Incredible Orchards

An orchard is a special place where lots of fruit trees grow together. Instead of just one or two trees like you might see in a garden, orchards have rows and groups of trees all growing side by side. This makes it easier for people to look after them and pick the fruit when it’s ready to eat.

Here in the UK, some of the most popular fruits you’ll find in orchards are apples, pears, cherries, and plums. But orchards aren’t just for fruit - they are also full of flowers, buzzing bees, birds, and little animals. It’s like a mini home for wildlife as well as a place to grow tasty fruit!

Fruits of the orchard

Each different orchard fruit has its own story to tell. Let’s discover more about each one;

Apples

Apples float in water because they contain so much air - about 25% of an apple is air! That’s why they’re perfect for games like apple bobbing.

Pears

Pears are one of the few fruits that ripen best after they’ve been picked. If you leave them on the tree too long, they can turn mushy inside - so farmers pick them early and let them ripen gently.

Cherries

Some cherries grow in pairs, stuck together like twins! Cherry trees can also live for over 100 years if they’re looked after well.

Plums

Plums are stone fruits, also known as “drupes,” because they have a singlehard seed inside, like peaches and apricots. There are over 2,000 different types of plums, and they can be red, purple, yellow, or even green.

How do fruit trees grow?

Even though different fruits have their own stories, all fruit trees start life the same way - as tiny seeds. Let’s discover how these little seeds grow into saplings, then trees, and eventually, into delicious fruits.

1. Seeds turn into sprouts

It all begins with a seed! Inside every seed is a tiny plant, just waiting for the right conditions to grow. When the seed gets water, warmth, and soil, it starts to sprout - this is called germination. A little root grows down into the soil, and a tiny shoot grows up toward the sunlight.

2. Sprouts turn into saplings

Once the sprout grows bigger,
it becomes a young tree called a sapling. It starts to grow its first little leaves, which help it soak up sunlight. The leaves use sunlight, air, and water to make food for the plant - this is called photosynthesis.

3. The little tree grows roots, trunk, and branches

As the sapling gets stronger, it grows deeper roots underground to collect water and food. The trunk thickens to support the tree, and branches spread out to hold more leaves.

4. In spring, buds open into blossoms

When the tree is old enough, tiny buds appear on the branches. In spring, the buds burst open into blossoms - beautiful flowers that come in all sorts of colours, depending on the fruit. These flowers are really important for making fruit.

5. Bees and butterflies visit the flowers to collect nectar - and help pollinate the tree

Bees, butterflies, and other insects visit the blossoms to drink sweet nectar. As they do, they carry pollen from flower to flower. This is called pollination, and it helps the tree start making fruit.

6. The flowers turn into fruits

After pollination, the petals fall away and the flower's centre begins to swell. This
is the start of the fruit! Over weeks and months, the fruit grows bigger, juicier, and changes colour as it ripens. In summer or autumn, it’s finally ready to be picked.

7. Time to rest over the winter

After all that growing, the tree needs a rest. In autumn, the leaves change colour and fall off. During winter, the tree goes to sleep. Even though it looks quiet, the tree is saving energy to start growing again next spring.

How to care for fruit trees

Fruit trees grow really well in the wild, but if you are planting a new one, or spot one that needs a little help, there are some things we can do to help them grow big and strong.