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 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.
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Saturday 21st March: SENS Grafting Workshop, Staveley Institute (beside the playground) 9am - noon. If you missed the first workshop, here is a second chance (see poster above). Note that numbers are limited so prior booking is required.
Saturday 11th April 10am - 4pm ; Damson Day: , Westmorland Showground, Crooklands, LA7 7NH SLOG stand will be there with apple juice to taste, trees for sale etc. Come along for technical advice or just for a chat.
Blossom Walk: We are planning a blossom walk this spring through the Halecat orchards (there are several). The date is not yet firm but might be the afternoon of Sunday 10th May, meeting & parking at Abi & Tom's Halecat Nursery. Further details will be advised on the SLOG website in due course.
Ladders: SLOG has a Niwaki tripod 8ft ladder available for hire to members. Winter pruning season is underway and bigger older trees may need some work at height. It is dangerous to climb into trees and household ladders are unstable, so contact Dick Palmer to hire the right tool for the job: email: dickrhonapalmer@gmail.com tel: 01229 716095. Hire is £10 per use, whether a day or a week.
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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:
Orchard Events
The orchard planting is coming along. A plan of the orchard and its varieties is now available.
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More details are on the SLOG Orchard page.
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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:
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maintain some of the rarer Furness, Cumberland and Westmorland varieties, from which scion wood and/or buds can be provided for propagation
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grow on grafts from unidentified trees to obtain fruit for identification
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evaluate scab-resistant varieties under Cumbrian conditions
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evaluate new rootstocks such as M116
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evaluate the suitability of new varieties for Cumbrian conditions
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etc etc (and it doesn't have to be just apples!)
Apple Blossom - from Halecat Orchard
SLOG Annex Orchard - Mill Fields
SLOG Apple Pressing Events