Spalier apple trees

[tricia]

I have absolutely no experience with fruit trees, but Lidl will be selling various fruit trees at £3.99 ea. on 11. March so I'm thinking of having a go.
My friend has a north west facing wall and is willing to let me try growing the trees on wires as spaliers. They are advertised in the Lidl flyer as 150cm high when sold with a mature size of 370cm. Would they suit? I realise I would have to keep them well pruned each year.
I understand that Bramley Seedling apples need two other apple trees in the vicinity, but as the walls are too high to see if the neighbours have apple trees :) I suppose I'd have to buy the Granny Smith and Cox's Orange too, which are the other two apple trees on offer.
I'd be glad of any advice.

Thanks in advance

Tricia

[tricia]

[grawrc]

Have a look at this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_espalierapple.shtml

[tricia]

I guess I'll have to pass on the Lidl fruit tree offer - all the info. I've managed to find on good old Google says I need dwarf root stock - and the ones I've found are just too expensive! :( Oh well - never mind. I'm sure I'll find something else I can plant against that wall.

Tricia

[Ricado]

i dont know what your budget is, but im using the supercolumns from chris bowers, and 5 different fruit, self pollinating trees cost me £100.  That was 2 cherries, 1 pear, 1 peach and 1 cox apple (self fertile too).

good luck :)

[jennym]

I wouldn't give up if I was you, you can form espaliers from semi-vigorous rootstocks such as M9, M26, or MM106 if you want to. Don't try to use Bramley though, or any other tip bearing apple. You need to use spur bearers.
Why not look at this site first. http://www.buckingham-nurseries.co.uk/acatalog/Index_Apple_Trees_20.html#DualPurpose
Make a list of the apple varieties you want to grow, make sure they are in the same pollination group. Even with self fertile varieties, you will get more fruit with another tree nearby. Then have a look in Lidl, Aldi, Wilkos, Homebase and Woolworths to see if they have any to suit, there are probably other stores too.

[Mothy]

Interesting topic as I have a south facing fence I would like to try an espalier against. Ricado, have you any more info on Chris Bowers? Have they a website?

Cheers

[Likes Roses]

Can i grow an apple tree in a container? and what age and small variety both eating and cooking are best for Northern england, I do fancy the idea of buying an old variety maybe and a  nortern one too!

[jennym]

..apple tree in a container? and what age and small variety both eating and cooking are best for Northern england...

Couple of these may suit, grown in pots - on a dwarfing rootstock, M27:
http://www.keepers-nursery.co.uk/product.aspx?id=CHAROS&v=2
Clicking on the decription, it says it's ok for northern Britain.

[jennym]

Interesting topic as I have a south facing fence I would like to try an espalier against...

I believe the Bowers column trees are cordons, i.e. one stem, whereas espalier trained have horizontal branches coming from a main stem.

[CityChick]

Netto's have got fruit trees for £2.99 from Monday 6th March (on page 4)...

http://www.netto.co.uk/internet/nettog/menu/main.nsf

[Mothy]

Thanks JennyM, I'm showing my lack of experience here, It's definitely an espalier I'm after. I intend to buy a maiden tree or two and prune/train to suit as the cost of the real thing is way too high.

[jennym]

No matter where you end up buying them from (and there is a recent post here somewhere saying Nettos have them for £2.99 from Monday) I think it is a good idea to have a look at info online first. This site has a good page for trawling through apple varieties, and shows a lot of info on pollination partners etc.
http://www.keepers-nursery.co.uk/search.aspx
Where it says CATALOGUE SECTION, if you choose apples, and hit go, then on the next page that comes up, where it says ROOTSTOCK choose the one you want, usually M9 or M26, also on TREE FORMS, choose maiden and also where it says USES, choose dessert, then hit Search, it will come up with a list of apples that they have and lots of info on each one. I have found this very useful in the past.

[Dadnlad]

Agree totally with Jennym -  use Keepers( Crown also v. good ) as variety guide to help shortlist suitable varieties before you buy.  :-\
I would also suggest you taste-test your shortlist first, as it would be a right pain if after 3-4 years of training & pruning, you didnt like what it produced !   :'(  :'(  :'(

[derbex]

I think those Lidl trees must be on a dwarf -or semi-dwarf root stock, if they're only growing to 11' or 12' maybe M26?

I agree with Jennym though, Bramley isn't the best to try, and maybe not Cox either as they have a reputation for being difficult to grow.

You can get both of these easily in a supermarket -why not try something a bit more unusual? 

I'll put in my usual plug for 'Adams Apples' for value for money trees.

Jeremy

[Robert_Brenchley]

Bramley is extremely vigorous; I have one on M26 and it's as big as the trees I have on MM109. It's a good one if you have the space, but too vigorous for a cordon unless it's on very dwarfing stock. Cox's isn't really suited to the climate in most of Britain. It's a pity they often keep selling the ones that people know from the greengrocer's rather than the varieties which will do well.

[CityChick]

I'll put in my usual plug for 'Adams Apples' for value for money trees.

Jeremy

Thanks Jeremy - I haven't come across them before.  They certainly have a wide selection of apple trees at good prices compared to many other places.

[Merry Tiller]

Espaliers

[tricia]

??? If you google you will find both spalier and espalier are mentioned! Even many fruit tree suppliers use the anglicised word Spalier - pronunciation spalyur or espalyay respectively.

Tricia  ;D

[grawrc]

Not that it really matters... mostly spalier or Spalier is the German term .. in English gardening terminology espalier is the normal/ usual term to describe fruit trees grown with a vertical trunk and regular (relatively) equally spaced horizontal branches. Notwithstanding Google. ;)

[Gail-M]

If you know what someone means what does it matter how they spell it ? ???