Hi there
Yippee - I have been told that I should be getting my allottment (half a plot) in 4 weeks time in the Roeshot allotments. I am therefore starting to plan the layout of my allotment and I want to have a small orchard on the one end of it. I want to purchase an apple, peach, plum and apricot tree. I would like some information on the following :
1. Which is the best kinds for the south west area and what size - I was thinking the M25 root stock? What do the professionals think - any ideas?
2. Any specific tips on preparing the ground for the orchard. I want to companion plant as much as possible and be organic?
3. I also want a strawberry patch - which are the best kinds or should I have a couple of each variety ripening at various intervals. I have read that strawberries are good companion plants for beans - but if you are using a rotation every year how do you keep the strawberries near the beans - the only way I can think of is a movable container with them in? Any ideas would be appreciated.
4. Who are the best suppliers to order from?
Any help and ideas would be wonderful - maybe a copy of someone's allotment plan would help to give me ideas??
Kind regards
Jitterbug
Some seed & fruit tree suppliers:
http://www.alanromans.com/default.asp
http://www.bernwodeplants.co.uk/home.htm
http://www.buckingham-nurseries.co.uk/acatalog/index.html
http://www.johnsons-seeds.com/
http://www.keepers-nursery.co.uk/default.aspx
http://www.kingsseeds.com/index.asp
http://www.korewildfruitnursery.co.uk/
http://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/rkMain.asp?PAGEID=20589
http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/feedback/catalog.php
http://rvroger.co.uk/
http://www.roughamhallnurseries.co.uk/index.htm
http://www.seeds-by-size.co.uk/vhtoc98.htm
http://www.seedsofitaly.com/
http://www.thompson-morgan.com/en
Some info on rootstocks:
http://www.letsgogardening.co.uk/Information/Fruit/Rootstock.htm
What do you want your fruit for? What size do you want - rootstocks are vital. I'm not sure about apricots outdoors, but the rest should be fine, it's just a question of picking the right varieties. Plums don't keep too long, so you just have to use them up. Do you want an eater, a cooking plum, or dual-purpose? Early apples don't keep, later ones may keep for months. Are they for eating, cooking or both? Grow an eating pear, and cook them while they're still firm. What you need to do is go to a specialist nursery, which has a wide range of varieties, and see which will suit you and your climate.
Thanks guys - boy have I got some heavy reading to do!!!
Deacons and Ken Muir are the bigger names in fruit trees, always worth a look at their cats.
:)
good luck with the new allotment jitterbug. i drive past the roeshot hill allotments regularly. i am only a couple of miles from there on the lingdale road allotments the other side of christchurch in southbourne. i also have half a plot and am planning strawberries and raspberries but havent sourced them yet. good luck ;D
It's good that you're looking into it properly at this stage; I bought my trees ages ago on minimal knowledge, and while I avoided some obvious pitfalls, I fell into others. Some of my trees are getting drastic surgery at the end of the season because their root systems are weak, and they're not growing.
I'm a compulsive buyer, but I'm thinking about buying fruit trees for ages and ages by now. I go to bed thinking of cages and apple trees.
For me the taste is the main criteria and you can't judge an apple by it's look or description written by someone. I don't want to end up with something mediocre.
If I commit to growing something for a long period of time - I want it to taste fantastic.
So I'm looking forward to the apple day in my area:
http://www.commonground.org.uk/appleday/a-events.html (http://www.commonground.org.uk/appleday/a-events.html)
Dear All
Thanks so much for the good ideas and information. Sarah - I must say that the Apple Day site was great - I have diarised this and will definitely be going to have a taste and choose my own trees. Robert - that is why I like this site so much - everyone is so free with their advise and ideas (not to mention all the lovely seed swops. Guess what I will be swopping this year - flower seeds for vegetable seeds. ;)
Robert I never thought about the eating or cooking thing - I want to mainly grow them to eat as I am not big into bottling, jamming (except apricots) as years ago I use to make tons of the stuff and my family do not bother eating it so I have found other ways of using my time. Like gardening and digging ---- digging ---- oh, and did I say digging!!
In the meantime I will spend my time reading like crazy and drawing a layout of my plot - I am still trying to think of a way of having my strawberries close to my beans as I believe they are excellent companion plants ??? any ideas guys!!
Also I read with interest that stinging nettle growing in close proximity to tomatoes ensures they all ripen ?? now that's something to think about. Just sorry that I pulled out a plant in the greenhouse last night before reading this in Flowerdew's book.
Oh well, I have put some borage in there which I believe is also a good companion plant together with the marigolds and basil. You know - the things we do to keep our plants happy! ;D Sometimes I think they are like spoilt children.
Jitterbug
Lovely plan! I have a couple of apple trees on the plot, and a selection of fruit trees in the garden, and eventually hope to add a peach, apricot and almond. However, just check with the allotment chiefs that you are allowed to plant permanent trees. I know on some plots you aren't even allowed strawberries or asparagus as they are considered permanent. You don't want to purchase lots of expensive trees only to be told to dig them all up!
Good luck, and let us know what you decide on. (Oh, and I would go for a small cooker as apple pie and crumbles in the autumn are heavenly!) :P
If you're not really into cooking apples why not a dual-purpose variety? There are endless possibilities out there.
Good luck with your allotment. I had already ordered my fruit trees before my allotment was finalised and was then told they werent allowed on the site. I have my bean trellis at the top of the plot in the sunniest spot and next bed down is strawberries and soft fruit.
We have ordered some fruit from Thompson and morgan. we only have half a plot at the moment so don't want to fill it with fruit. we made that mistake before and most of my time was spent picking the stuff and then it filled the freezer up. I like to eat it while Im working up there. it seems to taste better.. Iv'e ordered 1 invictor goosegog. 10 strawberry runners and 10 rasperry canes. Someone has given me a tayberry and a couple of blackcurrant plants and also a thornless blackberry. I think you will ahve enough to choose from from the list don't you