Fruit Works Co-op

03/06/2026

Don't let your trees produce fruit in the first 2 years after planting them! They are working hard to grow strong roots and branches and don't have the energy to spare for fruit production. Removing fruitlets can feel a bit disappointing initially, but it will result in a much healthier tree long term.

Other important bits of young fruit tree maintenance:
- Keep the ground around the tree covered in mulch to stop other plants dominating the space
- Water water water water water water (did I mention water?)

02/06/2026

These Creative Climate Action Awards prioritise communities whose voices are not always heard in climate conversations.

information about the Creative Climate Action Awards. This is your opportunity to ask questions about what kind of projects are eligible, the application process and the support available from The Leap for successful applications.

Awards of up to £1,500 for community-led climate action projects across Bradford District (applicants must also live or work in Bradford or Keighley). Supporting creative ideas that raise climate awareness, encourage sustainable lifestyles, and inspire positive local action, the Awards prioritise communities whose voices are not always heard in climate conversations. The Awards are part of our bold, new Dream Act Inspire programme - more information on our website.

This session is taking place on Wednesday 10th June at 2.30pm. Alternatively we have another session taking place on Friday 29th May at 11.30am (please follow this link). Each session will run on Teams for an hour. If you are unable to make either of these dates please contact [email protected] for a chat about your proposed project.

Link to register:
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/theleap1/2226192

Link to Creative Climate Action Award page:
https://www.the-leap.org.uk/opportunities-1/creative-climate-action-awards

02/06/2026

Love apples? Then you might want join our Orchard Harvest Share for September, October and November collections. Every three weeks you'll get a small (5.5kg) crate of delicious, rare varieties of apples. At £80 that's less than what you'd pay for organic apples in supermarkets 🧐
What is our Orchard Harvest Share? It's basically a veg box scheme but for fruit, running from Sept-November 2026, and a chance for you to discover seasonal, chemical-free fruit hand-picked from a local orchard and delivered to a collection point near you in Garforth, Chapel Allerton, Meanwood, Horsforth, Kirkstall, and Shipley.
Visit fruitworks.org.uk/harvest-share for more info, a list of FAQs, and to join the share scheme. Happy harvest season!

28/05/2026

Our newly grafted trees are loving the sun and growing beautifully 😍

Keep an eye out for:
Potted trees: Available from July
Bare root trees: Available from December (pre-order from October)

15/05/2026

We've worked with various community groups who've got funding from the The Tree Council Branching Out fund. If you've got a good group, interest from local residents and the support of the land owner this fund is a great way to pay for fruit trees, protection and mulch. https://treecouncil.org.uk/.../our.../branching-out-fund/ And please consider your local tree grower to supply them!

We provide resources, training and opportunities for children to connect, learn, care and share the awesome power of trees

12/05/2026

Ngl the first time I grafted trees 6 years ago I reeeeaally didn't want to prune off the other shoots above the graft union, I just wanted to leave all the lovely luscious leafy growth on but it MUST be done* and you will be rewarded with a tall, straight, healthy tree after just 6 months of growth.

*UNLESS you are training a stepover tree, I'll cover that in a future video



Have you grafted a tree before?

11/05/2026

It's stone fruit pruning time!

Between May and August, the spores of silver leaf disease are inactive, which means it's safe to prune your cherry, plum, apricot, damson and gage trees.

We are now taking bookings for summer pruning, so if you're in West Yorkshire with a fruit tree needing summer care, we would love to hear from you!

A distinctive aspect of our service is that you can leave us to crack on with the job, or we can teach you as we work, passing on the knowledge and skills for you to continue caring for your tree yourself.

29/04/2026

Let's get nerdy and talk about pollination groups.

29/04/2026

Fancy being an orchard detective?
Orchards used to be everywhere and marked on maps. If you look at the maps from the mid/late nineteenth century (https://maps.nls.uk/os/6inch-england-and-wales/) you'll see lots of them marked with a symbol that looks like a line drawing of a playing card club symbol. If you are lucky they are still on modern aerial maps, where the blossom is obvious.
If you find any old ones that need some love, please let us know.

28/04/2026

Are you passionate about community building and making the most of our green spaces? Join us for an engaging workshop on how to set up your very own Community Orchard.

In this informative session, we’ll guide you through the essential steps to launch your Community Orchard. You’ll learn about key considerations, best practices, and insights drawn from our experiences - both successes and challenges.

This session will be located at Bedford Fields Community Forest Garden: a real-life community garden project in full swing.

Sign up here https://www.fruitworks.org.uk/courses/learn-how-to-set-up-your-own-community-orchard-xplx8