Werribee Park Heritage Orchard in Werribee South, Victoria, Australia | Community garden

Werribee Park Heritage Orchard

Locality: Werribee South, Victoria, Australia

Address: Gate 5 K Road 3023 Werribee South, VIC, Australia

Website: http://www.werribeeparkheritageorchard.org.au

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24.01.2022 Sunday 1 March 2020

23.01.2022 Carignan grape.

22.01.2022 Thank you to all our volunteers who organise and run this event as well as our lovely stall holders and visitors

21.01.2022 Pottery hand building kids activity. $5- a child. 11am-2pm

21.01.2022 Werribeeks come chat to your local beekeepers at the summer fruit tree festival

19.01.2022 Pop into visit the werribee community groups, river keeper association, hospital foundation, visit werribee and council marquees are all here. Werribee River Association Werribee Riverkeeper Werribee Hospital Green Living in Wyndham

19.01.2022 Wyndham Council is offering a free screening of the movie 2040 for Saturday 16 May, 7-8.30pm. A link to watch the movie will be sent from the 2040 team to your email on the day and time scheduled, it means you only need to book one ticket per household. The good news is that you will be able to watch the movie as much as you want, the link will last for 2 days! Click here to book https://bit.ly/2SM5i4s FREE. Limited spots. Definitely worth a viewing!

19.01.2022 What a wonderful day we have last Sunday for our Summer Heritage Fruit Tree Festival. Next Friday we will have our debriefing after our usual Friday session. We love to hear from you what we have done right and we need to improve. Refreshments provided

18.01.2022 Established trees. Christopher on his way back to Portland

17.01.2022 Taylor Queen a yellow clingstone peach is ripe now.

17.01.2022 A great big thank you to all of the people that came along to Werribee Park Heritage Orchard to support us today. Our volunteers have worked very hard this year to produce what we think are the best quality grafted trees we have to date. We hope you enjoyed the day with us and invite you all again to join us at our next event our Winter Fruit tree Festival for apples, pears, cherries, and plums to be held 2nd August 2020 save the date.

16.01.2022 Jane has found some stink horn fungus. Thanks Adeline for the ID

15.01.2022 Brown Turkey Fig

14.01.2022 Summer Heritage Fruit Tree festival. K road. Enter via gate 5. Follow the signs

14.01.2022 Yummy pizza, calamari, churros, lemonade and coffee are available at the heritage fruit tree festival 48h Pizza e Gnocchi Bar Mr. Squidgy Drink with Myrtle Churros Yummy donuts

14.01.2022 While we're all stuck at home how 'bout sharing some seasonal produce recipes to pass the time and fill the belly. 'll kick things of with this beauty that I just found, while looking for recipes to use up my excess figs (Brow Turkey and Black Genoa) and quinces (Smyrna): https://www.taste.com.au//cee71f57-e695-46f8-a0ab-83376ced

13.01.2022 Thanks again to all who shared in the magic of Werribee Park Farm on Sunday - Boomerang Bags Wyndham Werribee River Association Werribee Riverkeeper Werribee Men's Shed Werribee Hospital Foundation Werribeeks Grow Heirloom Sticky Balsamic Pollinator Plants, Gaia Goodies-Wrapped in Bees Friends of Werribee Park, Green Living in Wyndham Wyndham Tourist Infomation Centre, Fair Dinkum Fertilizers 2WP Tools, Drink with Myrtle, 48h Pizza e Gnocchi Bar, Mr. Squidgy, Churros Yummy donuts and of course the fabulous Werribee Park Heritage Orchard volunteers - without you, none of this would be possible. Mark the dairy for the next event - Sunday 2 August.

12.01.2022 The Angelicats playing beautiful music now.

12.01.2022 I have a small amount of honey available collect only $20 per 1.1kg jar $18 if you are bringing back an empty. No cash, bank transfer of card accepted. Please msg me to put one aside.

