I'd like to get a couple of fruit trees this Autumn, I havent got THAT much space, and I wanted a plum and a cherry. But looking into how to grow them, they both sounded like a bit of a handful with needing to have another appropriate tree to cross pollinate with... and being netted to stop birds...
Does anyone grow them, and are they really awkward?
thanks
pigeonseed
I've just seen you can get tasty self-pollinating varieties on dwarfing rootstock - how big do those roots get does anyone know? Can I grow them near the garden wall without the tree wrecking it?
if you get a victoria plum, you will do yourself a favour. no trouble at all, (well for me anyway). They must be self fertile as mine has no partner anywhere near and it generally produces loads of fruit that cant all be eaten by the competition. Buy it and plant it in winter, and dont prune it.
i had a morello cherry at my last house on dwarfing stock, and the birds dont go anywhere near those, but you can only use them for recipies.
Two years ago the birds ate all my morello cherries at one sitting! I've netted the tree ever since and got a lovely harvest last year and a poor one this year.
Tricia
Victoria plum is no problem at all. Self fertile, and good crops.
We have a Stella cherry tree, which is self-fertile. There are more recent varieties which are less prone to splitting. Neither are particularly awkward, but the cherry most definitely needs netting. The blackbirds will beat you to them if you don't net. ;D ;D
valmarg
I have a cherry 'Stella' in a large pot. This is its second year and it has fruited - I am the proud harvester of FIVE plump cherries (preen preen!)
I didn't bother netting it - I have cats.
;D
Thanks for your replies. It sounds like cherries will definitely be worth it then, plus netting!
I'm going to look into whether we could have a Victoria plum as well. I never seemto be able to find tasty plums in shops, always those big tasteless purple or red shiny ones. no flavour.
Nothing quite like 'home grown' ;D
I think Victoria plum is the best variety to grow. Reliable, and very tasty.
Have to use netting on the Stella cherry. Hate moggies ;D
Having said that, we are using a combination of netting and fleece.
Netting to keep the blackbirds off the cherries, plus fleece. What the eye can't see, etc. It seems to be working.
valmarg
I think plum trees are just too big for our garden. It's v long - 167m (about 550') but narrow - only 4.4m across (which is about 18'). I've always dreamt of having a walnut tree as well, but again I dont think that's gonna happen!!
So for now I've bought a cherry - sunburst
6 raspberry canes - Glen Ample
and a blackcurrant bush -Ben Connan
I also ordered some strawberry mara des bois because I kept hearing how tasty they were.
I thought I might have them in containers - and I saw a neighbour throwing out some old drawers (as in chest of drawers in case you're wondering!) and he said we could have them. Thing is when I got up close they all turn out to be made of teak and cedar with brass handles and locks. He's smashed up some amazing old furniture and put it out with the bins.
It seems a crime to grow strawberries in these drawers, but they're not much good on their own!
Oh and I've got my beady eye on growing peaches as well in the sheltered patio area. But I already feel a bit spendthrift ordering so many plants at once, so I might leave that for another year...
Has any one tried peaches? Lots of people say they're easy to get fruit off, if you can control the leaf curl.
I have a 1 year old Stellar cherry on dwarf stock, I plan to train it into a wheeping shape. I believe they do this in cermmercial cherry orchards, Should be easier to net and pick.
yes the cherry i bought is on dwarfing stock - so hopefully it'll be nettable. I keep hearing how the birds get to them quickly!
Our garden is long and very narrow - around 12ft - and there is a walnut tree at the back:)
I had no luck trying to grow a cherry in a pot though.
Cherries are a `must have`-mine is `Inga`-again self fertile,and I fleece it.
It never grew very large as it is in the shade of the walnut tree-now they are (it is)huge!!!
plums don't have to be big, bought on dwarf stock and kept pruned - Opal is a gorgeous plum, early, beautiful colour, self fertile - not to be missed :)
I have never grown either..... but I knew someone who claimed a fan trained cherry by a wall is best.
Easier to cover with netting.
Have you considered a Gage? Pigeonseed...... ???
everyone seems to have walnut trees!
The backof the garden is taken up entirely by the BIGGEST shed you've ever seen. I like sheds and I even I think it's excessive. Bit concerned a walnut or other large tree would take up too much of the garden or start digging up the garden wall if it's anywhere else.
I had looked at gages - I thought that was just the word for eating plums? Do you think I might be able to get a small enough plum tree then?
Gages are small green plums. I have a Cambridge Gage, which is much tastier than Victorias.