For four days, free apples are to be picked
This year, several orchards in the capital are participating in the Yellow Ribbon action, which allows everyone to pick fruit for free.
In the orchards of the capital
This year, several orchards in the capital are participating in the Yellow Ribbon action, which allows everyone to pick fruit for free.
Attentive passers-by will have already noticed: everywhere in the city of Luxembourg, fruit trees are planted along the streets or in the large gardens. Not all are located on private property, many are part of the heritage of the municipality.
Thus, the capital has 13 orchards with a total of 361 different tree species. And it is precisely at this time of the year that they are full of apples, cherries or plums, even if some fruits are not yet ripe.
To prevent the fruits from falling and rotting, the municipality is taking part this year for the first time in the action “Gielt Band: pléckt dëst Uebst!”, understand “Yellow ribbon: pick the fruit!”. For four days in September, it will then be allowed to pick fruit for free in the orchards of the Grund and Belair districts.
“In other municipalities, the action extends over several weeks. But on many of our orchards, it is generally sheep or donkeys that graze,” explains Manon Bosch, head of the environment in the capital. This is why these places will only be open for two weekends.
Don’t waste food
The Yellow Ribbon action was created by the Ministry of Agriculture and Syvicol, the union of towns and municipalities in the country, in order to fight against food waste in the Grand Duchy. The inhabitants are thus authorized to pick the fruits of all the trees marked with a yellow ribbon. In this way, kilos of fruit can be used to make juices, jams or pies, writes the ministry. The yellow ribbon is also to prevent fruit from being unintentionally picked from privately owned trees.
The drought did not fail to affect certain trees in the capital.
Photo: Chris Karaba
For city officials, the action is first conceived as a test. “Employees from the Parks Service will present on the dates set in order to be able to answer questions. It’s also about preventing trees from being damaged or someone walking away with too much fruit. “It’s a solidarity action, for everyone”, underlines Manon Bosch, even if it is mainly intended for the inhabitants of the capital.
Varied trees
The fruit trees present in the orchards of Luxembourg-City are above all historical varieties of the Greater Region. Among the 233 apple trees alone, we find among others the species Ramborn, Renette or Reine des Reinettes. Note, however, that there are no precise data on the quantity of apples that each variety gives.
Anyone interested can pick the fruit for free for four days.
Photo: Chris Karaba
Anyone interested can pick the fruit for free for four days.
Photo: Chris Karaba
In the capital, there are 13 orchards with a total of 361 different types of trees.
Photo: Chris Karaba
For four days, the fruits can be characterized in places marked with yellow ribbons.
Photo: Chris Karaba
Photo: Chris Karaba
“As part of a project, all the trees in the capital have been listed since 2021 and integrated into a digital map,” explains Manon Bosch. In the coming years, each fruit tree will be examined individually according to its variety and its different characteristics, such as the pruning phase, will be noted, the environmental manager will continue.
Loss of importance
The manager of the orchards in the heart of the city of Luxembourg is Marc Goedert, head of the Old Town and Central Station sector of the Service Parcs. “Unfortunately, the orchards no longer have the same importance as they once did.” New fruit trees are hardly planted anymore. “Especially near schools or residential areas, people don’t want fruit trees because of wasps and hornets,” says Marc Goedert.
Marc Goedert is responsible for the Old Town and Central Station sector of the Service Parcs.
Photo: Chris Karaba
The maintenance of existing plantations is therefore all the more important. “We focus on biodiversity and try to have as few interventions as necessary on the trees”. The lawn is only mowed once or twice a year. “It is necessary to prune certain trees in autumn to save them, after the hot and dry summer that we have experienced,” adds Marc Goedert.
To support biodiversity, several hives have been installed near the Klouschtergaart in the Grund. According to the official, the birds also clear the trees against insects. “Blue tits or great tits eat invasive caterpillars on trees.” Fruits are also an important food source for animals.
However, the dry weather got the better of some trees. “It would have to rain for days for anything really positive to happen,” says the manager. “We see that many trees lose part of their fruit. It’s a mechanism to protect yourself.” Because with less fruit, the tree also consumes less water. The long drought, however, has an advantage: the trees have not been attacked by fungi this year.
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