A Look Back at Piper’s Orchard Festival of Fruit, October 5th, 2019 by William Murray

Over 300 people attended the 13th annual Piper’s Orchard Festival of Fruit in Carkeek Park on October 5th 2019. Attendees enjoyed Master gardeners, fruit tasting, cider pressing and orchard tours. For the first time in many years two apple trees were planted in the orchard. After volunteering at the Festival since 2008, I was excited to become a member of the tree planting committee until I found manual labor was involved as Paul Brookshire handed me a shovel indicating where to dig. Soil in the orchard is a hardpan glacial till similar to quick dry concrete. While digging a nearby anthill boiled ants while squirrels dropped horse chestnuts from a nearby tree! Ah these are the joys of volunteering. Our first tree, donated by Bob Baines, was an Ashmead Kernel in a 10 gallon pot. Soon a crowd formed to witness this auspicious occasion and discussions on planting apple trees and soil amendments ensued. Bob’s theory is no soil amendments; if the trees survive they survive. Several young volunteers stepped up to help out and the Ashmead Kernel was planted and christened Fiona then generously watered from nearby Pipers creek.

Ashmead Kernel ‘Fiona’ planting site solarized 

Secondly, we planted a Dutch Mignone from a 5 gallon pot from the Baine’s collection, joined by Nathan, a recent transplant from Oklahoma. Again our young helpers christened this newly planted Dutch Mignone Perry. The tree planting is part of a multi-year science experiment, proposed and supervised by Adam Wargacki, involving solarization of the planting site. Solarization involves covering the planting site with heavy plastic sheeting to heat up and possibly kill harmful micro organisms in the soil thought to be replant disease.  Apple trees planted at Pipers in the past 10 years did not bear fruit while apple trees planted in the 1980s and 1890s are doing quite well. The experiment could take many more years to come to fruition by observing if the Ashmead Kernel Fiona whose site was solarized and the Dutch Mignone Perry’s un solarized planting site become established amongst their older peers.

Dutch Mignone Perry planting site was not solarized

Update September 22, 2020   UNFORTUNATELY  due to Covid concerns the 2020 Piper’s orchard festival was cancelled.   Bummer !   And the apple trees had a good crop this year too. HOWEVER,  on the positive side we have harvested hundreds of pounds  and given them to food banks this summer and fall.   Special shout-outs  to the Mullins,  the McLeans,  June S.,  Bernice M.,  John W., Paris Y.,  Chris D., Paul K., Will M ,  to City Fruit organization and to  others.   In fact we have never given more food to food banks than this year!