Topic: More Lidl goodies

[Amazin]

As has been mentioned in the Lidl's fruit trees thread, from Thurs 23rd Oct they'll have 1 - 2 year old fruit trees: Bramley Apple, Beurre Stella Cherry, Hardy Pear, Victoria Plum, Jonagold Apple, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Opal Plum and more. £3.99 a time.

Also they'll have ornamental trees, again 1 - 2 years old, for £4.99:
Purple Leaf Flowering Plum, Autumn flowering Cherry (flowers on and off from Nov - March), Almond, Japanese Flowering Cherry, Red Crab Apple, Hornbeam, Silver Birch and more.

[ceres]

I wonder what sort of root stock these are on.  I suppose at the price dwarfing would be too much to hope for?

[Amazin]

Last time I bought fruit trees - from Woolies - they weren't dwarf but I'm growing them in large pots and they've all  fruited this year.

I'm thinking of getting a couple of these to train as step-overs - would make a nice plot border.

[ceres]

Good idea!

[Deb P]

These are the trees I bought from Lidl two years ago. They never state what rootstock they are on, but these came pruned as  half standard trees with about four main branches and some lower feather shoots. I have grown mine as crossed cordons, pruned the sideshoots back to three buds when planting, and summer pruned them since. Fruiting really well this year as you can see!

[norfolklass]

so, complete fruit tree novice question: can you take any tree and prune it into any shape?
I love the idea of having a couple of step-over or cordon apple trees as part of a border but I'm completely clueless! could you, for example, do that with a Bramley, or would that be cruel?!?

[Deb P]

so, complete fruit tree novice question: can you take any tree and prune it into any shape?
I love the idea of having a couple of step-over or cordon apple trees as part of a border but I'm completely clueless! could you, for example, do that with a Bramley, or would that be cruel?!?

In theory yes, but it depends on the age of the tree when you first start training ( the earlier the better). The Lidl trees I bought were about 2 years old, they had a lot of small side shoots all the way along the main stem, and about 4 main branches at the top, so were not difficult to convert to cordons.

Stepovers I have never tried to do, but you would need to select a tree that has some healthy buds just above the graft line on the main stem of the tree, prune everything off above them and hope they grow, train two branches sideways on canes and then wires like a single espalier, and prune like a cordon thereafter. If this all sounds like gobbledygook, try searching for pruning cordons online, there are loads of tree suppliers sites which explain the pruning in detail.

Is it cruel? Depend how you view it! I look on it as training the tree to grow how I would like it to, rather than how it wants to, like disciplining it......hmm, could be on dodgy ground here! ;D ;D ;D

[norfolklass]

knowing nothing about fruit trees I just wondered if a Bramley was too big/vigorous to try and train into something much smaller and would be much happier grown as a "normal" tree, and whether I'd be better off trying with a different variety... I know with fruit trees it's all about the root stock, and I've read a tiny bit about pruning but never put any of it into practice, but I think I might give it a go ;D
thank you for your help!

[Deb P]

Two of my Lidl cordons are Bramleys, and they are fruiting well this year, I didn't let them last year as they were newly planted and getting established.

I think the Lidl fruit trees are so cheap they are worth experimenting with...trees are usually pretty forgiving and will often re-grow despite any pruning mistakes, although you may not get as much fruit the next year. You can get partially trained trees, but they are much more expensive, see Deacons Fruit trees website. The pruning isn't really very difficult to master, honest! ;D

[norfolklass]

just had an early morning splurge at Lidl's!
apples: two Bramleys, a Cox's Orange Pippin and a Jonagold
pears: a Beurre Hardy and a Conference
cherry: a Stella
(and for the garden a Red Sentinel crab apple and two ornamental flowering cherries)
all strapped to my bike so I look like a right nutter walking that along the pavement ::)

thanks Deb P for the photos, advice and encouragement to have a go ;D

[Deb P]

Most welcome, gald you are having a go! I'm tempted to have some more trained fruit on my new 2/3rds plot which has nothing on it at all at the moment.....a pear tunnel like Geoff Hamilton perhaps?

[twinkletoes]

....watch this space.  This time next year there will be requests for recipes to use up fruit....you have been warned.... ::) ::) ::) ;D
twinkletoes

[norfolklass]

LOL!

(hmm, a pear tunnel you say...)

[Nemesia]

FOR DEB P please

I'll pop in to Lidl tomorrow. Looking at your picture are the apple trees
the ones inside?  There are some in the distance I think. It's just that I can't believe you have apples growing on such short trees - amazing!
Last week I saw a smashing picture of cherries and as I love them I will try to get a cherry tree.  Did you know? that cherries are great for arthritis? - well, so they say.

Main part now - I need someone to explain in a concise way how to put a photo in a forum message. Can you do that for me Deb?  I have some pics on Photobucket but the site is always full of annoying pop-up ads.  I don't understand it as this does not happen on other sites I use and I regularly clean my computer. :'(

[Deb P]

The trees fruit well, that is their nature, you just prune to encourage them!
Close up of my criss cross cordons that I took the other day....



I love cherries too, but have not grown any yet.....another idea for the new bit of plot?! I know birds love them more than humans, so a restricted form that you could net to protect them would be a good idea. I know you can grow cherries as a fan shape, I'm not sure if the pruning is the same as that for apples and pears though!

Lots of info about posting pics on the forum here:http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,37879.0.html

[shaun01]

i went and got my trees yesterday thanks for the tip guys much appreciated