Los Altos residents will soon be seeing firsthand the progress of Los Altos leaders’ efforts to restore a landmark heritage apricot orchard at the city’s civic center.
Approximately 300 young Blenheim apricot trees are ready for planting in the city’s 10-acre orchard surrounding the city hall. A new drip irrigation system has been installed and the ground has been prepared to receive the trees, which have been grown in pots for a year prior.
Elisabeth Ward, executive director of the Los Altos History Museum which is overseeing the work, said the trees are set for planting over the next few weeks.
This is the second time the city has set out to plant a large number of trees in the orchard. Approximately five years ago, roughly 100 saplings were planted, but many did not take.
“These trees are more developed and will have a much better chance of successfully rooting than the saplings used last time,” Ward said.
She also noted the new drip irrigation process will be an improvement over flood irrigation techniques used in the past.
The drip irrigation was installed “very quickly,” she said, “during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, by Orchard Scapes and their subcontractors.”
“We were pleased by the efficiency of city staff, particularly Manny Hernandez (parks and recreation director), and (City Manager) Gabe Engeland, who made himself available during the holiday break to provide direction to the project,” Ward said. “We also thank Waste Management for the donation of compost so important to the healthy rooting of the new trees.”
The latest work culminates a decade of effort by the city, museum and its orchard commons committee to revive an orchard that had suffered from a lack of proper maintenance in prior years. The museum cited “disease, pests and drought” as the culprits.
The orchard is capable of holding 444 trees. But according to a recent Town Crier article, approximately 60% of those trees have died, and this past summer’s crop was only one-tenth of 2022’s.
The museum’s formation of the orchard commons committee in 2019 ensured focus on the restoration and maintenance of the land. The Los Altos City Council last year funded $225,000 over three years toward that effort.
The orchard is officially titled the Gilbert Smith Heritage Apricot Orchard, named after an orchardist who laid down roots in the area at the turn of the last century. The Smith family donated the property to the city.
