A mini orchard

[robfosters]

I have designated a little space in my garden for a row of around 6/7 dwarf fruit trees in around 30 litre containers. It's a nice area that gets sunlight most of the day.

I am really looking for:

2 Apple
1 Peach
1 Plum
1 Pear
1 Cherry

And possibly a decent grape.

Does anyone fancy recommending me a few suitable varieties for planting around March, good for beginners and have a decent yield.

Thanks.

[chris]

Yield for dwarf trees is never going to be great, and they're much more susceptible to disease.

That said, I've a 'coronet' miniature 'Red Windsor', it cropped in its first year with about 20 apples on it (mild april - no frost damage to blossom, some were removed by hand mind). Quite a nice apple, almost cox like in flavour. It was sharp, but with no russet on the skin. Small applies mind.

FB has posted many many threads on this subject, it'd be a good help for you to run through his posts.

[chris]

Here's the one I was thinking of.. I believe it links to his famous variety thread too: http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ion_57886.html

[northepaul]

If you do a search, you should find an abundance of information. (Thats what Chris said)

I have an apple, a damson and a greengage in pots, they are very little healthy trees, but are slow to give fruit - they are now 3 years old and I had a handful of damsons last year and one apple.

The advantage of them planted in pots is that I can move them into sheltered positions or if I need to, however the disadvantage is that I have to protect them if we have a bad winter (like last year)

Hope that helps

[FB.]

I have designated a little space in my garden for a row of around 6/7 dwarf fruit trees in around 30 litre containers. It's a nice area that gets sunlight most of the day.

I am really looking for:

2 Apple
1 Peach
1 Plum
1 Pear
1 Cherry

And possibly a decent grape.

Does anyone fancy recommending me a few suitable varieties for planting around March, good for beginners and have a decent yield.

Thanks.

A few very important questions:

Are you prepared to spray? - I presume you'd prefer minimal or no spraying.

Cookers or eaters?

Early season or late season?

How big do you want them to get?

If growing in the open ground at some point:

How deep is your topsoil?

How fertile is your topsoil?

Does your soil hold moisture well but without waterlogging, or is it prone to being very dry in summer, or prone to waterlogging?

What lies beneath the topsoil?

.

A few general things to mention, for you to consider:

Generally speaking, the highest yielding varieties are often less disease resistant and less able to cope with difficult growing conditions.

Shop-bought varieties tend to be quite badly troubled by diseases (but commercial growers simply drench them in chemical sprays to keep them healthy; a dozen or two times per year).

In much of South- and East- England, the subsoil is chalk ("the white cliffs of Dover"). Traces of chalk subsoil get into the topsoil; raising the pH, the excess calcium blocking absorption of other metallic nutrients and preventing proper root function. Often the soil overlying chalk is shallow and drought-prone.

Any problems can be worked around with careful choice of variety, rootstock or soil amendment, but it is better to find out about problems before you waste five years and hundreds of pounds.