Allotments 4 All

local market is selling apple and pear trees for £15 does that sound reasonable?

and my grandmother tells me if i wish to purchase an apple tree i should purchase 2 as they pollinate each other - is this true?

and finally when should they be planted?
THANKS
Ellie

1: depends on how old they are - if they've been trained to look like a tree, probably not bad. Check the rootstock though, if you are short on space look for M27 (6ft), M109 (8ft)or M106 (10ft)

2: yes, you may need two, depending on the variety, but not just any two, they have to be compatible. Some are self-fertile though

3: if they are in a pot, any time when the ground is workable, but avoiding the hottest summer months. If they are bare-root November is the best time.

Hope that helps

Gosh Ellie it's all a bit complicated.

You need to know what rootstock they are growing on since that affects their ultimate size.

Are you growing them as standard trees or as e.g. espalier or cordon?

Some types are self fertile and some need another tree as a pollinator (often already present on an allotment).

November on when the soil isn't frozen is the best time for planting bare root trees, container-grown whenever you like. (Sometimes bare-root trees are stuck in pots to go to the market but are really bare root trees.)

I would suggest you go to a few fruit grower websites - blackmoor, keepers, ken muir and others and have a read at what they say. Also look at rhs and organic gardening websites. If you still have questions just ask.

Oh yes i didn't realise it was that complicated lol, definitely will have to do some serious reading before i buy anything.

good job i asked you lot before jumping in!

thank you very much