The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Fruit => Topic started by: sabrina on March 22, 2009, 09:50:29 am
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I would love a couple of fruit trees but would they cope with the cold and strong winds that we get in the North East of Scotland. We planted over 100 willow about 10 years ago and quite a few have blown down but they just start growing again from where they fell making a nice area for wildlife. Shelter is not something we have much off and around the two barns the earth is very poor so I doubt any tree would grow. I did think that maybe adding a couple to our veg. area which has a bit of protection would that work maybe ??
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Good idea to put them in a sheltered spot. To be safe,stake them.Put the stake in at 45degrees with the top pointing towards the prevaling winds ie if you get mostly easterly winds,drive the stake in in a westerly direction,and tie off using an old inner tube/tree tie..... Ree
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might be of uses to you get to a little bit older trees?
or even erect a little fence around them to help protect from the wind, once your happy with them you then could remove the fence.
Linz
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tying plants and trees with old tights (pattern of an 8 around the stake and tree) works a treat. Nice and soft and doesn't damage the bark in the wind through rubbing. :&>
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as you already have willow, why not make a living windbreak from the willow and plant that around the trees?
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We planted the Willow in an area that is very prone to flooding summer and winter so not much use for fruit trees. Great for frogs and ducks though. :&>
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Hi Sabrina,
I have similar problems - a very high and exposed site.
The advice I have been given is to get as sheltered a site as possible (plant a fast growing hedge or walls)
Choose a vigerous root stock as they establish better.
Choose a variety that has the shortest time between flowering & fruiting (that way the blossom survives late frosts and the fruit have a chance of ripening before the early frosts & wind gets them.
Another option may also be to grow them in a polytunnel (with the roots outside), trained to suit the space - cordons or espalier or fan shaped. But I think with this method you might need to intervene to ensure pollination occurs. Also look out for self fertile varieties if you are only going to have one of each type of tree. I'm still trying to figure out what I need in terms of what will grow and what will pollinate the varieties I want because of lack of other fruit trees in my area - maybe I'm a bit thick though.
I was put in touch with John at Butterworth's nursery in Ayrshire through my local orchard group, he was very helpfull and might be able to recommend some varieties for you.
http://www.butterworthsorganicnursery.co.uk/ (http://www.butterworthsorganicnursery.co.uk/)
http://www.clydevalleyorchards.co.uk/ (http://www.clydevalleyorchards.co.uk/)
Might be worth checking if there's one in your area ?
Good luck with it - hope I've been of some help.
Karen
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We planted the Willow in an area that is very prone to flooding summer and winter so not much use for fruit trees. Great for frogs and ducks though. :&>
could you plant some more willow around the fruit trees? willow will grow anywhere, and you have willow growing, so just take a few cuttings
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You could try growing the trees as low growing step overs. I can't rememebr where I saw this but the trees were about two feet high but the branchesgrew out the sides like a little fence. In fact it was used as a fence round other beds. There was lots of fruit on them, too. Wish I coudl remember where it was.
Easy to harvest and out of the worst of the wind. If you can get hold of the Fruit Expert, it's on page 10, but I've seen it in real life.
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You could try growing the trees as low growing step overs. I can't rememebr where I saw this but the trees were about two feet high but the branchesgrew out the sides like a little fence. In fact it was used as a fence round other beds. There was lots of fruit on them, too. Wish I coudl remember where it was.
Easy to harvest and out of the worst of the wind. If you can get hold of the Fruit Expert, it's on page 10, but I've seen it in real life.
you wouldn't be thinking of something like an M26 rootstock (or even one of the smaller ones) and just training it along a cordon?
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Thanks Karen for the advice and I will look into what may suit my area. Have plans to put a fence round the garden to protect the pollytunnel so that should help. will take on board what you all have said :)
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Hi Sabrina,
I have similar problems - a very high and exposed site.
The advice I have been given is to get as sheltered a site as possible (plant a fast growing hedge or walls)
Choose a vigerous root stock as they establish better.
Choose a variety that has the shortest time between flowering & fruiting (that way the blossom survives late frosts and the fruit have a chance of ripening before the early frosts & wind gets them.
Another option may also be to grow them in a polytunnel (with the roots outside), trained to suit the space - cordons or espalier or fan shaped. But I think with this method you might need to intervene to ensure pollination occurs. Also look out for self fertile varieties if you are only going to have one of each type of tree. I'm still trying to figure out what I need in terms of what will grow and what will pollinate the varieties I want because of lack of other fruit trees in my area - maybe I'm a bit thick though.
I was put in touch with John at Butterworth's nursery in Ayrshire through my local orchard group, he was very helpfull and might be able to recommend some varieties for you.
http://www.butterworthsorganicnursery.co.uk/ (http://www.butterworthsorganicnursery.co.uk/)
http://www.clydevalleyorchards.co.uk/ (http://www.clydevalleyorchards.co.uk/)
Might be worth checking if there's one in your area ?
Good luck with it - hope I've been of some help.
Karen
John Butterworth is definitely the place to go.