Hi all,
I'm planning some espalier trees to form a boundary at my allotment. The trees need to be on a dwarf rootstock to comply with the rules.
My plot doesn't run on a N/S axis - one corner points almost directly north. I had planned for the trees to be planted on the north-easterly side, which would mean they would have uninterrupted sun from around 7-8am to 4pm. At the more easterly end of the plot they would have sun until 6 or 7pm in the summer. In this option, the trees would have full exposure to the sun, as their outstretched branches would always be in full sun.
Another option is to run them along the south east side of the plot. They would have full morning sun (from 7am) to approximately midday, where the sun would meet their outstretched branches. After this, until around 7pm they would have partial sun, in that they wouldn't be shaded but they would no longer face directly into the sun.
The western side of the plot is not a good option as there are hedgerows and housing to contend with.
I've been warned that some fruit might scorch in the full north-easterly aspect. From a practical view, the north-easterly side is more convenient, although both would work. Of course I could mix and plant on both sides.
I'm open to all fruit - I'm a big lover of all fruit and tend to cook with it too, so I don't think I would be wasting any fruit. I'm also very open to a grapevine, but the best aspect for the vine is also slightly confusing to me.
Other information that might help:
- Plot can be very wet in the winter (a river was diverted to form the plots, some small tributaries clearly still run underground). I've put a lot of work in to dig channels for the water to run into. The top 4-5" of roots would stay well drained, but lower down there is a risk of waterlogging in the winter.
- Only on the south-easterly border would the trees provide any shade to my plot. It's an extremely sunny plot.
- There are lots of fruit trees in the surrounding area (there are approximately 250 plots on site) so pollination isn't an issue I am expecting - please bring me back down to earth on this issue if you think it is necessary.
Please share your thoughts and wisdom!