[TheSpartacat]

Hi everyone.
Can any of you recommend some good specialist places to buy fruit trees?
I'm looking for some particular varieties like Cox's Orange Pippin and James Grieve for apples, and maybe some soft fruit too- the ones i see in supermarkets seem a bit spindly and my experience of them is that they take ages to get established?

Has anyone gone to any fruit specialist that you'd recommend? (One that delivers.... :-)

Thanks!

[GrannieAnnie]

When we lived in Essex, we got our trees from Ken Muir as he was local, he knows what he's talking about and they deliver!  Mind you, don't know if they are still as good as we moved from there 8 years ago!

http://www.kenmuir.co.uk/

[RichardA]

I always use Ken Muir - they have good online service with good information online and always helpful with specific queries. They have never let me down.
R

[TheSpartacat]

Ooh, they look great!!! And he has Saturn peaches!!!!!!!! I've been looking for one of those!
Aw, now I've got decisions to make!
"Apples or Peaches? Peaches or Apples?"

*head explodes trying to work out a way of doing a bit of everything!!*

[joyfull]

how about both - sorted, then this way your head won't explode making a mess of your keyboard 

[RichardA]

remember some plants require pollinators of the right type within the right distance to ever bear fruit so do your research (Ken Muirs will explain in their information or will respond to questions if you ask them). To be sure you should only plant single trees if you have satisfied yourself they will be OK alone. Location and frost risk and orientation to sun etc also important. Soil type and drainage can also be important.
That does not mean you have to plant in groups or stick to one type as many trees are self fertile or can be fertilised by diff varieties of similiar pollinating groups. Obviously at the price these things are and the lifetime you hope for of good fruit it is worth getting it as right as you can before you pay your money and dig your hole.
Sorry my knowldge is limited but I thought I should point out pitfalls.
R

[plot6b]

What about Deacon's Nursery at Godshill on the IoW. They do  Mail order

[SG6]

Keepers Nursery in Kent.

If you really want a specific apple visit the Brogdale site.
They hold the national collection, 2000+ apples, and will graft any of them on to whatever rootstock you require.

They do other fruits as well.

[kingdhesiii]

I basically only have a few raspberry plants and some strawberrys. Im looking to get quite a few varying fruits for next year.
Im just asking if anyone has any good links to places that sell fruits at reasonable prices or whats the best way to go about it.

Thanks John

[TheSpartacat]

Wow, thanks everyone- some great sites you've suggested! Very appreciated.
I'd never heard of family trees before- with more than one type grafted onto the same rootstock... how CLEVER!!!!
So i can have Cox's Orange Pippin and James Grieve on the same tree!!!! Wow!!
Has anyone ever grown a family tree before?

We had both those types of apple trees in my garden when i was a kid, along with Greensleeves, so I know they are all in the same pollination group... Something about having a mini orchard in your garden when you're 8 years old makes you feel richer than kings! :-)

[Trillium]

I don't have any links for you but this is the time of year nurseries and garden centres would be starting fruit tree clearouts and/or reductions. You could also check some well known online companies that sell fruit trees.

[SG6]

Family trees are OK but you have to know what the various graftings are. Ignoring pollination to an extent, if an apple then if one grafting is a triploid this will be vigorous and will grow more then the others.

So you have to determine what the graftings are and then find their characteristics and determine what the resullt is likely to be.

Suppose the opposite id true, if one type tend to be weak and slow then it can get overtaken by the others.

Peopel mentioned Ken Muir, they do columnar fruit tree's. Could be an option for a small space, never tried then so cannot say if they fruit as well as advertised.

[Stan160]

I've been for a tour around the nursery's at Blackmoor (http://www.blackmoor.co.uk/).  Very impressively organised and professional.  The trees and bushes I've bought from them have been healthy and established without a problem.
Ian

[Babstreefern]

Everyone's got the correct answer, a nursery, not a garden centre.  Nurseries virtually know everything about the product.  I bought my grapevine, cherry and apple (Scrumptious) and they are all doing great.

I knew which cherry I wanted, but wasn't sure on the apple and when I described what type of apple I liked, they recommended the scrumptious

The nursery I obtained my trees from was Prestbury Nurseries on the main road from Stockport to Macclesfield.  Also, nurseries are not as expensive as garden centres.