Help? Apple and Pear choice for Cordons

[T-lady]

Hi all

I've never posted to the fruit section before so bear with me. I'm horribly novice with fruit trees but here we go ...

I'm planning four archways to go over the paths into the veg plot (each path is 3 ft / 5 ft with new beds either side to plant trees into). According to Geoff Hamiliton's Gardeners World book I could plant 3 cordon fruit trees on side of the arch (the beds are 5ft wide).

Have any of you got any opinions on;

1. Is this correct - can I get away with cordons spaced at about 20 inches apart?

2. What rootstock do I look for?

3. Is it just apples and pears or are there other fruits to be grown this way?

4. Where should I buy the plants (looked at Ken Muir last night - wow, pricey!)


Thanks in anticipation of your help ...

[southlondongardener]

Here is a supplier

Cordon Fruit Trees Mail Order

M26 is what they use.

I think 2 feet is the normal amount but I do not know.

One important thing you need to plant by the end of March for this year.

[jeannine]

I'd be very interested to hear any recommendations of good suppliers.

I've bought lots of fruit trees over the past 10 years from Ken Muir because he's only up the road from us. I'm happy to say that they have always been incredibly healthy, and of course you're spoilt for choice there.

But the cost is a bit scary, not so bad if you want something special for your own garden if you plan to stay for a few years but not ideal for an allotment!

[Two_Sheds]

Monty was on about orchard fruit this week on Gardeners World. And there's a feature in the March issue of the magazine.Gardeners' World Magazine | BBC Gardeners' World

[Snadger]

And if your a cheapskate like me or piglet...................................................... you can buy bare rooted trees at Aldi now for £3.99 and train them as cordons. They are on a dwarfing rootstock but cripes knows what it is and at £3.99 each, who cares.

If you're growing on an archway anyway they don't want to be too dwarfing or else they won't grow the 8 to 10 foot required for the archway!
I have 4 different apples varieties and two different pears set at 45 deg along a fenceline, each trained up an 8 foot cane sunk into the ground giving an eventual vertical height of about 5 foot 6 inches tall! They certainly look the part!

Just a thought!

[T-lady]

Good thought there Snadger. It's less being a cheapskake - more being conscious of value for money!

I bought a cherry tree from Morrisons for £4.99 but their apple trees don't say anything about the rootstock so I didn't want to risk it.

If the Aldi ones definitely have some form of height control I'm up for that!

[Two_Sheds]

I didn't realise the Aldi's were dwarfing (the trees were as tall as me). Do you know which Rootstock they are?

[Snadger]

I didn't realise the Aldi's were dwarfing (the trees were as tall as me). Do you know which Rootstock they are?

Well my Aldi Sunset apple tree gave me 12 lovely juicy apples last year and it is about 4 foot high!

All I can say with certainty is that ALL of the fruit trees are grafted onto a rootstock TS!