Saxony trains fruit tree keepers

Saxony relies on certified "care specialists" for the maintenance of orchards. This is because orchard keepers are also essential for the protection of species, according to the Landesstiftung Natur und Umwelt (LaNU). In Ostritz, further graduates of a corresponding training course have now received their certificates - a total of 69 people have been trained since the end of 2023. The courses are offered by the Landesstiftung in cooperation with the International Education Center (IBZ) St. Marienthal.

According to the foundation, the qualification gives owners and users of orchard meadows access to state funding via the Saxon "Natural Heritage" directive. This can be used to support individual nature conservation projects and the maintenance of fruit trees. LaNU recommends that public and private landowners only allow certified orchard keepers to maintain orchard meadows in future. In the courses, they are trained, among other things, to prune young fruit trees, trees in the yield stage and old trees professionally.

Orchard meadows are a valuable habitat for protected species

"The focus is particularly on the preservation, professional care and new planting of orchard meadows as a valuable habitat for many protected animal and plant species. The course also provides information on near-natural plant protection, breeding, grafting and variety identification," said the regional foundation. A course will also be offered again next year. It will begin in early March 2026 at the Gräfenmühle nature conservation station in Neukirchen/Pleiße in the district of Zwickau.

According to the state foundation, orchards and rows of fruit trees are part of Saxony's cultural landscape and are also a habitat and refuge for many rare and endangered animal species. Bird species such as the redstart, wryneck, red-backed shrike and the very rare little owl find sufficient food here. But they are also home to mammals such as bats, dormice and numerous insect species.

Old fruit trees cannot survive without tree care

However, it is no longer worthwhile for many owners to cultivate the orchards and harvest the fruit, according to the foundation. In most cases, only the meadows are maintained. "Without appropriate tree care, however, the beautiful old fruit trees gradually collapse. Mistletoe in the fruit trees accelerates this process." As a result, valuable old fruit varieties are also lost.