Scenario. You’ve just acquired a new property. At the bottom of the garden there’s a small orchard, totally overgrown. A few of the trees are dead, many are diseased. Leaves are yellowish and wilting. Any fruit present is small and scabby. Your instinctive reaction would be to chop the whole lot down. But then you think: could the trees be brought back to health? Perhaps there are some interesting varieties in there? Perhaps some of them could be commercial discoveries?

Dan Neuteboom has seen all sorts of orchards all over the world, old, new, in good health and in bad condition. If you’re in doubt, talk to an expert!