Aldi fruit trees

[lookbettertomorow]

Top idea

Not my idea I pinched it from someone else

High density planting.

Aldi trees cheap enough so plant 3 apples different varieties in a triangle 18inches apart.

Immediately cut down to 24inches, so just left with a stick, no side branches.

3 varieties will ensure good pollination, and if one doesn't do so good in the season perhaps the other 2 will.

Thereafter simply cut right back anything that grows to the middle of the triangle encouraging outward growth only.

[Nicos]

Not heard of doing that before...has there been any research done on the outcomes?

I imagine in a garden they would look attractive as well as having 3 different flavours ( and possibly colours) of fruit

[Nicos]

Just been reading up a bit on that idea lbt.

It seems you need to make sure that the chosen varieties need to be not just in flower at the same time but they are as vigorous as each other or the dominant one will overpower the lesser ones.
It is doable in that case but a lot of pruning is needed to keep the balance.

[Guest]

I do apologize Norfolkgrey, completely read it wrong.

Self sterile, I read as self fertile

Wouldn't normally write self sterile, just the word 'sterile' saw the self and assumed next word was fertile.

No excuse, I'm sorry

No probs. It is scary how much I read things wrong on here, just glad I wasn't the one to welcome plonker to the vine

[lookbettertomorow]

Just been reading up a bit on that idea lbt.

It seems you need to make sure that the chosen varieties need to be not just in flower at the same time but they are as vigorous as each other or the dominant one will overpower the lesser ones.It is doable in that case but a lot of pruning is needed to keep the balance.

If one variety is known to be more vigorous it could be planted on the north east side which would steady it and give the lesser one the prime spot facing the sun. I'm going to give it a go, think it will look good

[craig1971]

I contacted aldi was told Hi Craig. Thanks for your message. We can confirm that the Fruit Trees will be on sale from the 4th February and the rootstock will be as follows:
Apples, – These will be budded onto a “M9 Dwarf” rootstock, which will fruit earlier.
Cherry, – These are budded on to “Colt” rootstock which has uniformed growth pattern, it is semi vigorous and will not grow too large.
Pear, – These are budded on to a “Quince A” rootstock which is a virus free example.
Plums, – Will be budded onto a “St Julian A” root stock or a “Myrobolane” root stock these are virus free and semi vigorous growing.
We hope this helps. Thanks again. Laura Aldi UK Facebook Team

[craig1971]

If I get an https://www.aldi.co.uk/dessert-apple...62607027108304
https://www.aldi.co.uk/dessert-apple...62607027108505
will these pollinate each other ???

[veggiechicken]

^^^ That's a Golden Delicious and a Granny Smith - save you clicking on the links

[Guest]

According to orangepippin site yes they are. Granny is group 3 Delicious group 4

[chrisdb]

The problem is that Golden Delicious supposedly needs better summers than you get in most of the UK to ripen well, and Granny Smith is even worse. Keepers say "Fruit ripens poorly in England."

I guess Aldi sell what they can source most cheaply rather than what will be best for UK gardeners.

[Greenleaves]

With a bit of luck FB will pop in, most knowledgable person I know when it comes to fruit trees

[KairdiffKid]

The problem is that Golden Delicious supposedly needs better summers than you get in most of the UK to ripen well, and Granny Smith is even worse. Keepers say "Fruit ripens poorly in England."

I guess Aldi sell what they can source most cheaply rather than what will be best for UK gardeners.

I remember hearing years ago something along the lines of the reason you can't grow "green" apples in the UK is because the summer isn't good enough. Which is why British apples tend to be red-green.

[lookbettertomorow]

I read somewhere that apples will colour up more/better if they get the sun on them, as apposed to being hidden beneath the foliage. In fact the article went on to say home grown apples of same variety will be a better colour than commercially grown because they are trained, cordon, espalier, smaller trees,.?

It's today Aldi have the stock in! who's going to be the first to buy? bet you can't go and look and not buy one :-)

[Guest]

They didn't have santa maria pear at mine

[FB.]

If I get an https://www.aldi.co.uk/dessert-apple...62607027108304
https://www.aldi.co.uk/dessert-apple...62607027108505
will these pollinate each other ???

They might pollinate each other, but in my experience Golden Delicious needs lots of sun to encourage it to produce any blossom at all.
I tried an experiment with GD in a semi-shade spot and it would not flower. A Grenadier in the same location flowered normally and produced fruit, although the fruit were smaller due to less sun.
GD and GS also need a long warm sunny growing season to produce useful fruit.
In East Anglia and Kent the climate is usually OK due to the mild sunny autumns (Sturmer Pippin and D'Arcy Spice are both native to this region) but elsewhere it's a gamble to grow GD, GS, SP, DS and such varieties.

If you must buy discounted trees, at least buy varieties which suit the UK climate. I would expect to see some James Grieve, Worcester Pearmain or Discovery, although being so common those varieties can be troubled by diseases passed to them by other JG, WP or D trees in their neighbourhood.
Diseases generally pass more easily between the same variety (e.g. James Grieve to another James Grieve) or related varieties.
Unusual varieties tend to be unrelated to the often-disease-prone common varieties and tend to be much more resistant. But the unusual varieties are usually only available from specialist fruit tree nurseries, or graft them yourself.