Quince ‘Meeches Prolific’
Latest Feature Articles
- Checking Out a Local Seedling Apple, ‘Heys Pippin’
Sometimes a seedling apple tree produces fantastic fruit, sometimes not. What’s the verdict on this local-to-me pip-grown tree? - Ray Blockley Makes May S. Metzler’s ‘Oatmeal Betty’Here’s Ray’s modern take on a 1921 pudding recipe from the Date Cook Book. Looks absolutely delicious!
- Gallery: Allotment Apples, Early Autumn 2026 EditionA quick stroll around the apple trees on my plot, to see which varieties of apple I can look forward to picking this Autumn.
- New Apple Tree Update – Summer 2026 EditionA quick progress report on how my newly planted cordons and graftling apple trees have coped in this year’s harsh conditions.
- Excessive Codling Moth Damage – Reduced Harvests Ahead?This year is shaping up to be a good one for the moth population, and potentially quite a bad one for orchardists.
- We’re Enjoying a Record Blueberry Harvest This YearOne significant innovation in our blueberry growing method has resulted in a complete turnaround in our fortunes.
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All Recent Posts & Articles
- Checking Out a Local Seedling Apple, ‘Heys Pippin’Sometimes a seedling apple tree produces fantastic fruit, sometimes not. What’s the verdict on this local-to-me pip-grown tree?
- Ray Blockley Makes May S. Metzler’s ‘Oatmeal Betty’Here’s Ray’s modern take on a 1921 pudding recipe from the Date Cook Book. Looks absolutely delicious!
- Miss E. S. Kirkland’s 1899 Recipe for ‘Quince Marmalade’Got quinces? Here’s a C19th recipe for turning them into a delicious marmalade.
- Gallery: Blueberry Foliage in AutumnAll the colours of autumn in one. What’s not to love about blueberry plants at this time of year?
- John Townshend’s 1773 Recipe for ‘Quince Pudding’This C18th recipe for a custard-based quince dish turned out to be eerily familiar…
- May S. Metzler’s 1921 Recipe for ‘Oatmeal Betty’This early C20th recipe is simple to the point of minimalism and should appeal to anyone who enjoys a bit of stodge on their pudding plate.
- Gallery: Allotment Apples, Early Autumn 2026 EditionA quick stroll around the apple trees on my plot, to see which varieties of apple I can look forward to picking this Autumn.
- Elizabeth Raffald’s 1769 Recipe for ‘Raspberry Fritters’This fried, donut-like dish sounds like a tasty way to make use of a raspberry glut, should you be lucky enough to have one.
- Anon, Field Magazine 1911, on Keeping Apples in StorageThis pre-refrigeration solution to the problem of medium-term fruit storage might be worth a look, if you have the resources to build it.
- The Orchard Notes Links Library has Gone LiveThe long-promised list of fruity links is now available for readers to peruse at their leisure.
- Elizabeth Raffald’s 1769 Recipe for ‘Damson Dumplins’In which a very tasty-sounding C18th damson pudding recipe leads to much dumplin-themed discussion.
- New Apple Tree Update – Summer 2026 EditionA quick progress report on how my newly planted cordons and graftling apple trees have coped in this year’s harsh conditions.
All posts and articles archive
Seasonal Hints, Tips and How-To Articles
- A Few Top Tips for Orchard Harvest SeasonIn which I re-post a selection of how-to articles that will help you get the best from your apple and pear harvests this autumn.
- How To: Make Medlar Cheese and Medlar JellyMaking medlar cheese and medlar jelly are great ways to get the best out of this unusual and tasty Autumn fruit. Here’s how.
- How To: Check For a Maggot in Your AppleA quick guide to spotting an unwanted lodger in that ripe, perfect-looking piece of fruit, *before* you bite into it…
Most-Read Feature Articles
- A Frost-Pruned Fig Tree, and What Happened NextLast year our fig tree was hit by a late frost. Every apical bud and fruitlet was killed. But that was far from the end of the story…
- How To: Identify Apple and Pear VarietiesWondering how to i.d. a mystery apple or pear variety? Here’s a guide to: doing it yourself, asking an expert, and DNA testing.
- How To: Thin Out Apple and Pear FruitletsFruit thinning is an essential operation to carry out to improve your chances of better quality fruit this year and more fruit buds next year.
- Lifecycle of an Apple, From Bud to Blossom to FruitFollow the lifecycle of a single apple bud from dormancy to harvest, in this series of 40+ photos.
- Pruning Notes: Restoration of a Mature, Overgrown, Apple TreeLoppers, secateurs and saw at the ready, as an old colleague and I apply a bit of much-needed effort to an over-crowded canopy.
- What Are ‘Chill Hours’ And Why Do They Matter?The recent UK-wide cold-snap will have been really good for our fruit trees – here’s why.
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