First Timer

[Sean1ucc]

Hi Everyone,

Have been reading around for a couple of months but only just joined. Decided to take a stab at growing a variety of different fruit trees and bushes after some Lidl fruit trees bought spring 2020 produced fruit this first year after planting in pots. I didn't have much hope for them as they are still quite small.

I have a collection now of Tayberry, Honeyberry, Kiwi and Grape vines, Mulberry, Pomegranate, Pear, Lemon, Fig, Plum, Gage, and Cherry trees.
A bit of an experiment to see what will grow up here and produce some fruit. All pot grown for now but will plant in to the ground if successful.

All in a sheltered south facing aspect so hopeful that they should be productive. This winter will move everything indoors in a lean to next to the house which has the boiler so should help the get established without the cold.

[Bren In Pots]

Hello and welcome to the vine Sean, you have a nice assortment of fruit there.

[burnie]

Welcome to the Vine

[mothhawk]

Hi Sean, welcome to the vine.

You say "up here" - how far "up" are you? North of Watford Gap? North of Hadrian's Wall? Up a mountain in Wales?

Come on, give us a clue

[Ms-T]

Hiya and welcome

[Snoop Puss]

Hello and welcome to the Vine. Good luck with your trees. Sounds like you have a fantastic collection.

[Plot70]

Welcome to the forum.

[Sean1ucc]

Hi Sean, welcome to the vine.

You say "up here" - how far "up" are you? North of Watford Gap? North of Hadrian's Wall? Up a mountain in Wales?

Come on, give us a clue

Ah, up here as in over the water and up here in Belfast! Made things a little interesting trying to get any fruit trees as all the main suppliers are based on the mainland and can/will no longer ship here. Was lucky to find one nursery in NI which had a good selection though.

[nickdub]

Hi Sean,
Comments based on over 30 years of amateur fruit growing in the South West of England, so almost completely ignorant of what the weather is like in your neck of the woods.

The Kiwi and Grape vines and the lemon tree need warmth to grow successfully - I'd usually say a greenhouse or possibly very large pots which can be moved inside.

The Mulberry, Pomegranate, Fig, are all perfectly hardy of course, but getting them to fruit outside is a long term proposition which may turn into a dull hunt - pretty things as ornamentals though.

The Plum, Pear, Gage, and Cherry trees, are your bankers though pests such as birds can ruin your crop. The Tayberry is also a good doer and has the merit, like logans, of not taking up much space if you grow it against a fence.

I have two Honeyberries. They have not cropped in the last 6 years, and I've yet to read any accounts from someone who has gotten a significant amount of fruit of their bushes.


Don't plant your tree fruit too close together - two next door trees should be as far apart horizontally as their eventual combined height.

Happy Gardening - Nick

[Shortie]

Welcome Sean

[Sean1ucc]

Hi Sean,
Comments based on over 30 years of amateur fruit growing in the South West of England, so almost completely ignorant of what the weather is like in your neck of the woods.

The Kiwi and Grape vines and the lemon tree need warmth to grow successfully - I'd usually say a greenhouse or possibly very large pots which can be moved inside.

The Mulberry, Pomegranate, Fig, are all perfectly hardy of course, but getting them to fruit outside is a long term proposition which may turn into a dull hunt - pretty things as ornamentals though.

The Plum, Pear, Gage, and Cherry trees, are your bankers though pests such as birds can ruin your crop. The Tayberry is also a good doer and has the merit, like logans, of not taking up much space if you grow it against a fence.

I have two Honeyberries. They have not cropped in the last 6 years, and I've yet to read any accounts from someone who has gotten a significant amount of fruit of their bushes.


Don't plant your tree fruit too close together - two next door trees should be as far apart horizontally as their eventual combined height.

Happy Gardening - Nick

Thanks Nick!

The lemon (Meyer) gets brought in for winter and apart from taking nearly a year to ripen fruit it does produce 10 or so a year which isn't bad as it's only about 2x3 ft. Grape (boskoop glory) and kiwi (Jenny) are in pots and will come in the next 2 winters but will plant out then and see how they fare.

The Pomegranate (dente di cavallo) and fig (Osborne's prolific and a brown turkey) are the long shots but was hoping the mulberry (morus Nigra) would be a goer but as you said at least they are ornamental if nothing else!

Will be interested to see how they honeyberries (unknow varietal) go as I've seen videos of them commercially produced in Scotland outside. They seem to be quiet slow growing compared to everything else I have though.

The trees from Lidl (pear, plum, cherry) are unknown varietals but the second cherry is a Stella and the gage is Oulins Golden.

[Nicos]

Hi there and welcome to the Vine from me too!