A campaign to preserve Wales's heritage apple varieties has been enjoying growing success as it promotes Welsh Heritage Variety fruit trees across Wales, with many orchards having been planted recently.

Community interest company Wales Heritage Orchards Ltd with the National Botanic Garden of Wales, along with Horticulture Wales, have been behind the move.

The National Botanic Garden of Wales in Carmarthenshire is a centre for plant research, conservation, education and horticulture. Recently they have been working with Ainsleigh Rice and Dr Danny Thorogood of Aberystwyth University and a Wales Heritage Orchard director, to develop a reference collection of Welsh apple varieties for the nation.

Alex Summers, NBGW Curator: “This year we have planted over 110 apple rootstocks in our Orchard for the Celtic Nations. In the winter of 2023 we will graft Welsh apple varieties onto these, and I am excited to see this grow into a reference collection for Wales for current and future generations”

Wales Heritage Orchards Ltd, will be working in collaboration with the the Garden to further define Welsh apple varieties and their characteristics and would like orchard owners across Wales to be involved.

On Thursday (March 23) at IBERS, Aberystwyth University, the team will be asking questions such as: Which are the best eaters, cookers, juicers and keepers? What varieties are the regional favourites?

Anyone with an interest in Heritage Orchard is warmly invited to attend. If you are interested, please confirm your attendance by emailing horticulturecluster@glyndwr.ac.uk.

Speakers will include Ainsleigh Rice from the Marcher Apple Network, Alex Summers from the National Botanic Garden of Wales and WHO Ltd members. There will also be an opportunity to take a tour in the Gogerddan Museum Orchard.

Jane Edwards, a WHO founder and part of the Horticulture Wales team, said: "Our last Wales Heritage Orchards meeting took place just before lockdown at IBERS. There was so much expertise and enthusiasm in the room we just had to create WHO Ltd, the community interest company.

"Collaborating with the National Botanic Garden of Wales is the next step to raise awareness of our wonderful Welsh varieties and gather opinions to help update existing records. We hope to welcome many of our members and anyone else with an interest to the meeting on March 23. It’s a great opportunity to talk everything apple."

To book your place please email horticulturewales@glyndwr.ac.uk

  • The April edition of Wales Farmer is out now. To make sure all the latest farming news from Wales is delivered straight to your door, subscribe to the print edition of Wales Farmer on 0800 052 0198.