[SusieB]

Chris Bowers and sons are selling 'Supercolumn' fruit trees.  I would have space for 3 or 4 plum/gages rather than just one normal sized variety.  I understand plums don't work well for cordons, does anybody know, are these supercolumns worth a go?
Many thanks.
Lesley

[SG6]

Ken Muir offer something similar. Their pictures have a fair crop but then they wouldn't show a tree with no fruit.

[Paul Plots]

My father in-law planted one cooking apple and one dessert apple when my 2 children were little. (They were named after the children - one each). The children are now 25 and 23 and the trees almost no wider but several metres tall. Each produces an amazing crop every other year.

Both look like green pipe-cleaners dipped in apples! (the trees not the children) Amazing things. 
I've no idea how other fruit types perform.

[gillie]

Ken Muir offer something similar. Their pictures have a fair crop but then they wouldn't show a tree with no fruit.

Frankly I don't believe those pictures of minarettes on the Ken Muir website.  I think someone has been having fun with Photoshop.

I am also not sure what these 'Supercolumns' or 'Minarettes' are.  They seem to be ordinary varieties grafted onto ordinary rootstocks so the form must be in the training and pruning.  I hope I am wrong, but I suspect they are ordinary cordons trained vertically instead of at an angle as is usual.

There are also 'Ballerina' apple trees.  These, I believe, are bred to be true columnar trees ('fastigate' is the technical term) and are only available in a few special varieties.  They seem to have gone out of fashion.

Sorry to be cynical!

Gillie

[Paul Plots]

Two apple trees that take up very little ground space.. 

Not their best year.... they seems to give a good crop every other year..

[gillie]

I think those are Ballerinas.

Many apple trees only crop in alternate years.  It is called biennial bearing.

Cheers,

Gillie

[SusieB]

Thank for all the feedback.  Gillie, I think you're right to cynical, but I love the photo and I like the thought of a row of pipe cleaners covered in plums, so I can going to take a chance.
Lesley

[SG6]

If I recall Ballarina trees were a chance find somewhere and grafted to a rootstock. Not sure if genetic material was moved round.

Columnar trees have I think been selectively bred by the action of growing on those that had shorter and shorter branches until the final result is a long stick with little twigs.

[Paul Plots]

Thank for all the feedback.  Gillie, I think you're right to cynical, but I love the photo and I like the thought of a row of pipe cleaners covered in plums, so I can going to take a chance.
Lesley

If it's not too much to ask could you PM me with the name / address of the supplier? (Or has it arleady been mentioned in this thread?  )

My father-in-law has wanted us to have one for years as I admire his trees especially when they are plastered with fruit!