The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Fruit => Topic started by: Jackie on July 17, 2010, 03:16:10 pm
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I have saved up for some good fruit trees to make an orchard so has anyone got a suggestion as to which nursery I need to go to to get them.
I will be buying approx 20 trees.
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Butterworths in SW Scotland is an organic nursery growing their own good quality fruit trees. They specialise in old Scottish varieties but also produce types from England too and sell by mail order.
The other good one is on the Isle of Wight - can't remember any details at the mo.
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I planted six apple trees on my land in the spring and fenced them in, and for the second year in a row, deer have got in and wrecked them, so I'll have to renew them again and erect a higher fence, or buy a bigger gun!!
I had a look on Butterworths website but it seems as though they have closed down, anyone else supplying old Scottish apple trees that any of you know of? I think I'd like to try growing them rather than the Granny Smiths and Cox's that I had, just for something different.
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Oh that's a shame about Butterworths. They were going strong last year I thought. I wonder what's happened. I don't know of any other Scottish nurseries. We struggle at our altitude - 1000' - with apples but the one tree which does well is Blenheim Orange, definitely not Scottish but it does ok in the conditions, is totally delicious and a double purpose eater and cooker.
Our sheep are forever getting into the orchard and nibbling bark in spite of the tree guards of various types from chicken wire wrapped round to stob and wire enclosures and temporary hurdle squares (they just climb up them of course ::) . Does anyone have the perfect tree guard which doesn't let the animals get close enough to nibble but also doesn't let a huge tangle of grass and weeds grow where you can't get at it with the mower?
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Allegedly he has sold every thing and taking a "sabbatical" :farmer: his words not mine
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John Butterworth says there is no one he would recommend in Scotland at the moment, but recommends Walcot nursery in England - via internet sales. John has continued to publish the details of the apples he sold - check his website for this - which he had found to be suitable for Scotland and by cross-referencing with the Walcot website, you can find some of his recommended varieties. He also says that next year ie by autumn/winter 2011 Andrew Lear who is based near Perth will be coming onstream with scottish varieties (check out Andrews website appletreeman for some good info - he also does courses on grafting so you could learn to produce your own trees!)
Simon
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Have you been and look in Crowders at Horncastle Jackie Its worth a ride over. If you go to Caistor Top and cross the A46 the road you are now on is the Horncastle High Street follow it to the end.It joins the A158 Horncastle to Wragby Road just south east of Baumber join that road and you will pass Crowders going down the hill into Horncastle :D :farmer:(A158 goes east from Lincoln to Wragby Horncastle and on into Skegness)
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You name it they've got it. ;)
http://www.readsnursery.co.uk/acatalog/Apples.html
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I was going to ask Jackie her location before recommending Reads. The are in east Suffolk near a small town called Loddon. They are very good.
I got about 25 trees from them 2 years ago and have only lost one. They stock a wide range of indoor (greenhouse) and outdoor plants including most of the fruit trees, bushes and vines (including grape!) you are likely to want.
It's not a huge setup (only 3 people, I think) but the range they stock is impressive.
They take orders in the summer and autumn for delivery or collection (you decide) in the early spring. There are also plants available in the later spring and early summer but it's pot luck what you can get. Some types can be sold-out at this time of year. They seem to have a clear out then ready for the new season.
NN
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I got some lovely trees that fruited well from gardenbargins.com, they do mixed deals at very good prices
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Thank you for this info Simon, very useful. Any idea what John Butterworth is going to do instead or has he retired?
<<John Butterworth says there is no one he would recommend in Scotland at the moment, but recommends Walcot nursery in England - via internet sales. John has continued to publish the details of the apples he sold - check his website for this - which he had found to be suitable for Scotland and by cross-referencing with the Walcot website, you can find some of his recommended varieties. He also says that next year ie by autumn/winter 2011 Andrew Lear who is based near Perth will be coming onstream with scottish varieties (check out Andrews website appletreeman for some good info - he also does courses on grafting so you could learn to produce your own trees!)
Simon>>
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No sorry I do not know what he will be doing - he said he was 'wholly retired from the business' and I did not want to annoy him by prying further, however it did seem such a shame that such a wealth of knowledge of Scottish fruit trees has gone.
Simon