Fruit trees

[The Waxbill]

I bought some fruit trees recently, apple, pear, plum, peach and cherry. Do I need more than one of each of these trees for cross pollination? Also how far away from each other should I plant each tree? Thanks in advance to anyone who can help?

Ger.

[Millymollymandy]

Firstly with the apple it depends on the rootstock they are grafted onto. Do be careful buying apples and never buy them without knowing the rootstock as you don't know whether you are buying an enormous 40ft high tree or a mini one suitable for espaliering etc.

Plums are autofertile so no probs.

Apples must have at least 2 varieties nearby, different varieties but that flower at the same time.

Peaches not sure about.

Spacing for plums and cherries - I'd plant at least 50 foot apart. Peaches can be pruned hard to keep to a reasonable size but a good 15ft apart at least. Apples totally dependant on the rootstock.

Pears not sure, not even sure if they are grafted onto different kinds of rootstock or if they need other varieties or are autosterile or not. I would imagine not.

Hope you have a big orchard!

[The Waxbill]

Thanks millymollymandy that's good info, I've got lots of space so I suppose I'll just get planting and have a go.

Ger.

[frozenthunderbolt]

not all plumbs are auto fertile - some require pollinators to get any kind of real crop, without a suitable pollinator, you will be stuck getting 0-3 plumbs a year even after 10 years in the ground.
Just a heads up, sorry MMM.

[lsm1066]

For lots of really good info about fruit trees and what to plant with what, have a look at http://www.keepers-nursery.co.uk/default.aspx.

hth
Lynne

[Millymollymandy]

No probs FrozenT - good to know that for the future!

The reason I say to really space things out is I am fed up with previous owners of the houses I've bought planting trees (fruit, nut or otherwise) too close together meaning we have to remove trees cos 10 years later they are growing into each other! Like 3 walnuts planted in a row where there is only room for one tree.

[Annpan]

I have planted mine much closer than that, I read that you should plant a full height apart - so if the tree is likely to grow to 5m, you plant the next tree 5 meters away - or you split the difference (adding full height of both trees and half that number)

[lsm1066]

No probs FrozenT - good to know that for the future!

The reason I say to really space things out is I am fed up with previous owners of the houses I've bought planting trees (fruit, nut or otherwise) too close together meaning we have to remove trees cos 10 years later they are growing into each other! Like 3 walnuts planted in a row where there is only room for one tree.

Tell me about it! I have two plums, a Williams pear, a bramley and a golden tasteless all in one line about 5 feet apart! I wouldn't mind if they'd done it plum, apple, pear, apple, plum but the two apples are together. And since there's another very mature bramley and another very mature golden tasteless on another side, those two smaller apples are redundant anyway. But taking them out will still mean a pear and a plum far too close together.

Still, out they're going, to be replaced by two different apples a decent distance away. Plus we took out 8 (yes 8) laburnums from same part of the garden. So now we have daylight and they're being replaced with other fruit trees (so far a cherry but a couple of others will be on their way) and a load of soft fruit bushes.

The trouble with the previous owners of this house is that they loved their flowers but they didn't seem to get the concept that things grow! And frankly, an acre of land all given over to flowers and lawns is a huge waste of space.

Lynne

[frozenthunderbolt]

And frankly, an acre of land all given over to flowers and lawns is a huge waste of space.

Lynne

absolutly!!! Im all about the Edible Environments (tm)