[waddecar]

I have just used Ashridge Trees for raspberries and currents reasonably priced and you can specify how many plants you want - you are not restricted to bundles of 5 or 10 for soft fruit as you are with many places.

I have also used Keepers Nursery for trees in the past and been satisfied with results.

Both companies allow you to specify your delivery date


I grew pumpkins butternuts and courgettes under my plum fans last year ( well actually the pumpkin roots were under the plums the rest of the pumpkin plants were everywhere!!) Everything seemed to work out ok

[gillie]

"trying to get the established trees out of the ground (grind out the stump, dig out the roots) is very offputting."

Removing dwarf fruit trees or even semi dwarf trees is not that bad.  Easier than dealing with acres of bindweed, couch grass and so forth.

[trogg]

I have been taking notes of all your advice,
I might wait until the fruit trees have established before I try and grow anything under them, and yes I do have a greenhouse but I will be growing tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers in it.

My list so far is;

Apples-  Braeburn x2
Pear-  Conference x2
Plum-  Victoria x2
Cherry-  Morello x2
Grape (white)-  Golden Champion
Grape (red)-  Boskoop Glory

Undecided on what variety of Raspberry, blackberry, blackcurrant, redcurrant, white currant, loganberry, kiwi and gooseberry .

didn’t realise there was so much choice.

 

[Casey76]

For grapes you will need a south facing pale wall to grow them up against, or train them up a trellis in a polytunnel/greenhouse.

To be blunt, you don't have the hours of sunlight in the UK to ripen a grape to eating sweetness without as much assistance as possible.

I have a grape vine growing on a south facing wall, and only occasionally will I get a sweet grape off it... mind you I don't go short of grape jelly lol!

[trogg]

Thanks for your reply Casey,

looks like if I want grapes I'll have to grow them in the greenhouse at the expense of my tomatoes/peppers/cucumbers ..... or get another greenhouse 

I notice you live in Alsace, a wine growing region of France, so you must know your onions 

[gillie]

"Apples-  Braeburn x2
Pear-  Conference x2
Plum-  Victoria x2
Cherry-  Morello x2"

It would be better to have different varieties of both apples and pears so that they  pollinate each other.  Both Victoria plums and Morello cherries are self fertile but it would be more interesting if you had different varieties.

[trogg]

Thanks gillie, didn't even think about pollination  :blink:

The familly all love Braeburn/Conference/Victoria, and if I buy all three together I will get the Morello Cherry for free.... although Morello is not an eating Cherry, I don't look a gift horse in the mouth  

I'll have to look more into it all, not as easy as I thought  

[gillie]

I don't know where you live but I have read that Braeburn is only suitable for growing the warmer parts of the UK.  It is a New Zealand apple. 

My personal opinion is that there are so many excellent English varieties that I would not grow a 'supermarket' one.  Also that you are going to have these trees around for a long time so it would be false economy to go for ones going cheap at the moment and hope that they will perform.

As far as pears go I would partner your conference with a Comice, to spread the season.

Victoria is a good plum but if you plant two you will soon be having gluts so I would partner it with a late plum such as Kirke's Blue or a Gage.

Morello cherries are delicious and you can eat them raw when they are totally ripe and they are superb stewed.  I find sweet cherries difficult so I would stick at one Morello which will crop heavily.  Any cherry tree will have to be well netted.

That leaves you with one vacancy.  I suggest either a third apple or how about a damson?

The damson and the Morello can go in the shadier parts of your plot.

Last advice... Be ruthless!  If a tree does not perform within three or four years, is prone to disease, or grows like a weed have it out and try something else.

[trogg]

Thanks again for your help gillie, I've changed my profile to show that I'm in the midlands 

I've changed my idea slightly, now I'm going to try ...

One Braeburn Apple

One English Cox Apple (I know, another supermarket one)

One Victoria plum

One Morello Cherry

One Conference Pear

One Comice Pear

So I now have Two spaces to fill, another plum like you say ?  not a fan of Damsons but I'll need something to help with pollination 

Ill have to do some reading on the subject.

[gillie]

Cox's  Orange Pippin is temperamental.  I would go for a 'Coxy' type apple like Queen Cox.  Marshalls are selling a new Braeburn which they say is more suitable for the UK.

You don't have to have another plum if you don't want to as Victoria is self fertile.  Perhaps an early apple like Discovery?

Good planting.

[TerryB]

Hi Trogg
If you have all those strawberry plants try putting 4/5 in grow bags inside greenhouse and you will get a crop about 4 weeks early. In summer  you can just move the bag outside. We tried it last year with 6 bags.