12.01.2022 With the state of emergency declared by both Federal and State government, we all should play our part in slowing the spread of CoVID-19. As the president of WPHO, I have had to make a difficult decision of suspending our Friday Orchard session until further notice. The committee will put together a skeleton crew to carry out the urgent tasks within the orchard, and implement measures to safeguard the orchard operation, in case we face venue closure further down the track.... We will run a closed session at the orchard from this Friday onwards, and attendance is by invitation only. This will help us to keep the crew number to a functional minimum. Please keep checking our Facebook page and website for updates. Hopefully we can catch up at the orchard in the very near future. In the meantime, stay safe, stay healthy and enjoy gardening at your own home.

10.01.2022 The Whyndam Park Community Shed has the old blacksmith going today

10.01.2022 The committee have set a date to resume on a limited scale to start with and will announce a return date next week for volunteers to return under a new normal. We are excited to be returning we have all had withdrawal symptoms and are champing at the bit to get back. Stay tuned for more info.The committee have set a date to resume on a limited scale to start with and will announce a return date next week for volunteers to return under a new normal. We are excited to be returning we have all had withdrawal symptoms and are champing at the bit to get back. Stay tuned for more info.

09.01.2022 We have an addition to the peach scion list - JH Hale - the million dollar peach nn old-time heirloom variety J.H. Hale Orchards began in Glastenbury, Connecticutt in 1866, when John Howard Hale and his brother, George, cultivated their grandfather's seven peach trees. Pollinated by Blackburn Elberta A very large, round peach. Freestone. Yellow skin and red overlay and very little fuzz.... Yellow flesh with a firm texture, very juicy. It has a wonderfully sweet taste and aroma A late season variety We may also have some springcrest as well. See you tomorrow

09.01.2022 Spinning demonstrations in the cottage

08.01.2022 Summer/Autumn pruning: Most people think that it is late winter that they are pruned but in fact in summer/autumn about three weeks after fruit has been picke...d the trees also need to be pruned. Young trees need pruning in winter it encourages vigour and allows you to shape the tree quickly. Whereas pruning in summer/autumn discourages vigour so that you can maintain a comfortable height at which to keep your tree and my suggestion is hands up high as you can reach is as high as you should allow them to get. Some fruit trees like Peaches and Nectarines should be pruned to produce one year old timber as this is the wood that produces fruit so tip- pruning in Summer is important as you stop something growing up it grows out providing you with the timber which will provide next years fruit. Apples and pears on the other hand need to be pruned to encourage fruit spurs, this is where the fruit is produced and the age of the timber is not important. There is a golden opportunity as the apples and pears put on that summer growth of tall vertical timber you can create fruit spurs by pruning this back by counting up three buds from the horizontal branch they were produced by and undercut the bud above. This leaves a long piece of stem from the bud below and this piece will die back toward that bud. This causes the bud to turn into a fruit spur as when you threaten plants with death they try to flower and produce seed so that the species survive. There are many types of pruning shapes you can choose but the one that is most used in backyard situations is the open vase shape if the tree is going to be grown in a lawn area or as a feature tree. This shape requires you to work with with 4 main branches that allow you to get inside of the tree to remove any thing that is pointing toward you thus creating the open vase or wine glass shape. This allows more sunlight in to the centre of the tree and more likelihood that you get fruit on the inside of the tree as well as on the outside. You need to prune to an outward facing bud, whilst standing inside the tree about 30cm down from as high as you can reach standing flat footed, this ensure that you tree is kept to a manageable height that allows to to pick fruit and throw nets over your trees easily. Side elevation of open vase shape over head shot of open vase shape (pictured). As you can see by the examples above the tree is pruned so that it maximises the amount of sun and air circulation, hence better fruit production and ripening. Other shapes can be adopted some will choose central leader where there is very little pruning done at all however this is the least productive and I would discourage it, the one I believe that best lends itself to most back yards is the Espalier, stay tuned for more info on how to create you own espaliered trees. For more info like this you can obtain a copy of my book at www.craigcastree.com.au or book a FaceTime or WhatsApp video consultation, msg me for more details. See more

