is restricted, we will meet at 1.15pm at Halecat Nursery carpark and walk off-road together the 300yds to Sarah's orchard.
The workshop covers maintenance winter pruning, though all other types of pruning will be discussed. Led & demonstrated by Dick Palmer & Andy Gilchrist, then you can put theory into practice on Sarah's trees before going home to prune your own trees. Bring your own secateurs if possible but SLOG secateurs and loppers will be available for anybody who does not have their own. No need to book places.
Directions: Follow A590 west and take the Witherslack turning. Pass the Derby Arms and take the left turn the village centre. Follow the brown signs for Halecat Garden Centre.
​
Saturday 21st February: SLOG Grafting Workshop, Growing Well, Sizergh LA8 8AE 2.00–4.30pm. Graft your own apple & pear trees using M25, MM111, MM106, M26, M9, M27 (the entire apple rootstock range from vigorous to dwarfing) & Quince A (for pears) rootstocks and a wide range of up to 100 scion wood varieties. Led & demonstrated by Hilary Wilson, Phil Rainford & Andy Gilchrist, you can learn to graft your own trees to plant at home. Bring your own Stanley knife (a few will be provided), gardening gloves for protection and a bag to take your grafted trees away to pot up at home. SLOG grafting knives will be available for anybody who does not have their own. No need to book places – just roll up.
Directions: From M6 junction 36 go 4 miles on A591 towards Kendal, then A590 Barrow, then shortly on right follow brown signs for Sizergh Castle, then Low Sizergh Barn. From Kendal go 3½ miles south on the A591 then just before the A590 interchange turn left into the car park at Low Sizergh Barn Farm Shop and Tearooms. Park at the far end of the car park and follow the track to the polytunnels & yurts. Rootstocks £2.50 each.
​
​
****** FURTHER EVENTS TO BE POSTED SOON ******
​
January : Pruning event - Grange community Orchard
​
February: Grafting Session
​
March: SLOG Orchard Working Party
​
Public Apple Pressing dates:
​​​
Apple Pressing Dates:
​
Sunday 2nd November 10am – 3pm Members Apple Pressing at Sprint Mill, Burneside. Book time slots with Andy Gilchrist.
Orchard Events
The orchard planting is coming along. A plan of the orchard and its varieties is now available.
​
More details are on the SLOG Orchard page.
​
If you would like to join the orchard team, please email Andy Andy Gilchrist or call 01539 727772.
We see this as an opportunity to:
-
maintain some of the rarer Furness, Cumberland and Westmorland varieties, from which scion wood and/or buds can be provided for propagation
-
grow on grafts from unidentified trees to obtain fruit for identification
-
evaluate scab-resistant varieties under Cumbrian conditions
-
evaluate new rootstocks such as M116
-
evaluate the suitability of new varieties for Cumbrian conditions
-
etc etc (and it doesn't have to be just apples!)
North Cumbria Orchard Group Events
NCOG events are open to SLOG Members as a reciprocal arrangement.
A link to NCOG events can be found by clicking here:
Gilchrist Gold - Pear from Crook Foot Orchard
SLOG Annex Orchard - Mill Fields
SLOG Apple Pressing Events