Revitalisation of the village orchard and return of traditional crops

Restoration of the historical orchard in the village of Sýčina

The project is located in the cadastral area of Sýčina, on the western outskirts of the town of Dobrovice near the Church of St. Wenceslas. The area in question was publicly accessible but has been neglected for a long time. The historic orchard was decaying, the trees were old and hardly fruiting, and there were many infestations and ruderal growth. The northern and western sides of the area were practically impenetrable due to intensive overgrowth.

The objective of the project was to make the site accessible to residents and tourists, thus increasing the recreational potential and community significance of the area. The project consisted of the restoration of a historic orchard and the creation of landscaped greenery with community significance. The project was also intended to improve the ecological stability of the site.

Customer needs

The Dobrovice town needed to ensure the safety and stability of the existing greenery, especially the old orchard trees, and to improve the overall aesthetic and functional value of the area. To promote the uniqueness of the site as well as to enhance community activities, the improvements of the public area were also intended to restore the production capacity of the orchard with its importance to residents and visitors.

Challenge

The aim of the project was the restoration of a historic orchard, with the most challenging work consisting of the treatment of the original trees by a professionally certified arborist. To restore the orchard, modern techniques and imaginative solutions had to be used. A forest soil mulcher was used to remove the infestations and was able to effectively clear a large area of 2100 m².

The newly planted trees include not only traditional fruit species but also new cultivars of apple, pear, plum and cherry trees that are more resistant to diseases and pests.

The new planting partly follows the original layout but is more open so that a recreational lawn area can be created between the trees. To make the site more attractive for visitors, an original designer element has been created in the form of a directional signpost made of 3 types of chipped granite cubes, pointing the direction to various important places in the area.

Our solution

MEGA started the implementation work in January 2023. First, the remediation work was carried out (removal of ruderal growth, infestations and unproductive trees), and the selected trees underwent professional arboricultural treatment. Subsequently, deciduous avenue and fruit trees of both original and new resistant varieties (lime, apple, pear, plum and cherry) were planted, a lawn was established, and urban furniture was installed.

Within the project, a total of 46 trees were felled, 19 original trees were treated, 50 new trees were planted and 4,500 m² of lawn was established. The area was also equipped with furniture in the form of benches, a picnic set, a tourist information board, a bin and a directional signpost. The completed work was then handed over to the client in May 2024 without any defects or shortcomings.