[Shnoowie]

Hello everyone!

We are starting a bee keeping course tomorrow and are very excited about it.  We have a field in which to put our hives, we're fencing a section off to keep the sheep away and would like to plant some fruit trees for our little buzzing friends.  What would be the best trees to plant?  We're not gardeners, but are willing to learn.  Is it possible to have fruit trees that flower in sequence, so one at the beginning of a season, one in the middle and one at the end to ensure a constant supply of pollen?  There are other trees in the area and over the hedge is open moorland...we just like the idea of more trees!

Thank you!
 

[OhLaLa]

You will need to plant fruit trees within each of the following groups or an immediately adjacent group so they pollinate each other:

Apples   
Group 1   
Crimson Gravenstein
Christmas Pearmain
Devonshire Quarrenden
Egremont Russet
George Cave
George Neal
Irish Peach
Lord Lambourne Rev. W. Wilks
Ribston Pippin (T)
St Edmunds Russet
Vistabella

Group 2    
Alkmene
Ambassy
Arthur Turner
Ashmead's Kernel
Beauty of Bath
Beauty of Blackmoor
Blenheim Orange (T)
Bramley's Seedling (T)
Bramshot Rectory
Brownlees Russet
Charles Ross
Chivers Delight
Costard
Cox's Orange Pippin
Crispin (T)
Crowngold
Discovery
Epicure
Fiesta
Gala/Royal Gala
Golden Russet
Greensleeves
Grenadier
Granny Smith
Holstein (T)
Howgate Wonder
Idared
Isle of Wight Pippin
James Grieve
Joybells
Jonagold/Jonagored
Jupiter (T)
Katy
Kidd's Orange Red
Laxtons Superb
Lord Derby
Malling Kent
Norfolk Royal
Princess
Pixie
Red Devil
Rosemary Russet
Ross Non Pareil
Sturmer Pippin
Sunset
Spartan
Tydeman's Late Orange
Tydeman's Early
Winter Gem
Worcester Pearmain

Group 3   
Cornish Gillyflower
Claygate Pearmain
Ellison's Orange
Falstaff & Red Falstaff
Golden Delicious
Golden Nobel
Hambledon Deux Ans
Ilse of Wight Pippin
Lane's Prince Albert
Monarch
Roundway
Orleans Reinette
Peasgood's Nonsuch
Pitmaston Pineapple
Red Devil
Laxton's Superb
Magnum Bonum
William Crump
Winter Gem
Winter Banana

Group 4   
Annie Elizabeth
American Mother
Cornish Aromatic
Herrings Pippin
D'Arcy Spice
Gloster 69
Merton Beauty
Beauty of Hampshire Newton Wonder
Winston
 
Group 5   
Edward VII
Court Pendu Plat 

[OhLaLa]

Pears    
Group 1   
Conference
Williams Bon Chretien Louise Bonne De Jersey

Group 2    
Beth
Beurre Hardy Doyenne du Comice

Group 3    
Concorde

also:

Plums
(Self Fertile)   
Victoria
Czar 

Cherries   
(Self Fertile)   
Stella
Morello
 
There's plenty to choose from, I think this little lot will start you off. It's then a case of choosing according to your location, soil, position - and of course which you like the taste of!
 

[Rosemary]

We've grown both cherry varieties at Longcarse and both have fruited. They are lovely trees - beautiful blossom. However, we've never had a cherry 'cos the birds get them first so plan to net them if you want a crop for yourself.

One of the best trees for bees is lime (I know it's not a fruit tree  ). We have a lime tree beside the west range and when it was in flower, it was a mass of bees. If you stood under it the noise was incredible. Willow is also good as it had pollen early in the season.

[princesspiggy]

We've grown both cherry varieties at Longcarse and both have fruited. They are lovely trees - beautiful blossom. However, we've never had a cherry 'cos the birds get them first so plan to net them if you want a crop for yourself.

is it true that weeping cherry trees are just ornamental? we planted one 5 years back, has blossom but no fruit.
we planted a morello next to it last year.

[robert waddell]

we had two the first one flowered only  the second was grafted on a plum rootstock and produced plums a few times
NOW IF ANYBODY ON HERE KNOWS WHERE I CAN GET A BLUE CHERRY TREE (FLOWERING)LET ME KNOW

[Rosemary]

The best apple variety we grew at Longcarse was Sunset - delicious, heavy cropper and kept very well. We're still eating them - bit soft now bt still tasty. We also use them for cooking.

[OhLaLa]

There are also flowering cherry trees - they produce flowers, not fruit. Very pretty. You need the fruiting type for good bee forage.

 

[Anke]

Willow - good early pollen near the hive is important. And they grow fast, you just stick a strick onto the ground. Hazel is good too.

Also horse chestnut (but slowly growing, but wonderful RED pollen, you'll know when they bring it in)

[Daisy-at-the-dairy]

Plums and cherries flower ahead of apples.  Peach is even earlier but probably not appropriate if you're adjacent to moorland!  In this situation, do think about damson, bullace and cherry-plum (a little round plum, not a cross between the two!) for early flowers.  They are all that bit tougher than the larger cultivars and make very tasty preserves.  Likewise crab apple.  All these are very typical of trees of hedgerows bordering moorland (depending on how high and bleak your moorland actually is!).  In Romania I saw them growing as specimens on the high commons, where shepherds take the livestock up from the towns every morning and back again at night.
My personal favourite supplier of fruit trees is the Agroforestry Research Trust in Devon.  Close seconds are Deacon's Nursery on the isle of wight and Keepers nursery in Kent.  All do mail order and have helpful websites to help you choose varieties.
Finally, don't forget soft fruits.  Currants of all colours are a traditional first source of nectar and a good way of getting your fruit season off to an early start.  Raspberries, blackberries and hybrid cane-fruit come later and can be an important source nectar.

[lazybee]

Willow - good early pollen near the hive is important. And they grow fast, you just stick a strick onto the ground. Hazel is good too.

Also horse chestnut (but slowly growing, but wonderful RED pollen, you'll know when they bring it in)

These, hazel and willow are the best by far, for spring build up. The nectar from the red flowering horse chestnut is said to be poisonous to bees.

[Anke]

I mean the normal horse chestnut tree, white flowers.but still red pollen, can't be anything else up here.