Volunteers picking fruit for foodbanks were delighted on a return visit to the gardens of three houses in Sebright Road, Barnet, to find an extra fine crop of apples -- all thanks to the way the trees had been pruned earlier in the year.
Barnet Community Harvesters – who have now picked over 1,000 kilos of apples and pears – are benefiting from their year-round efforts to nurture fruit trees across the borough.
In February volunteers led by the group’s founder and organiser Daniella Levene spent the day in the three Sebright Road gardens cutting out unproductive twigs and branches in order to encourage fruiting buds.
Several workshops for volunteers were held in the gardens of homes where householders donate apples and pears that would otherwise go to waste.
Their work paid off handsomely. Helen Harte, one of the three Sebright Road householders, said she had never seen her tree so heavily laden with eating apples.
She could hardly believe that the pruning done on her tree in February had proved so beneficial.
“My apples are just the right size for children to take school in their lunch boxes. I am so pleased that the fruit is going to food banks and all the apples have found a good home.”
Daniella Levene, seen above far right, with volunteers Rob Wilkie and Hiranya De-Alwif-Jayasinghe, said that the apples they picked in Sebright Road – which was their 30th pick this autumn – had taken the total weight of fruit they had collected to over 1,000 kilos, well up on the 900 kilos picked last year.
“It is very rewarding coming back to Sebright Road and seeing how these trees have benefited from being properly pruned in February,” said Daniella.
“Pruning has to be done every year. These trees have already developed growth that will have to be cut back, mainly vertical air shoots – or what are known as water shoots – that have to be taken out.”
Hiranya, who was one of the volunteer pruners in February, said she was amazed to see how much good quality fruit the trees had produced.
Volunteer picker Rob said Daniella’s decision to establish Barnet Community Harvesters was a brilliant idea.
“This is a chance to give something back to the community and to support our local food banks, especially important given the time we are living in.”
Another of the Sebright Road householders Sally Beale (above) had been equally amazed at the difference the pruning had made.
“It is as if my tree has had a second life. Daniella and her team cut out a lot of crossover branches and it has done so well this year. We don’t know what to do with all the apples. Some of them really are big and juicy.”
Householders who have surplus apples might also like to try their hand at turning them into apple juice. An apple pressing day is being organised by Incredible Edible Barnet, the community self-help and support group led by Wendy Alcock that campaigns against fruit and vegetables going to waste.
Daniella said the volunteers supporting Community Harvesters had been really encouraged by the amount of fruit which they had collected this autumn.
Most goes to the Barnet Food Bank hub in East Barnet, but deliveries of surplus fruit are made to a range of community and self-help groups, including a Jewish family centre and a Somali community group.
