In Saint-Palais, in the orchards of La Gaucherie, Hugues and Florence Soche produce apples and pears. “It doesn’t seem like it, but they are two very different jobs,” explains Florence. The real star in his 35 hectares is the apple, which comes in twenty-two varieties. “They are all very different. Some will be acidic and others will be sweet, like Gala.”
The orchards are protected by anti-hail nets.
Between Fussy and Saint-Palais, several gardens follow one another. There is evidence that the terrain is suitable for this activity. “It was the Scots who brought apples north of the Bourges 600 years ago. Today; there is a whole circular economy involving apples,” explains Hughes. But all this activity depends on one main player: the weather.
In front of each row of orchards is written the variety of apple that is found there. Here from HonorCrunch.
This year, the weather is ideal for this time, with the exception of frosts that occurred early in the flowering of some apple trees. “We protect orchards from hail as it affects apples. They don’t like the heat wave because it makes them stressful,” says Florence.
from thinning to cutting
This dependence on the weather makes the crop very uncertain and different from year to year. If the harvest period extends into the months of September and October, then mainly apples require special care throughout the year. “To protect it from disease, we thin out. That is to say, we remove fruit from trees to prevent diseases from developing and so that the apples can be as beautiful as possible.”
The Green Lens of Pleppide, a Family Affair
Apple juice made from orchard produce is available for sale in the orchards of La Gaucherie.
From September it will be possible to come to the orchards to pick apples directly from the orchards. “It allows us to meet people and get feedback on our products. Then, it’s good to come straight from the tree and get your apples,” said Florence Souche, smiling.
Antoine Richard
practical information : Tel: 06.69.27.81.90 / Hours: Monday to Saturday (10 a.m. to 12 noon / 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.) and Sunday (6 p.m. to 6 p.m.) in Saint-Palais, Verger’s Day In La Goucherie.
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