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10 easy to grow fruit tress
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Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism
PostPosted: Sun Jul 10, 11 4:13 pm    Post subject: 10 easy to grow fruit tress Reply with quote
    

I've found space to put in a few more fruit trees in our woodland and I'm wondering what to plant. They need to be cheap and hardy as I can't guarantee they'll be looked after that well, but something that is really worth planting and not a gamble.

Although we have enough apple trees at the moment I think 2 - 3 common eating apples will be planted. I would also like to get hold of a couple of decent cultivated hazel nuts to see how they do - there's plenty of wild ones about that should help pollination.

What else would be suitable? Are there any plum or gage trees that can be left to their own devices? Would I need too many to ensure good pollination? Would I be better sticking to a couple more damsons?

Would pear trees be worth a go? Any other ideas?

gil
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Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18409

PostPosted: Sun Jul 10, 11 4:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Medlar.
More damsons; try different varieties.
Czar plum.
Cherry plum, and a greengage to cross-pollinate.
Rowan.

My opinion of pear trees is low, probably unjustly.
You could try a wild pear : pyrus communis.

Tavascarow



Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall
PostPosted: Sun Jul 10, 11 4:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Quince?
Pretty bomb proof AFAIK & makes the nicest jelly I've tasted.

tai haku



Joined: 17 Apr 2011
Posts: 472

PostPosted: Sun Jul 10, 11 5:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Tavascarow wrote:
Quince?
Pretty bomb proof AFAIK & makes the nicest jelly I've tasted.


Seconded. Quince are awesome.

Nick



Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford
PostPosted: Sun Jul 10, 11 5:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

tai haku wrote:
Tavascarow wrote:
Quince?
Pretty bomb proof AFAIK & makes the nicest jelly I've tasted.


Seconded. Quince are awesome.


Indeed. And certainly resistant to most weathers/animals/neglect.

Bugs



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

PostPosted: Sun Jul 10, 11 5:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Quince would be smashing, I absolutely love them. In "bomb proof" what about the wetness/stillness not far from other trees? We grew some from seeds and they succumbed to a horrible brown spot thing so we humanely disposed of the plants rather than risk affecting something else, but would a bought tree (not kept tortured in a pot) be more robust?

And what are cherry plums good for?

Nick



Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford
PostPosted: Sun Jul 10, 11 5:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Ours was grown from a foot high sapling. It's now around 25 foot, in about 7 years. It stands exposed in a field, with a hedge about 15 foot from it on one side. We are very damp here and it's thriving.

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 10, 11 5:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

gil wrote:
Medlar.
More damsons; try different varieties.
Czar plum.
Cherry plum, and a greengage to cross-pollinate.
Rowan.

My opinion of pear trees is low, probably unjustly.
You could try a wild pear : pyrus communis.


We have plenty of wild rowan about and possibly a few wild pears and crabs. Not sure about how useful medlars would be.

Now Czar sounds good, is it trouble free or at least a good balance between a nice edible fruit and reasonably easy to grow?

Quince certainly sounds ideal, are they self fertile?

gil
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Joined: 08 Jun 2005
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 10, 11 6:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Yes, quince are self-fertile - and another vote for quince from me, too.

Czar - my tree is reliable and fruits prolifically every year. Up here it's more a culinary plum than an eater (makes great jam and chutney, and nice stewed), but where you are, it might even have time to ripen properly ! Trouble-free since I've been here, and it has been hacked about a bit a couple of times.

Cherry plums - I use mine for jam, wine, liqueurs, jelly and jam. Fruit on mine is yellow - makes up for the years my yellow greengage doesn't produce much fruit.
Hardy; can be laid like a hedge.

Medlars are 'bombproof' like quince. Jelly and wine, or to eat bletted.

Bernie66



Joined: 14 Jan 2005
Posts: 13967
Location: Eastoft
PostPosted: Sun Jul 10, 11 9:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Pears are planted for the next generation rather than this one. And they're a waste of time too often.

yummersetter



Joined: 26 Jan 2008
Posts: 3241
Location: Somerset
PostPosted: Sun Jul 10, 11 9:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Along with Gil's cherry plums - mirabelles, Mirabelle de Nancy or similar. You can eat raw, dry, freeze, make jam, chutney or pies. We never waste these, we pick and use every one.
Cultivated elder.
Concorde is a useful, easy pear.
Amelanchier? Borderline edible, certainly liked by blackbirds, pretty in flower.
And I'd have to have a gage.

frewen



Joined: 08 Sep 2005
Posts: 11405

PostPosted: Sun Jul 10, 11 10:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Nick wrote:
Ours was grown from a foot high sapling. It's now around 25 foot, in about 7 years. It stands exposed in a field, with a hedge about 15 foot from it on one side. We are very damp here and it's thriving.


Blimey !

WandaBlue



Joined: 03 Feb 2011
Posts: 40
Location: Sanday, Orkney
PostPosted: Sun Jul 10, 11 11:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I have two pear trees in my back garden that get very little attention. One is Conference and I have no idea what the other is. They were here when we moved in 15 years ago and the house is only about 30 years old but they may have been on the land before that. We get loads of pears each year, luckily, I love them.

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 11, 11 8:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

It sounds like we might plant a couple of quinces on their own, Nick is yours fruiting yet?

So that still leaves room for 10 trees. Some form of cherry plum would seem suitable and I've just remembered we have a few Cambridge gages that Bugs has grown from seed - they're 6" - 1' at the moment so they could go in.

I'm still considering the pears, I think it will depend on what space is free.

I'm resisting the urge to plant anything that's "borderline edible", I'd like to get some basic useful plants growing at the moment. We also have plenty of wild elder about so no need for any more.

tahir



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45389
Location: Essex
PostPosted: Mon Jul 11, 11 9:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Bernie66 wrote:
Pears are planted for the next generation rather than this one. And they're a waste of time too often.


Hmm. 3-4 yrs is start of cropping, not prolific here but quite good. Concorde is a good reliable one, Conference too.

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