[macgro7]

I have mulberry, quince, sweet chestnut, figs, almond, plums, pears and apples - all growing really well.
All except for mulberry and quince are fruiting, but that's because I only planted them last year.

I was thinking of growing medlar and persimmon but would they grow well outside or better to put them inside greenhouse? I've read conflicting opinions! Some say no problem outdoor and some say too cold!

Also people who grow quince, what do you do with them? My grandmother call it "Polish lemon" and uses jelly in her tea instead of lemon!

[Rosemary]

We have a medlar bush that crops well most years - we're on theeast coast of Scotland 10 iles north of Dundee. We've never done anything with them although we always have good intentions.

[pgkevet]

I've got a medlar mid wales that crops well.. but I don't like them much and there's way nicer fruits here. Much the same goes for quince.. can't see the point when there's nicer fruits. Sadly my attempts at almonds haven't worked and I've tried 2 different sites..last go with a third siting. Two mulberries also failed so given up there also. Loads pears, plums,apples, gages and so forth doing OK except a few apples showing signs of canker is wet wales. You're missing figs, apricots and peaches by the sound of it. And because I always promote them - all the other nuts: walnuts, cold hardy pecans, filberts, hickory nuts. Use the greenhouse frost free to overwinter the citrus. Monkey puzzles have edible seeds too so long as you have both sexes. Depends exactly where you're located.

[macgro7]

I have two varieties of figs - both in the greenhouse.
Still want to get a peach - again from the greenhouse.

[pgkevet]

Again depends where located.. I grew figs very successfully outdoors in london and my neighbour had good crops of peaches. I even managed bananas by taking them indoors over winter (you need high ceilings) and pineapple in the conservatory (it didn't quite ripen). There's a whole heap of passionfruit varieties you can try too if after exotics; the easiest ones grow outdoors. t depends on how much conservatory or heted greenhouse space you have and what temps you're prepared to pay for. Just frost free does OK with citrus but I lost my lychee's 'cos it was getting too expensive to keep the seedlings warm enough. Dates are possible if you plan to live long enough.

[vegpatch]

We have a very prolific medlar (Oxfordshire) - we make medlar jelly from it - great with sharp cheeses/game (I use it instead of redcurrant jelly) and also good on toast.  You do need to let the fruits blet though before using.

[macgro7]

Again depends where located.. I grew figs very successfully outdoors in london and my neighbour had good crops of peaches. I even managed bananas by taking them indoors over winter (you need high ceilings) and pineapple in the conservatory (it didn't quite ripen). There's a whole heap of passionfruit varieties you can try too if after exotics; the easiest ones grow outdoors. t depends on how much conservatory or heted greenhouse space you have and what temps you're prepared to pay for. Just frost free does OK with citrus but I lost my lychee's 'cos it was getting too expensive to keep the seedlings warm enough. Dates are possible if you plan to live long enough.

I'm in Leicester, about half an hour walk from the city centre, which means it is warmer than in countryside especially warmer than Scotland and North of England.
Dates will never fruit in the UK though. They need really hot and long summer. Morocco and California is just about good for them.
Never tried medlar. Is there anywhere I could try it without planting the tree and waiting several years for fruits???

[pgkevet]

It's suprising how resiliant some palms are even species you wouldn't expect to survive UK (as opposed to the really hardy chusan palms etc that can take -15C) So i wouldn't write off getting dates in a greenhouse although i admit to never seeing them at kew. Worth a call?  But the palm and cycad centre down by syon lodge had, still has?, some stunningly large subtropical palms growing outside.

If you've got enough height then I may have a prezzie for you in a year or so.... I used to grow strelitzia and without thinking sowed some bargain bucket seeds of a white strain which are doing OK.. but when the penny dropped I remembered they grow 10-20 metres high (why they were bargain bucket I suppose). Doh!

[macgro7]

Perhaps you could grow a date palm (greenhouse??) But you will never get fruit because they need male and female plant which must be at least 10-20 years old if I remember correctly. Veeery hot summer, I mean 40-50 degrees and at the same time a lot of water but only in roots. They hate rain. It's a very strange plant actually. Only grows in deserts but the roots have to have irrigation and drink as much as a willow!
In The UK u can grow the miniature date palm (from canary islands) as a house plant. Not sure if anyone grows it outside?
I wanted to grow edible bamboo once upon a time. Might actually give it a try! They won't grow as big as in China or mediterranean but can still be 4-6 metres tall and that's all I need actually to hide from the neighbours 

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Bob flowerdew does some fascinating articles about these fruits, he also mentioned them on last weeks gardeners question time.

[pgkevet]

I tried growing a lot of weird palms and other stuff at one time.. used to collect seeds fom under any palm I could and also had the ocassional friend bring them back from holidays. Dates from xmas date packets germinated quite well but I never tested them outdoors. The guys at syon lodge used very mature trees for outdoors.. and not a date palm.
I've generally stopped with ornamentals and difficult stuff - got enough to do. Sadly when i moved here I didn't manage to give most of my collection to interested folk and suspect that the people who bought my house let them die. It included some nice staghorn ferns



strelitzia and just see bamboo and a rather nice cycad poking up at the bottom



This palm was grown from seed.



It all turned into a bit of a jungle. Now that's bamboo!