what fruits to grow? trees bushes ground cover? etc

[lynda66]

I'm looking for some low growing fruits, to plant among some larger plants, would like something easy to grow, that doesn't grow too big, for fruiting next year. so far i'm intending to grow huckleberry, white currant, melon pear, goji berry, cape gooseberry, dragon fruit, kiwi, yellow and red strawberries, passion fruit and 2 types of melons, and hopefully some grape vines, some of which will be grown in the garden, some in containers if they need moving in winter, and as much as possible straight in the ground, in the garden.

and at some point (when they have finished building the industrial estate) i'm hoping to take over the waste ground at the bottom of my garden, and grow apples, (Eating (granny smiths if poss for son and a nice one for me), and cooking) cherry, plum, trees.....there is room for at least 3 more trees (next door neighbour also has the same amount of ground at the back of his, which i doubt he'll bother with, as he has enough trouble keeping his lawn mowed lol ..... so there could be room for another 6-9 trees, as long as they are types that can be pruned down so i can reach the fruit, but not the miniature ones, as i want lots of fruit and as the ground has quite a slope, so ladders are out of the question, i would also like to grow some bushes between the trees, so semi-shade loving bushes that won't spread too far would be good, as it is on a slope, it is well drained, and gets all the run off from my garden. and it is south - south west facing with no shade, other than from whatever i plant.

(i hate gooseberries and rhubarb)

so i need some help, i want low growing high yield ground cover fruits, fruit bushes that won't spread too far, and trees that don't mind their tops pruning, also varieties that self fertilize would be good, but which varieties do i need 2 of? . whatever they are, i want varieties with lots of fruits, or it's a bit pointless.

(i did do a search on here, but it kept ignoring words and everything was irrelevant lol) sorry for asking so much, but any help would be much appreciated i'm really looking forward to having my own orchard/ fruit garden

Lynda xx

[Cloud]

As far as low growing goes it got to be Strawberries.ain.t it?
I have an Egremont russet apple tree and this is self fertile and produces a good crop of nutty flavoured apples.[should suit you LOL]

[lynda66]

i am planning on a couple more types of strawberries, yum ..... i was just hoping something else might grow like they do, i love fruit

oi .... i'm not that nuts lol ..... but thats one for my list

[Two_Sheds]

I'm looking for ...apples ...there could be room for another 6-9 trees, as long as they are types that can be pruned down so i can reach the fruit, but not the miniature ones

Rather than pruning the tree, you need to carefully choose your rootstock. I have a small (M27) Prince Lane Albert apple ~ it's not as high as me, which is perfect. No ladders involved! I get a dozen good apples from it every year.
If I had the money for more plants, I would make a perimeter fence out of espaliered M27 apples.

Rootstock (Height)
M27 (3ft)
Budagovsky 9 (4ft)
M9 (5ft)
M26 (8ft)
M7 (10ft)
MM106 (12ft)
M2 (13ft )
M4 (15ft)
MM111 (16ft)

here's a good guide: Apple Tree roostock. M27, M9, M26, MM106 and MM111

[lynda66]

thanks for that, i think i might need more than one, of those, 12 just doesn't seem worth the space, we had an orchard of 2 eaters, 4 cookers, and 2 pears and a damson when i was a kid, and we got hundreds,(apple pie for the next year twice a week) but i'm not up to climbing 20 foot trees any more lol ..... but then i guess if i have small trees theres probably enough room for about 20 trees so i think i need a bigger one and get my son to go up lol

Lynda xx

[Cloud]

Cranberries are low growing.
By the way went to wilkies today, thanks spent a fortune!!!!!

[lynda66]

oooo i hadn't thought of cranberries i shall look into them ta x

you're welcome ....... see i knew i had at least one use

[Snadger]

I'm trying to grow fruit in cordons to save on space. I have five apples and two pears set along a fenceline at a 45 degrees angle. The final height should be no more than 6 foot......so easy to harvest fruit hopefully!

[lynda66]

That sounds pretty good, but isn't it hard work? i really just had this idea of planting a load of trees, with fruit bushes underneath, and kinda leaving it to just grow till the fruit is ready, then now and then lop a branch off ..... gawd i'm soooooo lazy and i don't really need to save space, its bigger than my garden lol

[midgedog]

excuse my newbie-isim (?) but what are cordons?

[Snadger]

excuse my newbie-isim (?) but what are cordons?

There you go midgedog! Reads Nursery - Fruit Training

[lynda66]

have been in the garden today, clearing space for the new chicken shed and greenhouse that we are picking up tomorrow, given up on the mini idea, after getting the offer on freecycle.

anyway, my back hedge is hawthorn, i did think of leaving this in, for the birds, but in reality, no birds ever nest in it, as its too spindly, it never gets berries, and its flipping prickly. and the dog goes straight through it, so not exactly a great fence either lol

so, as theres a lovely thick privet down the side of the garden, that a couple of birds have nested in this year, the back one has to go, anyway, it's all trimmed down now to about 4 foot, ready to get something to cut the trunks ...... anyone got a chainsaw i can borrow

anyway ..... we cut back as much of the hawthorn tree, in the corner, as we could, so the shed will fit under it, then started clearing dead trees and weeds and bushes and stuff, from the waste ground at the back, and cutting back the elderberries, that are far too high to reach, we left plenty of berries for the birds, and will cut them right back when they have finished fruiting. .......

and we found 2 hazelnut trees, only small, but they must be courtesy of our resident squirrel, that seems to like my garden for burying his nuts, as i've never noticed any hazelnut trees around(though i might go hunting for one soon) ...... so looks like i'll have some nice hazelnuts too, if i can get to them before the squirrel lol

anyone know how long they take to get nuts? they are only about 18 inches tall at the moment, but hopefully now they aren't overgrown they may put a spurt on

[midgedog]

Thanks Snadger now I get it.

[swaine]

a couple of fruit that make good ground cover,
himalayan raspberry, only grow 6-12" inches with nice orange fruit
(might have some knocking around if you need 1)
another one like that
rubus "betty ashburner" creeps a little but not high and produces raspberry type fruit,
also artic raspberry(likes acid soil) low growing
different types of wild strawberry
the musk strawberry
the green strawberry
the scarlet north american strawberry
south american strawberry (fragaria chilinosis)
and other all the currants , pinkcurrants make a pleasing change to sit between whites and reds,
other unusuall, salmonberry medium(chest hight) and thimbleberries
(a non prickly rubus producing very soft raspberry type fruit with maple leaves)
and the vaccinums that need acid soil,
cranberrys,lingonberrys,bilberrys and blueberrys,
stewart