[Dantheman]

Hi,

What the best place to buy friut tree thats are good value for money?

Thanks

[Lardman]

It depends what you're after.

If you're not overly fussed about choice the budget supermarkets sell trees (apple, pear, cherry, plum) in Feb for £4 or so, it's where I started.  The problem with ordering online is delivery will cost you the price of a tree or more, so if there's a local nursery (not garden centre) that's your best bet.

What are you looking for ? I've been paying ~£16/£18 for organic trees this year.

[Dantheman]

I think it would have to be dwarf rootsock as they will be going on an allotmen site. will have a look around my local nurserys to see what I can find.

[BSRobin]

Mmmmm, just adding to the conversation. I agree, it really depends on what you call value for money. I thoroughly recommend ALDI, Lidl for cheaper fruit trees available sometime in late Feb, early March. This Feb I got a couple of good cherry trees, one sweet one sour. Last year I got a dozen or so trees, two years old I think they were despite saying they were only one.  I got a nice brambly (sic), which produced fruit this year... With the cost around £3.50 per tree, you need to just buy a lot and heel them in, ie put them in a temporary spot until you know where they will end up for good.

If you are after named varieties, get bare dwarf rooted stock which should be available for ordering a roundabout now... Or if you are prepared to wait, you can get someone to graft yr favourite ones onto dwarf stock...one to three years before they are ready to fruit. Google grafting and someone will be there to help.

I've gone the whole hog and grew pips from my favourite trees, and got ten to twenty saplings on the go at the moment. I have brought them on but have no clue as to whether they will fruit "true," or revert to their parent stock. They say lot of apple's are crosses between X&Y parents, that only grafting onto stock will give a vegetative growth of the apple you think want. Who knows, I have to wait another four years before I find out if my experiment bears fruit! Hohoho!

So good luck with however you move forward with yr fruit tree experience! Hope these ideas help?

[Yorkie]

If you want dwarf rootstock, avoid the supermarkets.  They do not guarantee rootstocks, let alone reliably accurate varieties.

[3759allen]

i can't remember where i got mine from now, but was an on line supplier.

i've heard very mixed results from cheap supermarket fruit trees. a lot have not turned out to be what it says on the label with differing varieties and root stock.

i love a bargain as much as anyone but it's worth spending a little more with fruit, it's a long term thing and you don't want to be starting again in a few years time.

[BSRobin]

If you want dwarf rootstock, avoid the supermarkets.  They do not guarantee rootstocks, let alone reliably accurate varieties.

Mmmm, I never even thought that the ALDI, LIDL's of the world would decieve their customers on the purchase of goods from their offerings. I'm interested in any experience of trees not being as dwarf stock labeled, or not growing the expected fruit.  No doubt ALDI and LIDL would too. Their grower's would be in for a hard time no doubt...

[Lardman]

... and you don't want to end wait 2-3 years to find out the tree you've bought, lovingly nurtured and shaped isn't what you think and produces fruit no better tasting than your local supermarket offerings - as that's really annoying   

I've used Walcot Nursery , Blackmoor Nursery and Keepers Nursery.  Walcot's were the best trees by a country mile, keepers has the best selection, and blackmoor was the cheapest after adding delivery.

[Dantheman]

Thanks for all you help I think I will choose wisely and maybe pay a little more as like you say it's a long term investment.

[Yorkie]

If you want dwarf rootstock, avoid the supermarkets.  They do not guarantee rootstocks, let alone reliably accurate varieties.

Mmmm, I never even thought that the ALDI, LIDL's of the world would decieve their customers on the purchase of goods from their offerings. I'm interested in any experience of trees not being as dwarf stock labeled, or not growing the expected fruit.  No doubt ALDI and LIDL would too. Their grower's would be in for a hard time no doubt...

I doubt the companies do it deliberately, but people on here have reported buying one type of fruit tree and it turning out to be a completely different fruit.

[Mr Dog]

FI, my local Asda are currently selling apple trees for £4.50. Unfortunately I was looking to see if they had any pear trees so didn't take too much notice of the varieties - did spot a Bramley and (at least) one of the dessert varieties was on M26 stock.