After a successful initial visit, last week eight VEG teamsters headed down to Dalpura for a couple of days of work amongst the many thousands of trees planted on the property. Under guidance from property owner George Howson and property designer and internationally acclaimed permaculturalist Darren Doherty, we set about pruning the likes of oaks, carobs, figs, mulberries, black locusts, honey locusts, tagasastes, acacias and many others. It was great to get more experience in pruning trees for timber, which requires pruning to a single central leader (opposite of how we prune most fruit trees). If anyone out there needs a hand pruning their fruit trees do get in touch as we love it, we’re tooled up, we’re skilled up, it is a great time for it, and we’re ready to roll.
Here we are getting briefed by Darren & George on our jobs on the first morning…
Simon & Lex getting busy with the pole lopper…
George chatting to Simon & Callum before they go to it with the pole saw and pruning ladder. Great job on the big oaks fellas!
Lunch on day one. See the day two lunch here.
The most recently developed area at Dalpura…
Here explained by Darren:
Ciela (Amanda & Dan’s daughter) chilling with Will & Paul inside at the end of the day…
Very serious, straight faced morning warmups (Lexercise) on day two…
An overgrown pear in the house orchard moments before Dan gave it a haircut it will never forget…
Calling in the big guns – Lex removing/trimming some overgrown tagasaste blocking light to fruit trees (speaking of Lex here’s some lovely photos he took during the two days)…
Embarrassingly Dan got the VEG ute bogged at the far end of the property, meaning…
Darren had to come and rescue us with the tractor:
