Cider Workshop Photographic Challenge

The grandly titled 2012 Cider Workshop Photographic Challenge is now officially open for business. The theme of this years competition is 'Pressing 2011', which I'll be taking as meaning all aspects of the pressing cycle, not just the squeeze itself. Even so, this years theme could present a slight problem for some people.

We wrapped up our cider pressing way back in November, and not a day too soon as far as I'm concerned, as the chill of Winter finally settled in the valley. I've heard of other hardy folk pressing on into December, and even well into the new year. That'll be 'Pressing 2012' if I'm not mistaken! Let's hope any late pressers snapped off a few award winning shots earlier on in the season.

For full details of the competition, which is an amateur and fun affair, follow this link to the Cider Workshop Photographic Challenge Rules. The Flickr photo group where you can view the entries as they trickle in can be found here. Do enter a photo of your own or other peoples pressing adventures, the more the merrier.

The Rockingham Forest Cider Guide to Orchard Pests & Diseases

Orchardists of a nervous disposition, look away now....

This gruesome catalogue of orchard pests and diseases were found during a single morning inspection earlier this week. There could be much more to find, I haven't managed to inspect every tree yet! We've now got over 30 apple trees planted around the garden, varying in age from 2-5 years old. Some of the older trees have put on a good bit of growth since planting, so keeping on top of potential problems like the ones shown here has become more of a task. The good news is that many of the more common pests such as Aphid seem to be much less prevalent on the more mature trees, so I'm hoping we may see less of this kind of thing in the future.

Rosy Apple Aphid - Vile purple sap-sucking critters. Working in tandem with Ants, which deliver them onto the tree, they cause leaves and shoots to curl in a most unattractive way, and stunt fruit growth. Yes, that's right, these bastards are quite literally stealing our cider! Control: Squish between thumb and forefinger, again and again and again...



Brown Scale Insect - My thanks to good folk on the Cider Worshop for helping identify these nasties. The warty shells shown here are the remains of a once thriving colony of sap-sucking insects which have now moved out ready to begin sucking again this Summer. Control: Removed with thumbnail but likely to recur, so vigilance (and possibly an insecticide) necessary.



Woolly Aphid - Ooh! I really hate these. More sap-sucking action, this time concealed within a blanket of candyfloss (Note the drops of honeydew). The damage these critters do can sometimes lead to incidence of Canker, one of the most deadly fungal diseases known to apple trees. Control: Rub out, remove, destroy, attack with a toothbrush if neccesary. Show no mercy!

 

Powdery Mildew - One or two of our Harry Masters' trees are susceptible to this nasty disease. Long, dry spells (like the one we're having now) encourage Powdery Mildew. Some trees being overhung by our mature Bramley probably doesn't help either! Control: Nothing for it but pruning out. Burn prunings, clean secateurs thoroughly.



Green Aphid - Not a major pest for us, but really bad infestation can lead to reduced vigour or even stunted shoot growth. Control: Squish, and hey, if a few Ants get squished too, what of it!



Grubs - Ok, not very specific I know, but this could be one of many orchard pests. Totrix Moth, Apple Sawfly, or most likely given the black, sticky 'frass' shown on this picture, the dreaded Blastobasis Moth. Control: Err! Still working on this one...

Ladybirds - Not a pest, but not much bloody use it seems. Less shagging, more chomping please...

Ciderhouse News - January

Things are fizzing away gently in the ciderhouse, and the time for racking the perry off its sediment draws ever closer. Once again I'm having to buy more fermenters as we've filled every available tub, and have nothing to rack into. Full tasting notes coming soon, meanwhile, here's latest news:

• The dates for the innaugral Rutland CAMRA Beer & Cider Festival have been leaked to us here at Rockingham Forest Cider. Make a note in your diaries for the weekend of 23rd - 26th June. A wide range of beers, ciders, and perrys are promised, including something fruity from the Rockingham Forest Cider cellar. Venue is the Rutland County Museum in Oakham. More details when we've got 'em.
• Don't forget, we'll have cider and/or perry available at both the Leicester CAMRA Beer Festival (9th - 12th March), and the Hucknall Beer Festival (11th - 13th February) c/o our friends in the North, Ray & Gail of Torkard Cider.
• 30 (that's Three-Oh!) Ciders and Perrys are promised at this years Swan & Rushes Cider & Cheese jamboree in Leicester. Start date for this cracking day out is 29th April, continuing until the last crumb has been nibbled. Toast the Royal nuptials with a drop of Prince Williams favourite, and a truckle of what does a Princess good. Check the Swan & Rushes website nearer the date for the all important cider, perry, and cheese listings.
• Coming soon: Fun Cider Photo Competition. Have a good rummage through your hard-drive, and post your best (clean!) images from the 2010 cidermaking season to the 2011 Cider Workshop Photographic Challenge. For more details and where to upload your images, watch this space....
• 'Leicester Tigers thrash Northampton Saints in 12-try demolition job....' says Mystic Mark earlier today.
• Wikio Blog Ranking slips to all-time-low..... Bah!

