Portsmouth and Southsea Tree Wardens Hilsea Fruiting Hedge

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The planting of the fruiting hedge - 26 & 27 November 2010
Photos of the planting taking place
Refreshments and toilets
How to get to the Hedge
External links
Contact

Training event: Hilsea Fruiting Hedge: Notes - 30 July 2014
Training event: Hilsea Fruiting Hedge: Notes - 18 July 2013
Maintaining Hilsea Fruiting Hedge - 2 May to 24 June 2013
Hedgerow Harvest Training event: Notes - 24 March 2013
Maintaining - 11 August 2012   10 October 2012
Harvest - 7 August 2012
Maintaining - 5 July 2012   21 June 2012
More planting - 22 February 2012
Maintaining - 25 October 2011
Training event: "How trees survive" - 15 August 2011
Photos 5 months after planting - 17 April 2011

Training event: Hilsea Fruiting Hedge - Wednesday 30 July 2014

Notes of the training event held on Wednesday 30 July 2014 with Jon Stokes, Tree Council, at Hilsea fruiting hedge:

Notes of the event pdf

Jon Stokes, Director of the Tree Council, giving a training session at Hilsea Fruiting Hedge on Wednesday evening, 30 July 2014. Jon shows us how to prune a tree. Photo: John Scott

Jon guided us on how to maintain the hedge in future.

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Training event: Hilsea Fruiting Hedge - Thursday 18 July 2013

Notes of the training event held on Thursday 18 July 2013 with Jon Stokes, Tree Council, at Hilsea fruiting hedge:

Notes of the event pdf

Jon Stokes, Director of the Tree Council, giving a training session at Hilsea Fruiting Hedge on Thursday evening, 18 July 2013

Tasting food that Jon had made from hedge fruit. Plum chutney on cheese, gooseberry jam with elderflower cordial, mustard and ginger, wild cherry jam, blackcurrant jam, whitecurrant 'cheese', and elderflower cordial.

Photos: John Scott

Summary

Jon said the purpose of the event was to see how the hedge is faring, to give tuition if we need it on anything we find, and for us to sample food that Jon has made from fruit he had collected from other hedges.

Jon concluded that overall the hedge is in very good nick. He would place its health in the top ten.

Jon passed round a few things he had made from hedge row fruit for us to try, and discuss.

Jon outlined phase 2 of the Hedgerow Harvest project, funded by the Lottery. It comprises:

• Oral history
• More hedges
• Events.

External link

Hedgerow Harvest (Tree Council) - Planting, Maintenance, Foraging, Recipies

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Maintaining Hilsea Fruiting Hedge - 2 May to 24 June 2013

Friday 21 June 2013. Mulching job done! Thanks to Nadya, Liz, Lorna, Don and Pauline, and others on previous days.

Volunteers taking a break from maintaining the Hilsea fruiting hedge to pose for a photo on Friday 21 June 2013. The volunteers were members of Portsmouth and Southsea Tree Wardens.

Photo: Pauline Powell

Volunteers taking a break from maintaining the Hilsea fruiting hedge to pose for a photo on Friday 21 June 2013. The volunteers were members of Portsmouth and Southsea Tree Wardens.

Photo: Don Wilkinson

Thursday 20 June 2013. Nadya, Steve, Rachel and Pauline did mulching.

Volunteers taking a break from maintaining the Hilsea fruiting hedge to pose for a photo on Thursday 20 June 2013. The volunteers were members of Portsmouth and Southsea Tree Wardens.

Photo: Pauline Powell

Tuesday 18 June 2013. Pauline did some mulch spreading today and a work party is planned for later in the week.

Friday 14 June 2013. Portsmouth City Council's contactor delivered a load of mulch (wood chippings) for the hedge and they did some serious strimming.

Monday 10 June 2013. Nita, Nadya and Pauline had a weeding session at the fruiting hedge. It was hard work. Still waiting for the mulch.

Volunteers taking a break from maintaining the Hilsea fruiting hedge to pose for a photo on Monday 10 June 2013. The volunteers were members of Portsmouth and Southsea Tree Wardens.

Photo: Pauline Powell

Thursday 6 June 2013. Due to a little accident in Pauline's garden we had to call today's session off. It looks like there should be a good crop of currants, gooseberry and a few cherries. Other plants are still in flower.

Tuesday 4 June 2013. A big thank you to Hilsea Lines Conservation Volunteers for weeding the Hilsea fruiting hedge today.

Sunday 2 June 3013. Pauline did some strimming and weeding at Hilsea fruiting hedge.

Thursday 2 May 2013. Don, Liz, Lorna, Nadya, Pauline, Rose and Rachel did a spot of maintenance on Hilsea fruiting hedge before the weeds took over. Pauline is arranging for a load of mulch to be spread over the cleared ground.

