Craig Castree – horticulturalist with 40 plus years’ experience, conducted a workshop for members at the Phillip Island Community Orchard Harvest Festival on the weekend. Workshop topic was grafting and fruit tree pruning and management.
PICO member Jacki Hood, who brought in a cutting from a 100 year old pear from the original homestead in Rhyll, was assisted by Craig Castree to graft it on to an orchard pear tree, ensuring its survival for hopefully another 100 years.
Enjoying last Saturdays Harvest picnic at the community orchard at Wimbledon Heights are from left Trish and Michael Nugent, Bass Coast Mayor and former PICO member Michael Whelan, and young member Joey Thompson, with baskets of the abundant produce harvested on Saturday.
Phillip Island’s Community Orchard (PICO) Harvest Festival held last Saturday was a great success.
A feature of the annual event this year was a tree care and grafting workshop run by Craig Castree, vice president of the magnificent Werribee Park orchard.
With 100 fruit trees now well established in the community orchard, the workshop was well received and timely.
Rhyll resident and PICO member Jacki Hood, brought along a cutting from an historic 100-year-old pear tree in Rhyll, which was grafted by Craig on to a tree in the orchard, thus enabling this piece of history to continue to flourish.
The Phillip Island Community Orchard was established 10 years ago, on land near Wimbledon Heights that is leased from Westernport Water, and has proved to be an ongoing success.
Since then it has matured into a very beautiful place, tended by 40 or so PICO members, who also have individual plots where they grow their own fruit and vegetables.
Unlimited access to recycled water has contributed to the success of the orchard, and the production of strong and healthy trees and plants over the ten-year period.
A highlight on Saturday was harvesting a number of bounteous apple and pear trees. Other species also flourishing in the orchard include apricot, peach, plum, lemon, lime, orange, mandarin, grapefruit, pomegranate, fijoa and nashis – and berries are also grown.
“The orchard is a very popular place for members to come and go to,” says PICO president Annette Mackenzie, with 25 plots allocated for individual use.
“The place is so popular that there is a waiting list for plots to become available,” she commented.
During the year, PICO members tend their own plots; set up a share table at the monthly general maintenance working bees; and benefit from four workshops held annually by gardening experts.
The highlight annually is however, the Harvest Festival, celebrated on Saturday after the apple and pear harvest with a barbecue picnic and live music provided by local talent Cassandra Cradddock.
A number of PICO’s activities are generously sponsored by Westernport Water.
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