A FRUIT farmer from near Oswestry has been explaining how he became the leader in new ways to combat pest control at his facility.
Tom Adams owns a 2.6-hectare site in Weston Rhyn where he grows fruit trees.
At a recent Farming Connect horticulture study visit at his nursery, he shared some of the knowledge he has gained from many years as a grower.
His approach in coppicing smaller diameter younger trees to produce a woodchip mulch rich in minerals and enzymes is providing a sustainable source of fertility and organic matter for young fruit trees.
One of his core aims when he designed his current site, which he bought in 2018, was to create a closed-loop system by generating his own compost and woodchip to be self-sufficient in soil improvements.
OTHER NEWS:
- One lucky Postcode near Oswestry has won big in People's Postcode Lottery draw
- Warning that end of council's pest control service will 'impact vulnerable people'
- 'Overwhelming' response to North Shropshire survey, says MP
“We grow 3,000-4,500 trees a year and they all need mulching,’’ he said.
“We make Ramial Chipped Wood (RCW) from trees with a trunk no greater than 7cm in diameter.
“It is full of nutrients and can be applied fresh without it taking nutrients from the soil because it has higher nitrogen to carbon ratio than larger diameter wood.
“It doesn’t take as much nitrogen out of the soil as wood chip from large diameter trees.’’
Some of that mulch comes from willow – Tom has three willow coppices and grows five different varieties; willow contains salicylic acid which has been shown to help manage scab in apple trees.
Trees are coppiced when they are two years old, in November when they are not in leaf, and a two-year cycle of coppicing follows.
To chip the wood, Tom hires a woodchipper at a cost of around £200 a day.
“I think it is better to hire in a decent one that does a good job than to buy a cheap machine that doesn’t,’’ he said.
He is self-sufficient in his own pest controls, growing cultivated and wild flowers to create a diverse insect population including bees, ladybirds, lacewings, butterflies and hoverflies.
“We are mowing less and less to allow more growth to attract those insects,’’ Tom explained.
Tom has collaborations with other businesses to enable his seven-year rotation, including a chamomile tea business.
He grows a range of fruit trees including pears, apples, cherries, plums and damsons, varieties that are disease resistant and easy to grow.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here