Fruit Tree Advice - Complete Novice!

[vikkib]

I'm thinking of getting a small fruit tree to go in my garden but much to my shame I've never grown/had a fruit tree in my life!

I'd like a tree for blossom, wildlife and birds and to break up the lines in a newly(ish) landscaped garden with lots of square edges... any fruit would be a bonus really, I'm expecting the birds to get the majority!

I'm thinking of getting a dwarf tree as I'm short and not keen on ladders (neither is OH) so want maintenance at high levels to be kept to a minimum! *I also don't want to deprive next door of light unnecessarily!

I'm thinking of a self fertile cherry.

The pic below shows where I'm thinking of putting the tree.



Would that position be suitable?

Would a tree like this work? I'm wondering if something that only reaches 2m high with a spread of 1.5m will just look odd!

Cherry Kordia (Patio) - J Parker Dutch Bulbs

[orangepippin]

I don't think Kordia cherry is self-fertile. Try Stella or Sunburst or Sweetheart.

I also don't think you will be able to keep a cherry tree to a spread of just 1.5m.

If are a complete novice then apple trees or plum trees are arguably a bit easier than cherries - although the birds will certainly be very pleased if you plant a cherry tree.

Crab apples are worth considering if feeding the wildlife is important - some of them have "persistent" fruits which hang on into December, providing food at a time when there is not much else around.

Your proposed location looks good - full sun is best.

Dwarf trees need a permanent post to support them. Buy a tree post, 6ft-7ft or so, and bang it in about 2ft, then tie the tree to it.

[Veggielot]

If you are only planting one then the most important is that it is self fertile otherwise no fruit .

Otherwise just plant what you like to eat

[vikkib]

I don't think Kordia cherry is self-fertile. Try Stella or Sunburst or Sweetheart.

I also don't think you will be able to keep a cherry tree to a spread of just 1.5m.

If are a complete novice then apple trees or plum trees are arguably a bit easier than cherries - although the birds will certainly be very pleased if you plant a cherry tree.

Crab apples are worth considering if feeding the wildlife is important - some of them have "persistent" fruits which hang on into December, providing food at a time when there is not much else around.

Your proposed location looks good - full sun is best.

Dwarf trees need a permanent post to support them. Buy a tree post, 6ft-7ft or so, and bang it in about 2ft, then tie the tree to it.

Some really interesting points!

Strangely, having dug a bit deeper, there seem to be a few websites seling Kordia as 'self fertile' one as 'poorly self fertile' and a few saying not self fertile!

Our neighbours have a couple of cherry trees but they have no idea what type they are so no idea if they would work.

I'm glad the location looks good.

I think I'll have a ponder and also consider apple or plum as an alternative... fortunately Veggielot we like to eat all the above! ; )

Thanks!

[rita1]

hello i am also a novice but i thought what the heck and bought a cherry, peach, apricot and apple i ordered them and have them in 30L pots so i can move my cherry into the greenhouse when its in fruit, (sorry not sharing my cherries with the birds they get enough food from me <3 )
anyway sorry to ramble, i got mine off gardenbargains.com for only £7 it's worth a gamble. good luck.

[vikkib]

hello i am also a novice but i thought what the heck and bought a cherry, peach, apricot and apple i ordered them and have them in 30L pots so i can move my cherry into the greenhouse when its in fruit, (sorry not sharing my cherries with the birds they get enough food from me <3 )
anyway sorry to ramble, i got mine off gardenbargains.com for only £7 it's worth a gamble. good luck.

I saw your other post about that site, Rita. I did have a look but they don't seem to do any dwarf trees from what I can see.

I'll have another look though as I may well have missed them!

[BUFFS]

I saw your other post about that site, Rita. I did have a look but they don't seem to do any dwarf trees from what I can see.

I'll have another look though as I may well have missed them!

you dont really need to buy dwarf trees if you were to keep them in big pots/tubs,you could train them to the height required,i did this with a red haven peach and last year it gave 13 lovely fruit and it looks like 20+ this year,train them early and you could succeed and be able to move it about as req.

[vikkib]

you dont really need to buy dwarf trees if you were to keep them in big pots/tubs,you could train them to the height required,i did this with a red haven peach and last year it gave 13 lovely fruit and it looks like 20+ this year,train them early and you could succeed and be able to move it about as req.

Buffs, that sounds really interesting.

Could you explain what you mean by 'train them to the height required'?

As I say - complete novice!

[BUFFS]

i bow to the experts on this but i was in the same position a few years ago,the people on here gave advice,i had been gardening for 30+ years but had just a small knowledge of fruit trees.
the main stem i shortened to 2/3 buds above the top side branch,each side branch i cut back to the third bud,so the tree now looks like a kids drawing,very basic,this is all done when the tree is actively growing(never prune a stone fruit in the winter) and leaves are showing.for compost i used a couple of small bags (20ltr) of john innes No3 and about 10ltr multipurpose compost into the large tub(i use cut down plastic dustbins) and prune when the plant has settled in,after pruning i give an egg cupfull of blood,fish and bone,it must be kept moist,but that amount of compost wont dry out overnight.next year trim back the stems by about 1/3rd all round and feed again,this will give you a good basic branch structure and the following year you can hand pollinate using a kids paintbrush to gently stroke the flowers,each morning for a week,this is how i got my tree,top point of the tree is about 6ft from the ground,a nice handy size,i was helped by FB and i trust i did it as advised,it certainly worked for me,i do hope this helps you,good luck with it

[rita1]

I saw your other post about that site, Rita. I did have a look but they don't seem to do any dwarf trees from what I can see.

I'll have another look though as I may well have missed them!

hi yes they have dwarf tree's, that's what i got i have only a small garden, they will grow to 6-7 feet tall but you can keep them smaller by keeping them trimmed, or in pots which mine are, the cherry and the apple will go in the ground eventually.

[Pineberry]

If you prefer a cherry you can buy it gisela 5 rootstock ( it is semi dwarfing rootstock) and google KGB cherry training system.

There a lot of detailed info on it and youtube videos. You will be able to contain its spread and height. By this training system they plant them at 2 meter space.

The biggest but with cherries is that if you want fruit you will have to net it, as you will never catch up with birds.