Lidl Dwarf Cherry Tree

[Nibbler]

Hello again!

I've noticed that Lidl have got a dwarf fruit tree special coming up next week, pear apple plum and cherry. I quite fancy a dwarf cherry - has anyone got / grown one it a container? I think it's a nice idea but I only want to care for plants which offer quite a lot of edibles in return... lazy and greedy! Plus I don't have much space.

Thanks!

[littleexperience]

my liitle sunburst cherry tree grows perfectly happy in a large container about 80 leire in size its only about 5ft high and 4ft wide the blossom is not long finished and there must be at least 200 baby cherries starting to form.i would say if you are planning to plant one in a container you would need something like a Gisela 5 rootstock like mine im not sure on the rootstocks Lidl use.you will also have to net your tree also otherwise the birds will eat them all. i tend to get alot of dead wood each year which i have to prune of also but apart from that nothing to worry about just make sure its a self fertile type.

[FB.]

Most patio fruit trees are fairly high-maintenance and low-yield. They will not tolerate much abuse, damage, neglect or disease. Lack of water for just a few days in summer can make them seriously sick and drop their fruits.
By all means have a little patio pet, to stroke, love and talk to - but don't expect much in return.
From a 4-5ft patio fruit tree, you would probaly get a couple of dozen apples or pears - assuming that the pests don't get them first!

If I were growing in a pot, I'd use a slightly stronger rootstock than normal for patio plants, since a slightly stronger rootstock will tolerate a lot more abuse and recover more quickly.

[smallblueplanet]

FB as usual your fruity words of wisdom are worth reading. I was also looking at the dwarf patio trees from Lidl (on sale next Thurs 28th) and wondering...it doesn't say what rootstock they're on.

LIDL dwarf fruit trees

I was wondering about trying a pear and a cherry (depending on if they name varieties), would they be okay in the ground?

There's not a lot of choice for planting places though. What do you think about the space at the end of the lawn between the lilac (in front of oil tank) and the plum (rhs)? Could we put one in front of the small hedge (to left of gates)? Grass area beyond hedge isn't ours. Thanks for your help.

[FB.]

As far as I'm concerned: if I don't know the rootstock, I don't know how best to manage the tree.

Dwarf, in my mind, means any of:
M27 (extremely dwarfing)
M9 (dwarfing)
M26 (semi-dwarfing)

To some people, anything smaller than seedling is dwarf. Under that definition, MM106 and M116 could also be called "dwarf" because they tend to produce trees that are slightly smaller than an average seedling tree would be.
Quite possibly the "dwarfs" will be nursery clearance trees on a random mixture of the above rootstocks and it's just your luck of the draw what you get.

I would make a wild guess that LIDL's trees will be M27 rootstock, or a similar European equivalent (which may or may not do well in the UK climate). A lot of the discount-price trees are produced on the continent, especially in the Netherlands/Holland.

As for planting in the garden.....dwarfs need fertile and moisture-retaining soil to have any chance of survival. Their roots are generally quite weak, so can't compete very well against grass or weeds.
Without considerable attention, they will not thrive.
M26 is about the smallest rootstock that can tolerate some neglect.

I would suggest that if you must have one, planting a dwarf somewhere where the roots remain shaded, so that the soil retains moisture better, but so that the canopy can absorb sunlight once it is mature.