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Hedgerow Harvest Training event - Sunday 24 March 2013

Notes of the joint training event with The Tree Council "Hedgerow Harvest Training Day" held on Sunday 24 March 2013 with Jon Stokes, Tree Council, at Hilsea fruiting hedge, are available as a pdf document:

Notes of the event pdf

Jon Stokes with members of Portsmouth and Southsea Tree Wardens at the training event

Photo: John Scott

Jon set out the structure of the event, to be in three parts:
A. The state the hedge is in;
B. Renovation needed; and
C. What is needed to get the hedge through the summer

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Maintaining Hilsea Fruiting Hedge - 10 October 2012

Volunteers taking a break from maintaining the Hilsea fruiting hedge to pose for a photo on Friday morning 10 October 2012. The volunteers were members of Portsmouth and Southsea Tree Wardens and Gunwharf Quays volunteers.

Photo: John Scott

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Battle against the weeds is nearly won - 11 August 2012

We had three stalwarts on Saturday morning 11 August 2012. Thanks to Malcolm and Nadya for turning up to make the three. I think the battle against the weeds is nearly won. We must make sure next year that we start in the Spring before weeds get growing. - Pauline

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Fruit harvested from Hilsea Fruiting Hedge - 7 August 2012

White currants, green and black gooseberries, and black currants harvested from Hilsea Fruiting Hedge on 7 August 2012.

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Maintaining Hilsea Fruiting Hedge - 5 July 2012

Portsmouth and Southsea Tree Wardens take a break from weeding to pose for a photo at Hilsea Fruiting Hedge on Thursday morning, 5 July 2012.

The team managed a great deal of weeding, re-tied trees where necessary, cut back blackberries, and picked up rubbish. We have now done about three quarters of the hedge. Thanks to Rose, Phil, Joan, Nadya, Nita and Pauline! Another session will be needed to finish the job. Everyone is invited to come along then.

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Maintaining Hilsea Fruiting Hedge - 21 June 2012

Maintaining the hedge

The team managed a great deal of weeding on Thursday morning, 21 June 2012, about half the hedge in fact. Thanks to Lolyn, Jenny, Nadya, Liz, Nita, Phil and Pauline! The rain held off just long enough for us to finish what we were doing. Another session will be needed to finish the job. Everyone is invited to come along then.

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More planting - Wednesday 22 February 2012

Volunteers planted fruit trees at Hilsea fruiting hedge on Wednesday 22 February 2012. The volunteers were members of Portsmouth and Southsea Tree Wardens and the University of Portsmouth. The trees are additional to earlier plantings. The trees were:

• Plum Myrobalan Standard x2 - "Masses of pure white flowers smother plant early March before the leaves appear. Small, tasty cherry-plums in autumn on mature plants."
  From Buckingham Nurseries & Garden Centre www.hedging.co.uk
• Crab Apple sylvestris x2 - "Vigorous, native, deciduous tree with dense clusters of pale pink buds opening to white flowers early May followed by green crab apples in autumn suitable for jam, jelly and wine."
  From Buckingham Nurseries & Garden Centre www.hedging.co.uk
• Malus (Crab Apple) 'Butterball' x1 - "Heavily laden branches glowing with butter coloured fruit each autumn make this a stunning tree. The apple blossom flowers in spring add to its charm and the fruit are ideal for making crab apple jelly. (N. America)" - Trees for your garden by Nick Dunn 2010 ISBN 978-0-904853-08-7.
  From Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC

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Maintaining Hilsea Fruiting Hedge - 25 October 2011

Volunteers maintained the Hilsea fruiting hedge on 25 October 2011. The volunteers were members of Portsmouth and Southsea Tree Wardens and Gunwharf Quays volunteers.

Photos: John Scott

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Training event: "How trees survive" - 15 August 2011

Jon Stokes demonstrating how to use a tree tie

1pm for two hours with Jon Stokes, Tree Council, at Hilsea fruiting hedge. About planting trees and looking after them.

Notes of the event pdf

Tips

• Survival rate: nationally 80% is a good survival rate.
• The Hilsea hedge is definitely in the top two of survival. Jon would give nine and a half out of 10 if judging it.
• Water is crucial in the first year.
• A mulch of wood chippings reduces evaporation and acts as a weed suppressant.
• Only need to mulch once.
• Competition with grass in the first few years is the most damaging thing
• Portsmouth City Council spot weed an 8 inch circle round the base of the tree.
• Hawthorn and blackthorn are strong - they will survive.
• A tie holds the tree to the ground. Stake no more than a third the height of the tree. The tree thickens where it flexes, so move the tie slowly down then take it off. Halve the height of the stake after one year.
• The plastic guards are rabbit guards. Not really needed.
• Black currants and gooseberries: leave them be. Can leave them 10 years and they become bigger and bushier. You are not going to come back every year and prune.
• Could take all hawthorns down to 6 inches next year.
• Apple. Let the tree get to Jon's height (about 6 ft) then cut to chest height.
• Water for the first three years. A little now and again has the effect of drawing roots to the surface.
• Peter Smith (of Peter’s Tree Surgery & Landscaping) had done a strim the other day.

