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Why Manage an Orchard for Both Fruit and Wildlife?

A small orchard on a British smallholding is more than a source of apples, pears, and plums. It is a living patchwork of blossom, bark, and grass that supports a surprising amount of wildlife. The trick is to manage it so you still get a decent crop without turning it into a sterile, tidy plot. The good news is that the two goals often overlap. By leaving some fallen fruit, mowing paths through long grass, and pruning dead wood, you create a healthier, more productive orchard that teems with birds, insects, and small mammals.

Leave Some Fallen Fruit for the Birds

Come late summer and autumn, windfalls are a magnet for wildlife. Blackbirds, song thrushes, redwings, and fieldfares will flock to a carpet of soft fruit. If you clear every last apple or pear, you strip away a vital food source just when birds need to fatten up for winter. So leave a generous portion of the fallen fruit on the ground.

Leave the fruit for a few days, then assess it. If the fruit is mouldy or covered in brown rot, it is best to clear it to reduce disease spores. But a light scattering of clean windfalls is fine. You can also shake branches gently to bring down a few extra fruits for the birds. In a good year, you might leave a whole tree's worth of small, misshapen fruit that is not worth storing. The birds will thank you, and they will repay you by eating codling moth larvae and other pests.

• Leave windfalls under trees that are not prone to scab or canker.
• Avoid leaving fruit in a thick, wet mat, which can smother grass and encourage slugs.
• If wasps are a nuisance near paths, move the fruit a few metres away from walkways.

Mow Paths Through Long Grass

Long grass in an orchard is a wildlife haven. It shelters beetles, frogs, shrews, and the caterpillars of meadow butterflies. But you still need to get around to pick fruit and prune. The answer is to mow paths, not the whole sward. Think of it as creating a network of tidy corridors through a wild meadow.

Mow your paths in late summer, after the main nesting season. By August, most birds have fledged, and the grass has set seed. Use a scythe, a strimmer, or a mower on its highest setting. Cut paths about a metre wide, leading to each tree and around the boundary. Leave the rest of the grass long until the following spring. This gives insects a place to overwinter and provides seeds for finches and sparrows. In spring, you can mow a few more paths if needed, but keep the long grass between them.

• Mow in dry weather to avoid clumping and fungal growth.
• Rake up the cuttings if they are thick, as they can smother the grass beneath.
• Leave a strip of long grass along hedges and fences as a wildlife corridor.

Prune Dead Wood and Keep Trees Healthy

Pruning is not just about shaping trees for a good crop. It is also about removing dead, diseased, or crossing branches that can rub and create wounds. The best time to prune most fruit trees is in winter, when they are dormant. Start by removing any dead wood. Cut it back to a healthy bud or branch collar. Do not leave stubs, which can die back further. Dead wood that is still attached to the tree can harbour fungal diseases and provide entry points for pests.

That said, do not be too tidy. A pile of dead branches in a corner of the orchard is a five-star hotel for stag beetles, solitary bees, and hedgehogs. So prune the dead wood from the tree, but stack the cuttings nearby. Aim for an open, goblet-shaped canopy that lets light and air into the centre. This reduces the risk of canker and scab. Remove any branches that cross or rub, and thin out crowded growth. For apples and pears, spur pruning encourages fruiting; for plums and cherries, prune in summer to avoid silver leaf.

• Use sharp, clean secateurs and a pruning saw for thicker branches.
• Disinfect tools between trees to avoid spreading disease.
• Never remove more than a quarter of the canopy in one year.

Beyond the Basics: A Year-Round Orchard

Once you have the three key habits in place, you can add other wildlife-friendly touches. Plant native wildflower plugs around the trees to attract pollinators. Hang a few bird boxes and bat boxes on mature trees. Leave a shallow dish of water for birds and insects. Avoid chemical sprays; instead, encourage natural predators like ladybirds and lacewings. Mulch around the base of young trees with well-rotted manure or compost, but keep it clear of the trunk. In autumn, leave some fallen leaves under the trees as they provide food and shelter for moths and other invertebrates.

Remember that a smallholding orchard is a long-term project. It may take a few years for the balance to settle. But each season you will see more birds, more insects, and more fruit. The orchard becomes a place of abundance for everyone.

Harvest and Share the Bounty

When harvest time comes, pick carefully and leave some fruit for the wildlife. Store only perfect specimens; use bruised or small fruit for juicing, chutney, or cider. If you have a glut, share with neighbours or swap with other smallholders. A well-managed orchard is generous by nature. And as you sit back with a glass of your own apple juice, watching a flock of fieldfares strip the last windfalls, you will know you have got the balance right.