There is a real sense of change in the orchard as late March rolls into April. It is not quite peak season yet, but everything is building towards it. The trees are waking, the air feels different, and you can start to see the early signs of the apples that will eventually make their way into every bottle of our apple juice. By late March, the trees are no longer resting. Sap is rising, branches are becoming more responsive, and there is a quiet energy running through the orchard. It is the start of the journey that leads all the way to the apples we press later in the year.
Buds beginning to change
You will notice buds becoming fuller and more visible along the branches. They are still tightly held, but this is where it all begins. Every apple starts here, long before it becomes fruit, long before it becomes juice.
More life all around
The orchard floor greens up, birds become louder and more frequent, and insects begin to return. It might feel like small changes, but this activity is essential. A healthy orchard means better fruit, and better fruit means better apple juice in the end.
What to expect in April
April is when things start to feel more real. The orchard becomes more alive, and you can begin to picture the season ahead. What looks the same one week can feel completely different the next. Warmer days help everything move along, and the orchard begins to fill out with colour and activity.
The early stages of the apples we press
This is a key moment in the process. While the apples themselves are still a long way off, April is when the groundwork is laid. Good conditions now help ensure the fruit develops properly in the months to come.
Nature doing its job
Bees and other pollinators start to play their part, moving through the orchard as everything progresses. It is a natural process we rely on, and it directly impacts the quality of the apples.
Keeping an eye on the weather
Spring can still be unpredictable. Cooler nights and sudden changes can affect the trees, so this is a time of careful watching and patience.
From orchard to apple juice
Everything that happens now feeds into what we do later. The apples that grow from these early stages are the same ones we use to make our cloudy apple juice, pressed in the Cotswolds as part of our family business. Even before there is fruit on the trees, the work has already started. And when you pick up a bottle of apple juice, it all traces back to these early spring days in the orchard.