Topic: Which Fruit Tree ?

[Ellen K]

HELP !!! I want to plant a dwarf fruit bearing tree on my allotment plot so I need some advice.

I have 2 apple trees at home, a Spartan and a Russet and the Spartan produces a lovely crop but I can see the merit of fruit that has better keeping properties so perhaps this: the Pinova apple from T&M - needs a pollinator though should be OK as others on the site have apples...

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/fruit/fruit-trees/apple-and-pear-trees/apple-pinova/cww3236TM

Or plums?  or a cherry - someone on the site says the starlings get them I'm still tempted.  

I would go to about £30 for the right tree.

So: who has what? and what would they plant today if they were starting from scratch?

[goodlife]

Well..for start with..If I would want true dwarf trees..cherries would be out of question..they never will stay dwarf...and plums tend to make sizeable tree too..but what do is dwarf for you?
If you are restricted about size of the mature tree..then your options are apples, pears,..and maybe peaches/nectarines as they can be kept quite small by regular pruning and stilll bear fruit. I've seen mature medlars as low as 5ft and with fruit.
Plum and particularly cherries don't respond kindly for hard regular pruning.
Apples that I've got are: Ashmead's Kernel, Belle de Boskoop, Chivers Delight, Bramley, George Carpenter, Greensleeves, Jonagold,Katja, Lady's finger of offaly, Melon, May Queen, Pitmaston Pineapple, Stamford Pippin and 6 others with untranslatable names ;D Part from Bramley and Chivers all other are crafted to M26 rootstock and with once a summer pruning are kept in small(ish) size trees. For cooker I could not recommend more Stamford Pippin..fantastic...and in storage it will ripen just sweet enough to eat as it is..storage life is long as well ;)

[Ellen K]

Well, can't be a huge tree but 15 ft would be OK.  But that is interesting - my Spartan was on dwarf rootstock (M9 iirc)  and did nothing for a decade but then it overcame the rootstock and grew to a beautiful 25ft narrow tree and that would be fine for the plot except I can't reach most of the fruit....

I would really like a Jazz apple tree but they aren't available, somebody else on the site has a plum tree that produces beautiful fruit but it's an old tree.  OK I can wait a year or two but hope the tree will be producing for me and not just my successors.  They say that about pears: that you plant them for your children.  But interesting that you've got Jonagold because I saw trees at JTF and was tempted then ....

[Russell]

You don't say much about the russet you already have in your back garden but I guess it might be an Egremont Russet which have a great flavour but  don't keep very well, are erratic to crop, and a bit vigorous to prune.
My favourite russet is a Brownlees Russet which has nearly as good a flavour, keeps until January, crops without fail and is of modest growth. It also thins itself. I grow it on MM106 rootstock which is a bit more vigorous (only semi-dwarfing) but also physically strong enough not to need permanent staking and will tolerate grass etc growing below the branches without the usual loss of yield.

[Ellen K]

Hello - yes the Russet has struggled some years to produce any fruit.  But both trees are surrounded by neighbours planting of vigorous ornamentals including a 15 ft leylandii hedge.   Which made me think that the Spartan has overcome its rootstock (which may be M106 not M9) to stick its head up and get some sun.

So the Brownlees Russet is very interesting though could I still get one this year?  Where would one acquire said tree please?

[landimad]

What about a Devonshire Quarrenden on a M9 rootstock?
Lovely red/pink apple and good flavour to boot.

[Melbourne12]

Hello - yes the Russet has struggled some years to produce any fruit.  But both trees are surrounded by neighbours planting of vigorous ornamentals including a 15 ft leylandii hedge.   Which made me think that the Spartan has overcome its rootstock (which may be M106 not M9) to stick its head up and get some sun.

So the Brownlees Russet is very interesting though could I still get one this year?  Where would one acquire said tree please?

These people are extremely good.  We've bought a number of fruit trees from them, and they've all been top quality. http://www.blackmoor.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=178

Edit: although I see that the Brownlees Russet are not on a dwarfing rootstock.

[detailista]

I second the Blackmoor recommendation. 

Trees all alive and in healthy blossom despite repeated neglect and mishandling and poor site for them. ::)

(even left them in the garage a couple of months before planting  :-[ and they are all a riot of new growth and blossom).