Help me decide.....

[nilly71]

I bought 7 fruit trees from lidl and can't decide how to have them.

Originaly i was going to put them down the left hand side of the plot as there would not be much shade for them most of the day.
But, they would cause some shading for some of the plot and i might take over the waste ground to the left of my plot at a later date, so i would not be able to simple move some beds.

Today i decided to place them at the end of the three beds in the centre of the plot, now i can't decide if to have one at each end of the beds and build a frame to train them as an espalia(sp) or to have two at each end and have them as cordons going at an oposing angle so they cross in the middle(bit like the Belgian fence n0.3 http://agutie.homestead.com/files/world_news_map/fence_garden_espalier.htm. I could plant them at the edge of the bed so some of the roots can grow under the paths.
The beds are 150cm/5' wide  and 5.8m long, so if planted either way they should have plenty of room.
layout of what my plot will be like:


Please help me decide:
1. single
2. double

Neil

[nilly71]

[Robert_Brenchley]

I'd put them at the side myself. Leave plenty of space between them.

[Old Neddy]

I wouldn't put them at the end of me beds

[cambourne7]

Presumably your 3 long beds are going to be for rotovating crops and the smaller beds are for perm crops rhubarb, herb bed etc

Personaly I would plant the trees as a cordon  againt the right hand side wall underplanted with strawberrys :)

Or you could train some of your plants as step over against the fence between the seating area and the compost bin. I presume that your going to train soft fruits over the seating area?? But you could have some plant against this as well :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit_tree_forms

this was intresting http://www.helpfulgardener.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9714

[nilly71]

I should of been more clearer. At the ends of the veg beds(make the beds smaller) in their own partitioned off / seperate section and strawberries or flowers could also be planted. If i can get more fruit trees then i will, so using the double cordons i would be able to have more without taking up any more room.

The first picture in the link above is the idea i had or here...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Fruit_tree_forms_at_Gaasbeek.JPG

If i had them singular then i would angle the ends of the beds (bit like a triangle with the top cut off)

The beds at the ends/sides would be used from perm crops and fruit bushes. I was thinking of dividing the one on the far right into three to have climbing beans, so these could be rotated without shading the rest of the plot.
I have a grape vine to be used for growing over the pergular.

At the right end of the compost bins will be a thin green house that is about 10' long, so there won't be as many fence panels as shown in the plan.

The sun rises from the bottom left and sets at the top left.
Behind the compost bins are trees and bushes that shade some of the plot late afternoon, hopefully the council are cutting/trimming these at some point.

I hope things/ideas are a bit clearer now. I just want to make sure i have them in the right place with as little shading to the plot as possible.

Neil

[ceres]

I'm not sure I'm correctly understanding what you intend doing but, it seems to me if the sun rises and sets as you describe then putting cordons at the end of the beds will cast shade all day on stuff to the right of the cordons.  I would put them on the boundary in the far right hand bed attached to the shed.

[nilly71]

That would be the most pratical, just thought the ends would be more interesting :)

I will put them where you suggested, now have to decide how to grow/train them ;D

Neil

[posie]

Slightly off topic Neil, but what program did you use to draw up your plot because that looks pretty impressive!

[nilly71]

Slightly off topic Neil, but what program did you use to draw up your plot because that looks pretty impressive!

It is an easy programme to use and free. See my thread here...http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,45762.msg457996.html#msg457996

And it's to scale, so i know how much room i will have.

Neil

[posie]

Thanks Neil, think I had a look at this a while ago before I got the lottie. Might give that one a go.