Fruit trees and frost protection?

[selfraising]

This is my first year of growing fruit trees. I have two in large containers and 4 in the ground. My question is they are just coming in to leaf, do I need to protect them from frost or will they be okay?

[Two_Sheds]

It's the flowers that need frost protection, not the leaves

[selfraising]

Aaah okay thanks.

[FB.]

The flowers are the parts that you need to worry about.
Different types of fruit tree flower at different times, so some are more prone to frost (e.g. plums which flower early) and some are less prone (e.g. apples which flower late).
Some varieties of each type of fruit will be more frost-tolerant than others. It is reckoned that the apple variety "Falstaff" will tolerate down to -5'C while in full flower and still produce a good crop.

[selfraising]

Thanks FB. I noted your comments on the other thread about fruit trees in pots. Both the cherry and the plum are in large containers. I think the rootstock is M9 or one of the other dwarfing rootstocks and said they could be grown in containers. Will they be okay? Is there anything else I need to be aware of? The three apples trees are Lord Lambourne, James Grieve and Kidds Orange, I think it's called. Also a conference pear, also on dwarfing rootstock. All 6 fruit trees were advertised as fruits growing off the main stem, as it were. As I mentioned earlier, no clue about fruit trees as it's the first year I have grown them. Any advice gratefully recieved.

[FB.]

M9 is a fairly small rootstock with weak roots. It will be OK in a pot.

M9 tends to produce fruit that is slightly larger, slightly more colourful, slightly better quality and slightly early-ripening than the other rootstocks.
M9 tends to leaf-out/flower slightly late in the spring and tends to lose its leaves slightly early in autumn, compared to the other rootstocks.
M9 is quite happy in a heavy soil, but not happy in light/dry soil.