Fruit Routes: Fruit Thinning Event

About the event

Join The Gardens Team this summer at the time of year when they traditionally thin the fruit from the Fruit Routes orchards. Fruit thinning naturally occurs around the end of June for many fruit trees. Further thinning is done by the Gardens team to allow fewer fruit to mature on the tree, a practice used to create a healthier autumn harvest.

The unripe fruits that have been harvested as part of the thinning can be put to many uses, such as making vinegar, jellies, pickles and fruit cheese!

If you’d like to come along and harvest some of the early fruit with us, then please bring your own tub or bag so you can take home anything you have picked. We’ll be meeting at the Barefoot Orchard at 12pm and will be there until 2pm.

It’s a beautiful time of year to come and spend your lunchtime in the lovely Fruit Routes Orchards. Everyone is welcome and feel free to bring your lunch with you.

If you want some ideas of how to use the unripe fruit or have a recipe to share, why not join the Landscape and Gardening Society (LAGS) at their session later in the day. This will take place at the LAGS garden on campus (a short walk from the Barefoot Orchard) from 3pm-6pm.

We recommend booking in advance for this event to help us manage numbers and keep you informed should we need to make any changes to the event due to the weather.

The nearest toilets on the day are located inside Pilkington Library, a few minutes walk from the orchard.

What to bring

This is an outdoor event so please wear sun protection and dress appropriately for the weather and the event, including suitable footwear. We recommend you bring a bottle of water with you to stay hydrated. Don’t forget your own bag or tub if you would like to take home any harvested fruit.

You may bring your own snips or secateurs with you if you wish, but please ensure they are clean. The University Gardens Team will provide some equipment as well.

There are a couple of benches in the orchard to sit on if you need to. Feel free to bring your own blanket to sit and take a rest and enjoy the orchard.

Accessibility

Barefoot Orchard is on level ground. The route is not always on structured paths but is mostly flat. Some parts of the route are not accessible for wheelchair users or buggies so we do not recommend attending if this applies to you. If you have any specific accessibility requirements that you think we should know about, please let us know in advance by emailing Sustainability@mailbox.lboro.ac.uk or LUArts@lboro.ac.uk and we will do our best to accommodate them.

Getting here

For information on travelling to the University campus visit the location webpage on the University website.

Parking

Students, staff and visitors are required to register their vehicle and pay to park on campus. Visitors should use the main entrance on Epinal Way. The nearest car park is opposite Pilkington Library.

For information on registering and paying to park please visit the parking pages of the University website.

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