Minarette/Columnar fruit trees

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Minarette/Columnar fruit trees

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12Bore

Joined: 15 Jun 2008
Posts: 9089
Location: Paddling in the Mersey

Posted: Thu Sep 27, 12 9:25 am Post subject: Minarette/Columnar fruit trees

Has anyone ever grown these?
I've just dug a new bed, approx 10' x 4' and. according to what I read, I should be able to comfortably plant 3 Minarette fruit trees in it, possibly 4 for apple pollination:
https://www.kenmuir.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=43_49&product_id=131
https://www.kenmuir.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=43_48&product_id=127
https://www.kenmuir.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=43_44&product_id=683
https://www.kenmuir.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=43_44&product_id=81
Any advice, warnings or (polite) suggestions welcome.

robkb

Joined: 29 May 2009
Posts: 4205
Location: SE London

Posted: Thu Sep 27, 12 11:19 am Post subject:
I planted three in my tiny garden, two apples and a self-fertile pear. They're okay, not massively productive but not bad. They're about 4ft apart. You have to keep on top of the pruning so they keep their shape, but they're no more complicated than any other fruit tree. Mine were from Ken Muir too, and I had no complaints about delivery or quality.

OP

Joined: 28 Jul 2006
Posts: 4661
Location: Yorkshire

Posted: Sun Sep 30, 12 3:29 pm Post subject:

I'm intrigued if Ken Muir is selling the Tickled Pink trees as minarettes because this variety has only just been introduced to the UK from Germany and as far as I know the rootstocks are currently very limited - so I suspect these particular trees must be on M9 and have been specially pruned at the nursery, in which case as robkb says, you will need to keep on top of the pruning.

The only apple trees which are truely columnar in habit are those derived from the McIntosh Wijck sport, which are normally known as "ballarina" trees, and really do grow like poles.

In my view if space is limited I think the M27 apple rootstock is a better choice, you end up with a nice looking conventionally-shaped tree which doesn't need constant pruning, and they can be planted 1.2m apart if you wish.

I'm even more intrigued by the minarette plum, because whilst I can see how you could keep pruning an apple to maintain a columnar shape, pruning a plum tree is not a great idea because of the risk of introducing disease.

tai haku

Joined: 17 Apr 2011
Posts: 472

Posted: Sun Sep 30, 12 4:23 pm Post subject:
My folks have 3 ballerinas planted in various flower beds to add a bit of height. They've done very well but I think that's the best use for them. I wouldn't want an orchard of them for the reasons already stated but they can look spectacular.....

OP

Joined: 28 Jul 2006
Posts: 4661
Location: Yorkshire

Posted: Mon Oct 01, 12 8:42 pm Post subject:
Lovely photos of your ballarina trees. I'm still not convinced about the columnar plum and cherry trees, it just doesn't sound feasible to keep them pruned to a columnar style.

12Bore

Joined: 15 Jun 2008
Posts: 9089
Location: Paddling in the Mersey

Posted: Mon Oct 01, 12 9:39 pm Post subject:
Those look great TH! TBH I'll plant them for the novelty value as much as anything else, i wouldn't expect a big crop from them, but they should end up as fruiting screen, maybe if I put the plum or cherry between the 2 apples I could let it spread a bit more.

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