08.01.2022 Endive: This is a vegetable not widely used in gardens and I am not sure why not, I think that it has to do with people not really knowing what to do with it on... the culinary front? This green leafy plant which looks a bit like a crinkly or cut leaf lettuce has a slightly bitter taste which can enhance a salad bowl but if you dont want the bitterness you can sort that out by blanching. Blanching is an age old technique used in the Victorian era, they used to blanch all sorts of things, kale was one they would hide from the sun to whiten the leaves and stems, to blanch your endive you do it by tying the leaves together when a rosette begins to form or cover with a large pot for about 3 weeks. it is a relative of chicory if you didnt know another veg that is also not widely used or known much about by most gardeners. Curly endive can be grown all year round, but is less bitter in the cooler months and when the plants are young. Blanching sweetens the inner leaves. The bitterness goes exceptionally well with strong oily flavours like smoked salmon or Stilton Cheese. Endive can be used in a variety of ways, so its not just a salad addition, it can be boiled, braised, steamed, pan fried and grilled so be sure to look them up and decide if they might be a new addition in your garden, they dont take up much space and they are easy to grow. Endive is best grown in cooler months as hot weather tends to make it bolt to flower, having said that it is one of those plants that will happily grow in partial shade, so if you have a spot in your garden that that is shaded from the hotter parts of the day you might get away with it. Keep it well watered to reduce bitterness. Water at base as water trapped inside leaves can cause rot. Pests can be snails and slugs so bait them with pet friendly bait, use it sparingly and often. Compatible with: beans, brassicas, carrots, cucumbers, chervil, sage, lettuce, chard, silverbeet, beets. Avoid growing with: Alliums (garlic and onions) they are not good friends. For more info like this you can obtain a copy of my book at www.craigcastree.com.au or you could book a video consultation with me, distance is no longer a problem I can carry out consultations in every garden in Australia now via video all you need to do is book it, msg me for details consultations include a copy of my book for the first session, I mail off to you.

07.01.2022 Its Fiesta time. We are all ready - are you? See you all tomorrow at our Summer Heritage Fruit Trees Festival!

06.01.2022 The COVID-19 situation has seen the government both State and Federal asking the community to stay at home particularly with non essential tasks to assist in slowing down the spread of this virus. We as a volunteer group have a moral and civic obligation to be responsible when it comes to requests like these and as a result I am closing Werribee Park Heritage Orchard to Volunteers. We all need to take heed of the warnings from the government and health authorities. This pause in our operation hopefully will be short if we all do what is asked and we will be again be able to continue our important work. I will post more updates as they come to hand. Craig Castree President (Werribee Park Heritage Orchard )

05.01.2022 If you have lost an important item, please contact us to collect. Well need to verify your identity!

04.01.2022 Step 1. Choose your variety at the information tent. Fill out the form and take it to the scion collection area.

