Starting off a variety of new fruit trees

[nickdub]

That's not laziness VC - that's economy of effort, bolstered by years of experience :-)

(that's what I tell others when they ask me stuff, when I'm being lazy anyway.)

[Fruitz]

Just curious what company is this? Looks like a good deal.
If you cant post the name you can PM me?

The offer was on Groupon, 6 trees for £25 plus £2 p&p, it was sold by yougarden but the same offer on their website was £30 plus £5 p&p i think. Just saw the link jonahjonah linked and it's even cheaper although not available it seems. Neither is the Groupon one now but if you buy the 2 packs at £10 each plus £7 for shipping then it works out the same as Groupon. Exact same deal, the page even looks like yougardens so they may even be part of the same company.

[Fruitz]

meanmoose, I ordered them from https://www.gardenbargains.com/item-...productReviews as first posted in https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...offers-67.html.

Don't mind the weeds etc in the photos...
[ATTACH=CONFIG]80335[/ATTACH]
Back row, left to right: apricot, pear, nectarine. Front row, left to right: cherry, apple, plum.

Second photo is a closer look at the leaves. [ATTACH=CONFIG]80336[/ATTACH]

All look good, if you only paid £15 plus p&p then you got a great deal. I noticed that most are quite bent/curved at the stem, not really a problem as that's just the grafting but i wonder if that's why they were sold so cheap? Sort of like the wonky vegetables sold at supermarkets, they do the job just fine but don't conform to what most people believe is standard.

[nickdub]

All look good, if you only paid £15 plus p&p then you got a great deal. I noticed that most are quite bent/curved at the stem, not really a problem as that's just the grafting but i wonder if that's why they were sold so cheap? Sort of like the wonky vegetables sold at supermarkets, they do the job just fine but don't conform to what most people believe is standard.

The one that are a bit curvy have been budded not grafted I think - they frequently look like that as the new bud grows out like any other side-shoot at an angle from the trunk to start with (that trunk/stock is pruned of later, level with the bud of course). The curve gets less as they get older and sort of straighten themselves up.

[Brack]

Just out of interest, whilst it looks to be a bargain, the listing doesn't mention rootstocks. Obviously I don't really know anything but I've read a fair bit and I'm wary of trees sold without knowing their rootstock. Is this me being overly picky? I don't like places where they just say "all on dwarfing rootstocks" or "suitable for medium sized gardens".
Without knowing the rootstock you don't know how big it'll grow, when it'll begin fruiting or how much you need to control/coddle it.

[meanmoose]

The offer was on Groupon, 6 trees for £25 plus £2 p&p, it was sold by yougarden but the same offer on their website was £30 plus £5 p&p i think. Just saw the link jonahjonah linked and it's even cheaper although not available it seems. Neither is the Groupon one now but if you buy the 2 packs at £10 each plus £7 for shipping then it works out the same as Groupon. Exact same deal, the page even looks like yougardens so they may even be part of the same company.

I think they are everything looks exactly the same on the two sites. I also see that YouGarden ships bare roots pretty much year round on Amazon. I cant decide if they are a good chance. They do have an interesting duo cherry tree and white peach for 9gbp each on their site though.

[Fruitz]

The one that are a bit curvy have been budded not grafted I think - they frequently look like that as the new bud grows out like any other side-shoot at an angle from the trunk to start with (that trunk/stock is pruned of later, level with the bud of course). The curve gets less as they get older and sort of straighten themselves up.

You're probably right. I thought most nurseries here just stuck to grafting, didn't really think they done much budding?

[Fruitz]

Just out of interest, whilst it looks to be a bargain, the listing doesn't mention rootstocks. Obviously I don't really know anything but I've read a fair bit and I'm wary of trees sold without knowing their rootstock. Is this me being overly picky? I don't like places where they just say "all on dwarfing rootstocks" or "suitable for medium sized gardens".
Without knowing the rootstock you don't know how big it'll grow, when it'll begin fruiting or how much you need to control/coddle it.

You're not alone, I don't think I'd buy a tree for myself without knowing the rootstock. I actually asked yougarden a while back what rootstock they were grown on and this was their reply

"These are all grown on commercial semi-dwarf rootstocks that aren’t widely available. They’ll all grow to 2-2.5m in total height, subject to conditions. I am afraid we cannot give you the specific names of the rootstocks that the grower used."

[Fruitz]

I think they are everything looks exactly the same on the two sites. I also see that YouGarden ships bare roots pretty much year round on Amazon. I cant decide if they are a good chance. They do have an interesting duo cherry tree and white peach for 9gbp each on their site though.

I have some trees in the allotment that i think were purchased from them, not certain as it was my father who bought them. Haven't really paid attention to them myself until a few weeks ago (he was looking after them) but they seem to be decent enough. This year is the 1st year they will fruit.

[veggiechicken]

I guess it depends on how much size matters. Anything is small compared to the standard apple trees that were in this garden when I moved in.

[nickdub]

You're probably right. I thought most nurseries here just stuck to grafting, didn't really think they done much budding?

I can't be sure that they are budded, just what it looks like - a closeup photo of the relevant part of the trunk would settle the matter. One consideration form the nurerery's POV is that budding obviously is much more economical in terms of the scion wood - one cutting being enough toi bud several trees.

[jonahjonah]

Hi all,

I'm happy to say my trees are still looking pretty happy despite my fairly haphazard planting out efforts last year. The apple has blossoms on at the moment. I imagine I should remove the flowers/fruit to allow the tree to establish better? Is there a best practice for this - when and how to remove?

Thanks!

[veggiechicken]

I bought a another 2 pack of those trees this year - so I have 24 of them dotted around the garden, 12 from last year (llke yours) . They're all alive and some of last year's are flowering too (apple, pear and cherry).
In my normal lazy way, I'm leaving them to do whatever they like. If too many fruit set, I'll thin them out then.

[Jay-ell]

The first year I planted my square foot orchard I let one of the apple trees fruit - this was a mistake from my point of view as the weight of only a few apples distorted and split the leader as it wasn't strong enough.

I had to cut it right back at a bud above the graft and let it regrow. Its done well regrowing last year and is covered with blossom this year however once the bees have had their fill I'll be taking off the embryonic apples so that it can get a second year strengthening it's trunk.

[nickdub]

Hi all,

I'm happy to say my trees are still looking pretty happy despite my fairly haphazard planting out efforts last year. The apple has blossoms on at the moment. I imagine I should remove the flowers/fruit to allow the tree to establish better? Is there a best practice for this - when and how to remove?

Thanks!

You can leave the flowers on no problem - then at the end of June have a look over any fruit which has set and remove all but 3 or 4 - be careful as you don't want to damage the fruit spurs, as they will flower again in subsequent years.