[bainsk8]

I have a north facing wall and am planing on placing a Morello Cherry against it. My question is I would like to have one as a fan shape, do I buy it already shaped or do i buy one that needs to be shaped.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I don't have any experience with fruit trees and could not find any info/advice on buying said trees.

[SG6]

You can buy them as already fan trained - usually tied to several bamboos arranged believe it or not in a fan ahape.

Unless you keep it trained and pruned they try to revert to a bush. Sneaky blighters.

You could train one yourself but would have to pick a reasonably correct shaped starter and to get the right shape may take a couple of years, but it would cost less.

[mumofstig]

They are very expensive to buy already trained, compared to a younger one you train yourself

http://www.blackmoor.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=363


How to fan train fruit trees here
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=626

[bainsk8]

Thank you SG6 and mumofstig.

Wow! I didn't realise they were so expensive! With that in mind I will definitely be taking the training it myself route. I guess that if I buy via a website or catalogue it would be a good idea to ask for a good starter for me to train to a fan shape.

SG6 Yes sorry my wording on the initial question was not quite right, "what would be the best way to buy" would of been more fitting.

mumofstig that's a great page on shaping. I have it for other fruit in some of my RHS books, but I did not realise I could apply the same shaping technique to a Cherry tree.

Thanks again.

[SG6]

Always worth looking round any garden centres as sometimes one place sells them at a good price, for whatever reason.

I think the main thing is that the training takes time and it looks straight forward but isn't, tried it once. Think I broke too many branches trying to get them into shape to carry on.

[Hamani]

Yeah dont waste money buying a trained tree. You have to maintain the shape yourself anyway so might aswell save the cash and do they start bit yourself too!

[bainsk8]

That's great advice, thank you both.

I did ask this morning at my local nursery if they had any and I was told they will be selling them once its a bit colder and the tree is dormant. The ground at the moment is to wet to dig them, they are two years old already started and cost £20 -25 each. I am tempted to go for these as the price is a lot better than the link above. But I still like the idea of starting one myself.

One because of the cost and two because I think I could learn more by attempting it myself.