03.01.2022 Garlic: I posted an article on this earlier last month, but I have done some more research and have added to my previous post. Garlic is one of those staples I... think if you use it in the kitchen you most certainly shouldnt be buying it, grow your own its pretty easy with a few tips you will be well on your way to saving a small fortune and be producing delicious fresh garlic for your self. Garlic can be planted in Melbourne from early April to late June, traditionally planted in cold weather and harvest in summer ("plant on the shortest day, harvest on the longest"). . Surprisingly its a perennial, but usually grown as an annual and harvested from late November into December. I like to select good quality purple skinned Australian garlic, I do not ever use the small stuff that comes from china in the little onion type bags it is often inferior garlic, not meant for our climate, and is bleached to get rid of pests. You can purchase good quality garlic in your local nurseries so support them first, or your local fruiterers will stock it. there are many varieties that will suit a whole range of climates, here are some varieties that suit Melbournes climate which of course is where I am from. Tasmanian Purple: (Turban group) is a hardneck, meaning it has a hard central stalk coming up from the centre of the bulb. It has a strong flavour, hot when raw, mild when cooked. Usually 7-11 purple skinned, large, easy to peel cloves per bulb. Early harvest (Nov, Dec) medium storage, 4-5 months. No need to remove scape for bulb development. Spanish Rojas: (Creole group) Plant March/April. Rich, sweet, deep and complex with some initial heat. Medium to large bulbs, generally 11-15 purple cloves per bulb. Tight skins. Mid season harvest (Dec) and long storage up to 12 months. Hardneck. Remove scape as it begins to straighten. Italian Late: (Artichoke Group) Plant Mid March to May. Mid-late softneck variety. Very good flavour. Robust rich taste with a bit of bite. Not too overwhelming. Full taste. Typically has 6-8 large cloves per bulb, with a slight purple colour on the skin. Harvest around Mid- December. Long storing (approx 6-9 months). Usually no scape but remove it in order to encourage bulb formation. I like to put the complete bulbs into the crisper of the fridge for a week to give the bulbs a false winter and I plant mine out in the garden in early April, so it is a good time to hunt around for it now so that you are ready to get it in the ground soon. I use garlic to companion quite a few things in my garden and the first one is tomatoes, so many of use will still have tomatoes in now and I always think about where I have had them and where I will put them next spring and I ensure I plant a ring of garlic where I will plant a tomato. I always plant some under the apple trees to help deter the codling moth larvae, also under peach, nectarine and plums to deter aphids, speaking of aphids it will deter them from roses and can help to distract the cabbage white butterfly if planted amongst your brassicas. Once you take them out of the fridge break them down into individual cloves and plant them pointy end up in holes 30-50mm deep, I always use a very small amount of lime when I am planting any of the allium family which of course includes garlic, and cover them will some loose soil and a little mulch. Water them and thats it your are done, you will harvest them in late spring early-summer when the plants start to die of a little and wilt over, lift them out of the ground and let them dry in the sun for a day or so and then you are done. I plait them 12 in a bunch and hang them in an airy spot in the garage and theyll last for months and months. Give it a go front yard backyard where ever you have room that gets a fair bit of sun they are easy to grow. Companions: Beets, Carrots, Cucumbers, Dill, Tomatoes, Parsnips, apple trees, brassicas, Stay away from: Peas and beans dont grow well next to garlic or onions and vice versa. For more info like this you can obtain a copy of my book at www.craigcastree.com.au or you could book a video consultation with me, distance is no longer a problem I can carry out consultations in every garden in Australia now via video all you need to do is book it, msg me for details consultations include a copy of my book for the first session, I mail off to you.

03.01.2022 Big range of plants, seeds, craft, balsamic vinegar, turmeric from our fantastic stall holders, were here until 3pm Grow Heirloom Sticky Balsamic Werribee Hospital Foundation Gaia Goodies-Wrapped in Bees

03.01.2022 Fertilisers and tools for your productive garden. We are here till 3pm. Fair Dinkum Fertilizers

02.01.2022 I have been asked a couple of times this morning about the time to prune fruit trees and seeing as how I pruned some of mine yesterday I though it was timely I ...share a couple of photos of them, and to discuss what can ad cant be pruned now. So young fruit trees that have only been in the ground for two years or less need to be pruned mid winter to encourage shape and vigour. All the rest that are as high or higher than you need to done now with some exceptions that I will list. In fact peaches and Nectarines should have been pruned before now but its not too late if you have missed them. Apples, pears, quinces, cherries, plums, apricots all should be pruned now, to a height of about 2.1 metres or as high as you can reach standing flat footed, this will ensure that anything you do on them in the future will be easy to do. If your trees are much taller and way out of your reach I would encourage you to remove one third of it now and another one third at the end of autumn and no pruning in winter or spring. As for citrus, if you are in a frosty area hold off until October or when you are free of frost, if not in a frost prone area you can prune now also. Figs should be pruned in mid winter and you should prune back anything vertical being mindful of height keeping it within your reach. See more

02.01.2022 Volunteers: Please remember your keep cups and drink bottles on Sunday. Lunch is either Mr Squidgy's or 48H Pizza. With snacks provided by Churro Yummy and hot drinks by Drinks With Myrtle. Look forward to seeing you there!

02.01.2022 Very limited scion of Black Boy a red fleshed peach. Super excited to try this

02.01.2022 Ohh the vibe! The Summer Heritage Fruit Tree Festival is a wonderful event and it is on tomorrow. Live music, food stalls, tree sales, orchard tours, craft stalls, lost trades displays... Come join us for this amazing event. 10am - 3pm, Sunday 1 March, Gate 5, K Road, Werribee South.