Bad news for thirsty gardeners…
From what we are hearing from our cider-making pals up and down the country, there could be a nationwide apple shortage this coming Autumn.
A combination of the heavy rainstorms and late frosts that we experienced in early May has wreaked havoc with pollination, and orchard owners up and down the country have been reporting very poor yields… some down as much as 90%, year on year.
A quick inspection of the apple tree in my garden seems to concur with this grim outlook, and a sneaky peek through the fence at my neighbour’s tree double concurs… hardly an apple in sight.
We haven’t visited the orchard we raid for our cider apples yet so fingers crossed that it’s as bountiful as ever, but in the meantime our 2011 cider stockpile will be on lockdown until at least the weekend.
