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BCD Special Report
Historic Gardens 2010
27
non‑fruit trees, hedgerows, scrub, grassland
communities, dead wood, ponds and streams.
Fruit trees age much more quickly than
most other species found in the countryside
so they rapidly accumulate the 'veteran'
features associated with over-mature trees..
Large volumes of standing dead wood in the
form of ‘stag’s heads’, whole limbs and rotting
heartwood are specific habitats favoured
by suites of very specialised organisms
that have become increasingly rare in the
countryside. The presence of old trees spaced
within permanent grassland creates a range
of habitats very similar to those found in
wood pasture landscapes (such as medieval
hunting parks like Staverton Park in Suffolk).
The sward communities that inhabit the
permanent grassland beneath the trees can
be rich and varied, with vegetation groups
associated with semi-natural (but rarely
completely ‘un-improved’*) grasslands.
Traditional orchards are a stronghold
for the regionalised populations of the
hemi-parasite mistletoe (
Viscum album
).
This has six invertebrate species entirely
dependent on its presence to complete
their life cycle, and as a result all six species
have declined through loss of old orchard
habitat, including the mistletoe marble
moth (
Celypha woodiana)
, a UK Biodiversity
Action Plan (BAP) ‘priority’ species.
The abundance of insects and fruit
in a traditional orchard supports varied
mammal and bird populations including
specialist species such as the lesser spotted
woodpecker, bullfinch and flycatchers.
Different orchards can be home to different
specialised communities, such as lichens
and wood-inhabiting beetles, which require
a continuity of habitat over time and a
network of these sites is therefore critical
in sustaining populations across large areas.
In recognition of this, traditional orchards
were awarded a BAP ‘priority’ habitat
status by Natural England in August 2007,
under the UK Biodiversity Partnership.
Managing a traditional
orchard
Any traditional orchard to be managed
or restored should be treated sensitively:
it is an increasingly rare environment in
Britain and one that is not easily or quickly
re-created. First, make an assessment of the
orchard’s condition, its contents and history.
Consider historical records and available
local knowledge to gauge the age of the site,
the reasons for its initial planting and its
subsequent use. Decide what you want to
achieve with the management regime. Do
you want to restore a site to its former extent
or diversify with new varieties? Do you plan
to cook, juice or ferment the crop, or is it
purely a space for leisure and wildlife?
Before any work is undertaken, take
some time to observe the orchard’s natural
habitats. Traditional orchards are used by
a diverse range of organisms with some,
such as migratory thrushes, only itinerant
autumn and early winter visitors. Rotten
limbs and other dead wood features should
be left to gradually mature unless badly
diseased or of immediate danger to people.
Managing the grass beneath the trees
is important. An effective grazing regime
will reduce the maintenance requirements
of a site and can greatly improve the
health of the trees and the quality of many
habitats. If the sward is species-rich and
contains wildflowers and grasses that you
wish to encourage, allowing a period for
these plants to flower and set seed may be
beneficial. Sheep can rapidly develop a taste
for bark and will ring-bark trees and kill
them unless the trees are protected or the
animals are closely monitored. Cattle can be
even more destructive and substantial tree
guards will be needed to stop them leaning
on younger trees and breaking them.
If mistletoe is present, it should be
managed to prevent it from swamping the
trees, with both berry-carrying female and
berry-less male plants pruned periodically.
Try to get fruit trees identified and graft
anything rare or unusual onto new
rootstocks for the next generation of trees.
Traditional orchards are eligible for
funding under the Higher Level component
of Natural England’s Environmental
Stewardship scheme for landowners,
providing money to those eligible to offset
Pruning fruit trees in the winter is a way of encouraging
reactive growth, more fruit and better tree and fruit health.
With very old trees that have not been pruned regularly
in the past, do not remove too much material in one go as
this may stress the tree or even kill it. Spread the work over
two or three years to reduce these risks. Also bear in mind
that trees which have hardly ever been pruned may well be
perfectly healthy and productive if left untouched.
Pruning can be very laborious, especially if the trees are very large. Community orchard projects are a great way of mobilising
volunteers and transforming the work into a social occasion.
Autumn is the season when orchards really come into their
own, and picking fruit to make juice or cider is another
great way of involving people.