hi everyone.
it's my 21st birthday next week and some of my family are asking what i'd like.
well, i'd like a couple of trees, i think that's rather fitting.
so, can anyone advise me of some particular types of fruit trees that are good for our climate? i'm particularly interested in peach and almond trees. ideally i'd like them to be small and late blossoming so we don't lose the flowers to frost.
thanks in advance!
If you are sure that you will always be able to have access to your trees (it can't go with you if you move house very easily) It is a lovely idea.
A good garden centre near to you will advise. A few weeks ago All the major supermarkets and several stores had all the varieties of trees for sale from as little as £2.99 each. Now I think you will need to go to a specialist and pay more, most have blossomed now and it is not a perfect time to transplant. The age of the tree will make a difference to the price. 10 year old ones can cost five figures. But they will plant it, look after it and replace it in the first year if it dies for that.
I have had a variety of trees for 40 years and have never known frost to wipe out all the blossom. So I would not let be an issue.
Maybe you would like to pick a tree by it's name for sentimental reasons
APPLES PEARS
Beth
Beurré Bedford
Beurré D'Amanlis
Beurré Hardy
Beurré Superfin
Black Worcester
Blaze
Capability Pear
Clapp's Favourite
Conference
Cranford Pear
Double de Guerre
Doyenné De Boussoch
Doyenné De Comice
Duchesse D'Angoulème
Durondeau
Émile D'Heyst
Fertility Improved
Fondante D'Automne
Forelle
Glou Morceau
Hessle
Jargonelle
Joséphine De Malines
Laxtons' Foremost
Louise Bonne Of Jersey
Maréchal De La Cour
Marguérite Marrilat
Maxstoke Nibbler
Michaelmas Nelis
Nouveau Poiteau
Passe Crassane
Pitmaston Duchess
Puddledock Pear
Robin
Swan's Egg
Thompson's
Triomphe De Vienne
Uvedale's St Germain
Vicar Of Winkfield
Warden
Warpsgrove Pear
Williams Bon Chrétien
Winter Neli
PLUM/GAGE/DAMSON
Aylesbury Prune
Belle de Louvain
Blue Impératrice
Bryanston Gage
Cambridge Gage
Coe's Golden Drop
Count Althann's Gage
Denniston's Superb
Early Rivers
Early Transparent Gage
Farleigh Damson
French Victoria
Giant Prune
Golden Transparent
Jefferson Gage
Kirke's Blue
Langley Bullace
Laxtons' Gage
Lodge Prune
Manaccan
Marjorie's Seedling
McLaughlin's Gage
Merryweather-Damson
Mirabelle De Nancy
North Hills -Damson
Old Greengage
Oullin's Gage
Reine Claude De Bavay
Reine Claude Violette
Rivers Blue Prolific
Shropshire Prune-Damson
Stewkley Red
Tram Hill-Damson
Victoria Plum
Warwickshire Drooper
White Damson
CHERRY
Alba Heart
Archduke
Bedford Prolific 'A'
Bigarreau Gaucher
Black Eagle
Black Oliver
Bradbourne Black
Cassia
Circassian
Dangler
Early Rivers
Empress Eugenie
Frogmore Early
Goblin
Lester
May Duke
Merton Glory
Morello
Noir De Guben
Prestwood Black
Ronalds' Heart
Smoky Dun
Strawberry Heart
Waterloo
White Heart
QUINCE
Champion
Little Ickford Pineapple
Little Ickford Small
Meech's Prolific
Portugal
Vranja
PLUS:-
MEDLARS (Mespilus Germanica 'Nottingham' and 'Senlac')
MULBERRIES (Morus Nigra)
NECTARINE - Early Rivers
GRAPEVINES (Vitis Vinifera) - Black Hamburgh, Fragola (Strawberry Vine), Gewurztraminer, Lady Downe's Seedling, Leon Millot, Madeleine Angevin, Maréchal Joffre, Muscat Hamburgh, Muscat Of Alexandria, Pinot Blanc, Seyval, Shobdon White Dessert,Triomphe D'Alsace.
HAZEL - Wild Hazel, Butler Cob, Cosford Cob, Longue D'Espagne (Kent Cob), Purple Hazel (Corylus Maxima Purpurea), Red Filbert, White Filbert
CURRANTS - White Versailles (Whitecurrant), Red Lake (Redcurrant), Blackcurrants - Baldwin, Boskoop Giant, Laxtons' Giant, Wellington XXX
I think it is inadvisable to plant a bare rooted tree at this time of year. In fact most suppliers now won't deliver them until the Autumn.
If you want a tree now you should probably get a pot grown one.
I think there are quite a few who provide pot grown plants including Reads Nursery, Ken Muir and Blackmoor Nursery. If you want trees you can move with you it's worth looking at patio varieties.
Not all trees are self-fertile so make sure whatever you choose is either self-fertile or you have a suitable pollinator to go with it.
The odds on an Almond providing nuts is of course pretty low in our climate - if its fruit you want the local suppliers should be able to advise you on what will do well where you live.
In Yorkshire we have the Northern Fruit Group that preserves older varieties - might be an equivalent near where you are? Most nurseries offer fairly standard selections but it can be good to keep some older varieties going - taste good too!
we got ours from victoriana nurseries, nice people, good condition and plenty of varieties ;D
Might loose them to leaf curl... Rosie, for such a great occasion it would be a shame to see it fail.... Mulberries (black) are very long lived and ornamental.
Quince blossom is beautiful and the tree quite graceful but suckers a lot and the fruit never fully ripen for dessert.
A medlar would be a talking point...
You could get a "family tree" with several varieties on one set of roots but they tend to become lop-sided as the more vigerous cultivar takes over...
A couple of compatable apples would be a good compromise, on a small rootstock they wouldn't take over your garden and would come into fruit sooner..
;D