Stocken Orchard continued management for biodiversity

This Project will enable the continued management of the orchard for the benefit of wildlife following on from our very successful Project 92. The running of our harvester and some tractor and Land Rover costs is essential for the management of the orchard and will allow us to continue the management of the orchards’ grassland specifically for pollinators and other beneficial insects.
Many flowering plants are now spreading through the orchard including several orchid species alongside more common vetches, clovers and buttercups which provide food for insects. Removal of the fruit is essential to keeping the flower-rich grassland which would otherwise be out-competed by nettles and thistles which benefit from the nutrient input from fallen fruit. So we will continue to harvest part of the apple crop to significantly reduce the nutrient input, leaving at least a quarter of the orchard unpicked each year as food for wintering birds.