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Photos 5 months after planting - 17 April 2011

Photos: John Scott

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The planting of the fruiting hedge

Volunteers planted a fruiting hedge in Hilsea on Friday and Saturday 26 and 27 November 2010. The volunteers were members of Portsmouth and Southsea Tree Wardens, The Stacey Centre Community Orchard Garden, Portsmouth Cycle Forum, and friends.

The 100 metre long hedge is located by the path and cycle path from Devon Road to Hilsea station in the Rugby Camp open space.   map

The planting was attended by:

Margaret Lipscombe, Programme Director - Hedgerow Harvest the Tree Council,
Jon Stokes, Director of Rural Programmes the Tree Council,
Stuart Campbell, Arboricultural Officer Portsmouth City Council,
Simon Pearce, Assistant Arboricultural Officer Portsmouth City Council and
Peter Roberts, Hilsea Lines Ranger Portsmouth City Council.

The hedge comprises the following fruit trees (from the north end of the hedge):

1. Walnut
2. Rowan (sorbus)
3. Medlar
4. Hazel/ filbert
5. Plum
6. Sorbus
7. Cherry (died and was replaced by a bullace)
8. Rowan
9. Cherry
10. Pear
11. Apple
12. Cherry
13. Malus tor Mandarin
14. Mulberry
15. Crab Apple
16. Damson
17. Gage
18. Apple (Grieve)
19. Plum
20. Hazel
21. Damson
22. Quince

• Hawthorn (Crategus monogyna)
• Sloe (Prunus spinosa hedging)
• Raspberry (Autumn Bliss), (Tulameen)
• Gooseberry (Hinnomaki Red), (Hinnomaki Yellow), (Invicta)
• Redcurrant (Laxtons No 1), (Red Lake), (Red Start)
• Blackcurrant (Ben Sarek), (Baldwin), (Ben Tirran)
• Blackberry (Adrienne (thornless)), (Oregon Thornless)
• Rose (Rosa canina), (Rosa rugosa), (Rosa rugosa alba)
• Elder (sambucus nigra)
• Quince

The Stacey Centre Community Orchard folk brought along 30 fruit bushes donated by the Woodland Trust and via the 28th Portsmouth Beaver Scouts (Nicola Gregory) which were included in the hedge.

Amenity

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Photos of the planting taking place

Photo: Tree Council

Photos: John Scott (except as stated)

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Refreshments and toilets

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How to get to the Hedge

By car: Park in Rugby Camp car park, Norway Road, by the railway bridge and Covers timber merchants, sat nav post code: PO3 5FT - see map below; or

in Devon Road, a 2 minute walk away, sat nav post code: PO3 5ET.

By rail: Train to Hilsea station, then leave by the gate on platform 1 signed "Cycle/foot path to Copnor". The hedge is just outside.

By bus: Route 21, Havant - Leigh Park - Farlington - Anchorage Park - Copnor - City Centre - Gunwharf Quays. Ask for Rugby Camp. Stagecoach Stagecoach site

Map

As at 5 July 2013 the path and cycle path from Devon Road to Hilsea station are not shown on the Google map.

View Larger Map

Grid references - Estimate of the grid references for each extremity of the hedge, thanks to Martin Clarke:

50.827724, -1.059312
+50°49'39.81", -1°3'33.52"
Map Google maps - "A" marks the north end of the hedge - Beware! Using Get Directions on this map will take you to Airport Service Road, on the other side of the railway from the hedge.

50.826758, -1.059660
+50°49'36.33", -1°3'34.87"

Support

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External links

Mulching

• Colorado State University - CMG GardenNotes #245 - Mulching with Wood/Bark Chips... pdf accessed 20-Aug-2011
• Royal Horticultural Society - Past-papers pdf
  Four stages in the breakdown of fresh wood chips after application as a soil mulch... e.g. uptake of nitrogen by bacteria; physical breakdown by feeding insects; environmental physical and chemical weathering and breakdown of lignin by fungi; accessed 20-Aug-2011
• Royal Horticultural Society - Trees and shrubs: planting accessed 20-Aug-2011

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Contact

Follow Portsmouth and Southsea Tree Wardens on Twitter

 

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