Fruit trees in small garden.

[JackieWeaversZoomAc]

Utter novice gardener here. I've ordered 5 fruit trees for my small garden. M26 root stock.

Apples x2
Nashi pear
Peach
Apricot

My dear friend had loads of fruit trees in a garden even smaller than mine. But sadly she is dead now so I can't ask her advice. Something about specific pruning. I've not found much advice online.

Any tips about this mn gardeners?

I've watched YT videos about planting bare root trees and I will get some wooden stakes.

I find gardener's world really helpful - they have videos too. If you can plant the apricot and peach up against a wall they stand more chance as will be sheltered.

I was planning to put the stone fruit trees against the sunniest & most sheltered lenght of the garden near the fence.

I will take a look at gardeners world thanks.

I've seen conflicting advice re using manure when planting. Some say it is essential the hole has loads of manure added when planting and others say don't do this but put the manure on top!

I was watching Monty the other day and he said it doesn't make a huge lot of difference whether you mulch or put it in the hole - but to make sure the hole is big enough for the plant is more important so you aren't squeezing them into it.

Don’t you need two pear trees for pollination?

@TyrannysaurusXXrightshoarder

Don’t you need two pear trees for pollination?

Apparently this one is "self fertile" www.pomonafruits.co.uk/fruit-nut-trees/pear-trees/nashi-pear-tree-kumoi

some apples are now also self fertile - it depends on what you choose

@JustJam4Tea

I was watching Monty the other day and he said it doesn't make a huge lot of difference whether you mulch or put it in the hole - but to make sure the hole is big enough for the plant is more important so you aren't squeezing them into it.

thanks!

I think searching for "small gardens" lead me down the wrong parth.

What I need to learn about is how to prune fruit trees - different pruning, different growth. Makes sense.

Seems like a steep learning curve but there are lots of great videos out there.

this one is great

We have a small self-fertile Damson. Each year just after we've harvested the fruit, I take back the longer branches by 1/3 - 1/2 and thin out any congested inner branches (e.g. those that are crossing or rubbing each other).

This keeps it at a nice size and we still get plenty of fruit (often enough for a year's worth of jam).

I would put manure in the hole myself (just personal preference) then mulch on top with bark chips or similar - to help keep moisture in and to prevent grass etc blocking/taking up moisture when it rains.

Water very regularly and well for the first year, especially during summer. Year 2 I would water if it was dry for any amount of time. After that I would give it a big drink in autumn but otherwise not water at all unless the weather was very hot/dry.

I feed our tree each spring and autumn with a good, all round feed.

We staked ours for the first 2 years then removed the stake - it's a balance between providing some support when it's fragile but the tree still getting some movement to trigger proper root grab.

Oh, and if you want to underplant with little crocus bulbs etc this is much easier done at the same time as planting the tree

That's a nice idea re under planting at the same time Butter. * *

I've done a bit more research today and yes it seems it's all about the pruning - so lots to learn there. But it seems there are plenty of options and you can modify plants to your own garden conditions.

One thing I'm a bit confused about is staking. It seems both stakers & non stakers are both quite passion about their way and both say you MUST stake/ not stake 😃

Something that seems now agreed is that you stake at 45 degrees not vertically (the stake at 4 degrees not the tree).

The theory behind not putting the manure in the hole is you're encouraging the tree to send roots further out rather than the goodness being right there in the hole. It isn't crucial either way.

Are you growing your trees as espalier, cordon or just small trees? I have two apple trees I bought as cordons but have been useless at pruning at the right time so they may become small trees. All my others (pear, quince, cherry) I've just let be small trees

I'm going to go for small trees - they are on semi dwarf root stock.

Still waiting for delivery. Last year I ordered seeds & they took weeks to get here. This year I'm waiting weeks for fruit trees.

I also want to grown a lemon tree in a pot. Leave it outside all summer. Bring it into shelter in the winter.

Apparently the current advice is to dig a square hole when planting trees. Apologies to anyone who has planted trees in round holes, please don’t dig them up.

Super thanks!

Should I be using a square pot for my lemon tree?

Oh blimey, I don’t know, ask me an easier one!

My parents have a couple of apple trees and they prune out the branches in the middle so it's out of goblet shaped, to help airflow and stop disease. They also try to keep the branches at a height they can pick the fruits as the apples tend to go to the ends of the branches and sometimes they can't reach them. Also when pruning cut out any branches that are touching another branch to stop rubbing and again disease.

They have arrived!!!!!
I can't plant them until Saturday though.