Marcus & Andy Got Wood (If You Want It)

It's not too late to take advantage of the free wood on offer at this years National Apple Scion Wood Exchange. We went today, and can heartily recommend what's on offer. Midshires Orchard Group founders, and all-round top men, Marcus Roberts and Andy Howard were on hand to offer sound advice, grafting wood from some rare and unusual apple varieties, plus their well-honed grafting skills for those that wanted to take home a new apple tree.

We went on the vague off-chance there might be some interesting cider apple scions available, and came home with over a dozen Gloucestershire cider varieties, including some real rarities. I was happy enough to get some Foxwhelp, a wonderful aromatic addition to any cider blend, but was particularly pleased to be offered a twig of Hagloe Crab, a variety only recently re-discovered, and with a reputation for making excellent cider. Of course, every orchard should have a Hens Turd, whether you make cider or not, so I'm pleased to say we can now add this unusually named variety to our own orchard stock.

These events are often very social occasions, and I was happy to make the acquaintance of Dennis Bancroft, a hobby cidermaker from near Rugby, who I've previously only known through the excellent Cider Workshop discussion forum. It's always nice to put a face to a name. It was also nice to see on display some of the 80-odd late storing apples which Marcus and Andy had acquired this season.

I must also give mention to the terrific George at Tiffield, a welcome refreshment break on the long journey home. A great village local, and highly recommended.

When Twigs become Trees

A recent discussion on the excellent new Cider Workshop forum prompted me to take a closer look at my apple tree grafts. The question on everyone's mind was, when to remove the tape protecting the grafts?

The tape serves to add a little strength to the join before the wood has callused over and provided a strong union, but perhaps more importantly it also keeps the graft from drying out before the join has healed sufficiently. Take the tape off too early and you could be jeopardising this healing process resulting in a failed graft, but leave it on too late and the tape may restrict the swelling of the wood which will form the trunk of your infant tree.

I'd been keeping a watchful eye on our grafts for some time now, and thought all was well. The two dessert apple varieties I grafted under tuition had already expanded beyond the confines of the rapidly degrading tape, but on closer examination I discovered one of the Dabinett's had become quite restricted by the freezer bag tape I'd used. I decided it was time to remove the tape from all of the trees and hope for the best.

As you can see, the grafts are all looking good, and they seem strong enough. I'll be keeping all these trees in a sheltered spot for the rest of the Summer, just in case of high winds, and they'll also need staking when I plant them out in the Winter. The restriction on the Dabinett is quite pronounced, though I'm sure the tree will recover. The tape we used on the grafting course seems to have done a better job, degrading as the union swells from the callousing. Freezer bag tape needs to be removed earlier, perhaps even as early as late May or early June, as it doesn't seem to stretch in the way I thought it would.

The more careful examination of these trees also helped me to spot a small patch of Woolly Aphid tucked into a leaf axil. Ray & Gail of Torkard Cider have had these for years, and I was starting to feel a bit left out, so I'm pleased to say we now appear to have the full set of Aphid pests to contend with, and something new to bitch about when next we meet.

Cider Chat

A brand new virtual cider bar has opened for business. Hobby cidermaker, and enthusiastic cider drinker Jez Howat, has been busy in his workshop constructing what promises to be an excellent resource for anyone with an interest in the fermented apple, or indeed pear.

The 'Core' of the Cider Workshop is an online discussion forum hosted by Google Groups. Think of it as a cosy, welcoming, barrel-lined cider barn. A place to draw-off a glass of cider, and put the ciderworld to rights in convivial and respectful company. Anything cider and perry related is open for discussion, from the technicalities of production, through to recommendations on where you might find a glass of the good-stuff to drink. Normal forum rules apply, ie. respect for other peoples opinions, and of course no abusive posts will be tolerated. That way the forum will be a safe and pleasant environment for all.

It's also hoped that in time The Cider Workshop will become a useful online resource. As the website grows, it's hoped that members will contribute articles, and snippets of information on their particular fields of interest, and in this way the site will become the pre-eminent online destination for the craft cider enthusiast. It will also be a portal to the many excellent cider-based websites which already exist.

You can sign up for the discussion forum by visiting The Cider Workshop website: http://www.ciderworkshop.com/Workshop%20Site/index.html