Fruit tree planting - Same site.

[coachman]

I have dug out an unshapely rowan tree, and now plan to replace it with a pear tree.

As the new pear tree will be in exactly the same position as the rowan, will this cause a problem ?

They are both in the same (rosasea) familly.

Somebody somewhere has suggest this is not a good idea.

Any thoughts please ?

[Dottie]

Same site is not recommended, due to build up of pests and diseases.

However if that is the only suitable place to put a tree, then the answer is to remove as much of the soil from the planting hole as poss and replace with new. The pear tree will benefit from a new enriched planting hole and you can transfer the removed soil to other parts of the garden or plot, where you don't grow fruit.

[Flummery]

I'm sure you'll get away with it. The original tree is not diseased is it? Just unshapely and unloved! They always say not to follow a rose with a rose but I think it might be stretching it to say you couldn't follow a rowan with a pear. Give it a go but replace as much soil as you reasonably can and gve it some good stuff to grow in.

Good luck with it.

[coachman]

Nowt for it !

Thankyou Dottie and Flummery.

If anyone else is considering the same, I have now managed to find an excellent summary of the problem at :

Royal Horticultural Society - Advice: Replant problems

It seems I'm certainly taking a bit of a chance.
Too late now alas, the hole is dug, and there is no where else to put it

[Dottie]

Thankyou Dottie and Flummery.

If anyone else is considering the same, I have now managed to find an excellent summary of the problem at :

Royal Horticultural Society - Advice: Replant problems

It seems I'm certainly taking a bit of a chance.
Too late now alas, the hole is dug, and there is no where else to put it

Excellent summary and makes total sense.

I've recently replaced the soil in a section of my raspberries, as I wanted to add 3 yellow varieties to my autumn row. After reading the summary I'm hoping I might get away with it, as I'd grown a good crop from them last year in a different location. I'd grown them on elsewhere as I didn't have time before to dig up the row and replace the soil previously, so lack of time/energy may turn out to be to my advantage.

My tip to you now would be: Dig out even more than you've already dug, bottom and sides, so the new roots will have a larger area of healthy soil. Also grow some marigolds in the same spot, as an aid to combat nematodes and then turn them into the soil at the end of the season or pull them up and leave them on the surface if your worried about disturbing the tree roots.