Hugh Ermen and the Own Root project...

[zazen999]

Do any of you fruity genuises know anything about the above mentioned gentleman/project?

Me and VVG are off to a nursery tomorrow and someone who is following up/continuing the project will be selling us some stuff - so we thought we'd ask to see if anyone on here was wise to him/it.

[boundtothesoil]

Do any of you fruity genuises know anything about the above mentioned gentleman/project?

A leading apple breeder in the UK. Sadly passed away a few years ago.
Check out an article by him on 'own root' growing:
Fruit trees on their own roots

I may be wrong ,but I'm sure I heard that some of his breeding material had gone to a Fruit nurseryman near Tenbury Wells (Frank Mathews?). Which nursery are you going to?

In retirement he did a lot of apple breeding in his back garden. A lady who used to work with him sent me a photo, showing meticulously laid out, row upon row of young trees, totally filling his garden. I don't know how much of this material was saved.

Others here are bound to know more.

[zazen999]

A leading apple breeder in the UK. Sadly passed away a few years ago.
Check out an article by him on 'own root' growing:
Fruit trees on their own roots

I may be wrong ,but I'm sure I heard that some of his breeding material had gone to a Fruit nurseryman near Tenbury Wells (Frank Mathews?). Which nursery are you going to?

In retirement he did a lot of apple breeding in his back garden. A lady who used to work with him sent me a photo, showing meticulously laid out, row upon row of young trees, totally filling his garden. I don't know how much of this material was saved.

Others here are bound to know more.

Not that one. It's more of a fan I believe than his old breeding stock. It would be nice to think that his material was saved and is still being used.

[purplekat]

Phil at Cool Temperate is doing similar based on Mr Ermen's work. It looks like the original work has now been destroyed

THE OWN-ROOT FRUIT TREE PROJECT

[zazen999]

Yes, that's him who we are seeing!

I can't believe they destroyed his work. Actually I can as it seems we don't have any quality control in this country around research and food.

[orangepippin]

I think "destroyed" is probably not the right word. Most nurseries will have trial trees on the go which are routinely scrapped to make way for new ones.

I was fortunate to meet Hugh Ermen twice, and be shown around his amazing garden where he did most of his development work in retirement. He sent samples on to the Frank P Matthews nursery for development trials, and some of these have now become popular varieties, including Scrumptious which was recently awarded by the RHS.

I don't think the own-root project ever achieved quite the same level of commercial success as Hugh's gardener-friendly apple varieties. Own-root trees have lots of disadvantages and few if any advantages. That has not stopped me trying a few myself though, and I know various nurseries have experimented with them.

I think the one area where own-root trees might be worth consideration is for organic orchards in difficult climate conditions.

[bearded bloke]

Had a cuppa & a dig about,seems that the trees from Brogdale were moved to Wye ...

The UK National Fruit Collections comprises trees of scions and rootstocks of Malus (apples), Pyrus (pears), Prunus (plums), Cydonia (quinces), Mespilus (medlars) and Corylus (hazels), bushes of Ribes (currants) and Vaccinium (bilberries and cranberries) and vines of Vitis (grapes). The apple varieties maintained at Brogdale form the largest collection of Malus germplasm on a single site in the world, and is an internationally recognised genetic resource.

There was a parliamentary debate about it ...........
Brogdale Fruit Station (Hansard, 18 January 1990)
&
Brogdale Horticultural Research Station (Hansard, 24 January 1991)

UK National Fruit Collection website ..........

UK National Fruit Collections

[orangepippin]

I skimmed these interesting Hansard papers, but I am not sure if you are referring to the own-root trial specifically, or the proposed closure of the National Fruit Collections at Brogdale (which arises from time to time)? I don't think there was ever much industry support for own-roots, because as I mentioned, from a *commercial* perspective there is no real advantage, and numerous drawbacks compared with conventionally-propagated trees.

[bearded bloke]

Primarily it was about the closure,which obviously would effect the own root trials,but the main point was that the whole collection had been moved & if there were any examples of the own root left then they would be at least viewable at Wye.

[Thelma Sanders]

AS a Kent gal, I thought that the trees stayed where they were, at Brogdale, but responsibility for them was tranferred to Wye

[orangepippin]

I must admit I don't know where these original own-root trial trees were in the first place, or where they are now if they still exist. However when fruit collections are "moved" they are usually re-propagated, not physically moved. And although it has been threatened with closure a few times, the national fruit collections have actually stayed at Brogdale, albeit - as Thelma says - under different management over the years.

I'm afraid I am rather in the sceptical camp about own-root trees, but it would be very interesting to see some of the original ones, just to see their growth habits and fruiting performance. I do think there could be some mileage for orchards in very difficult climate conditions, where the lack of the potential graft incompatibility of a conventional rootstock might be of benefit.

[boundtothesoil]

I thought that the trees stayed where they were, at Brogdale, but responsibility for them was tranferred to Wye

The University of Reading has taken over responsibility for the curation and maintenance of the National Fruit Collection in collaboration with the Farm Advisory Services Team (FAST), who are based at Brogdale Farm. The collection is actually owned by Defra.
See this link
National Fruit Collection

[bearded bloke]

AS a Kent gal,

Kentish gal or gal of Kent ? although I live "away from home" I am a Kentish man will be vising down there in August within spitting distance of Brogdale so might go have a look see.

[Thelma Sanders]

I was born in London - but since a young age have lived East of the Medway so I'm a naturalised (old) Maid of Kent

[boundtothesoil]

Yes, that's him who we are seeing!

Did you and vvg find out what's been going on recently with the 'own fruit tree root' project at this nursery? The link to it posted by Purplekat had a 2008 date on it. Hope the roots are still growing strongly.