Cider Apples

[Old Spot]

I have no idea which forum to put this in.
I am thinking of planting some trees for cider fruit.
Reasons
1).I like cider
2).we are a small farm that has always had an orchard this needs replanting
3).the farm seems to grow trees well

Do I need a contract, is it worth it? is anyone doing it?
Should I harvest my own or get a contractor
And last of all would it work as part of agroforestry

 

[Kidds]

Some of the bigger producers were helping out with new orchards, Bulmers I think.
If you are intending to sell the apples to someone like them I would think they were the ones to ask.

 

[gone up the hill]

Are you talking traditional trees or bush trees??

 

[Old Spot]

I want to mechanically harvest so don't know what trees I presume bush trees are the easiest for harvest and pruning.

 

[bread and jam]

Bulmers are the people to talk to, bush orchards are the way to go for tons per acre, cider apples seem to be the only thing that's paying at the moment. Everyone seems to have massive crops this year in Herefordshire. If you go for a standard orchard there does seem to be a lot of artisan cider producers about at the moment, but probably safer getting contract with the large cider firms.

 

[Jackson4]

How much land do you have? All bulmers trees will be on mm106 planted as a bush orchard (depending on soil some more vigorous on m26, some less on mm111) Can be 3 years before some yeild for commercial varieties, upto 6/7 years for some varieties. Some bush orchards doing 20 ton an acre plus... cant remember what they are getting a ton £70-100/ton?

If you want to make and sell your on cider maybe should look at gloucester varieties, or maybe planting perry pears? Trying to think...the only decent variety i think you have is dymock red?? is a good shaped tree but not a single variety cider, mine are just cropping this year.

 

[CornishTone]

Where are you?

 

[topground]

All this talk of Bulmers, I Thought they had dissapeared long ago into a multinational conglomerate.
Talk to Thatchers at Sandford about varieties and go and se what they have done with planting new orchards.

 

[nelson]

Sorry to say but you want get a contract with any of the main prossors there's no more plans for planting in the near future. Bulmers is still a trade name but owned by hineken

 

[Old Spot]

We have 10 odd acres of traditional varieties some new planted. There are about 160 varieties of Gloucestershire Apple. We still have some Malvern Hill Perry Pear trees which make a lovely drop.
I think I do enough "niche" at to moment and would like to plant cider fruit on a good scale and pass on the processing.

 

[ejbhereford]

Problem is that over the last few years everyone has been planting so many apple trees and this seems to be the first year that they have a full crop. I know Weston's are full and bulmers are close to full and a friend I know who has an ad plant has been offered a lot of cider fruit this year as people who are not on contract can't sell it.

 

[Dan7626]

All of the new orchards planted around here in the last few years seem to have been bush trees.
We have had about 700 standard trees off Bulmers in the last couple of years to patch up our old orchards and create new ones and they are just starting to fruit this year.
As said above this year has been a bumper year for apples. We have about 30 ton in trailers waiting to go to westons and probably another 40ish ton still to pick up but they are full up.

 

[Wastexprt]

Have you tried Aston Manor at all? They have their own orchards but also work closely with farmers.

 

[carpenter1]

Does anyone local to me south devon have any? What is the current cost this season

 

[snarling bee]

I thought the demand for cider had dropped this year due to lockdown?

 

[Grandad Pig]

I used to pay £70 ton for mixed varieties for cider making. (The Matching Cider Company) 25 years ago. Amazed that prices certainly have not even kept up with inflation. Nothing new there then.

 

[carpenter1]

I thought the demand for cider had dropped this year due to lockdown?

I am only making enough for ourselves and family. Looking to do 400 litres and more juice.

 

[Bobthebuilder]

A couple of years ago local cider folk were doing a deal where you took as many apples of any kind in to them and they gave you cider in return, never had time to go before the apples around here spoiled

 

[br jones]

Pointless ,bulmers and westons dont want anymore ,they are full to the brim with contracts ,they also use alot of imported syrup from europe ,

 

[ollie989898]

There was talk this happened one year in Somerset. Might have been 2012. Loads of fruit because of the peculiar weather and farmers were dead chuffed. It was rumoured the big cider maker in the area simply imported what they wanted from Spain and blew a whole in the bottom of the market.