Planting an Orchard

[SilliamWhale]

I've cleared what was a sort of old walled garden area and grassed it down and planning to make it into an orchard. Nothing commerical - just for fun.

Any advice? What spacings, should I aim for traditional size trees and let them go taller or go for smaller ones easier to pick? I know nothing.

Partly wondering about getting old "rare" type fruit varieties but then again will I be a bit dissapointed with them compared to more commercial varieties? Any good value places to buy trees?

Apples/ Pears tick. Anything else worth considering? Plum?

 

[Bogweevil]

Spindle apple bushes easiest to manage on m26 or if soil good m9, and in your region include scab resistant cultivars Topaz and Adams Pearmain for example. Mm106 for small trees/large bushes take a little longer to come into bearing and need ladder eventually but pretty.

Damsons nice addition to some plums I like Mirabelles too, (German plum, v. tasty) . Medlar acquired taste but quince worthwhile.

 

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@Kidds

 

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Planting trees like discovery in my opinion is a good idea they taste completely different to shop bought discovery and are easy to grow. Try and get a mix of early through to late apples to extend the season. I wouldn't go above 106 rootstock unless you really need to.

Limelight is a nice green apple.

I get most of my trees from keepers nursery although dispatching/planting season is nearly at an end.

Don't plant cherry's unless you want to completely protect them from birds we also had a problem with cats using the trunk as a scratching post.

Look at Stephen hayes on you tube he started an orchard as a commercial venture but has moved a lot over to cider varieties. Loads of videos of different varieties and grafting etc.

 

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Stephen Hayes

Fruitwise Heritage Apples

www.youtube.com

 

[Jerry]

I use:

http://www.talatonplants.co.uk/

For apple trees, he is very good.

I have a couple of orchards and like a nice mix of apples, pears, plums, gauges and damsons.

Apples are a mix of cider, cooking and eating.

Do you have a use for the fruit or is it just for yourself?

 

[Kidds]

I agree with all the above.
As it is a walled garden M26 rootstock would be best, M106 would be a bit big. Assuming that as it is a walled garden the soil is pretty good.
Unless you intend to do routine spraying avoid varieties susceptible to scab and mildew. I can't say for every variety but Golden Delicious and Gala are horrific for scab and Cox pretty bad for mildew.
I'd have a Bramley in there, not totally resistant but copes while still producing usable fruit. Spartan are a bit prone to canker but definitely worth a try. Never had any apple nicer than a ripe Spartan fresh off the tree.

 

[solo]

Cherry can be hit and miss with blackbirds and crows, but also provides a lovely crop, which is appreciated by all the family and friends. Netting is always an option. I personally like walnuts and provided you don’t have many squirrels can be very rewarding too. There are green and black types.

 

[Campbell]

Contact Frank P Matthews at Tenbury Wells. They can tell you all you need to know.

 

[Netherfield]

Our plums, Czar, were a bit hit and miss production wise, nice to eat although the wasps got more than we did. Planted 15 years ago, now only one survives over the last four years one has died per season, no idea why.

Pears planted at the same time have never given fruit, probably planted in the wrong place and the frost and wind takes the flowers before the fruit sets, and two of them have died as well.

 

[neilo]

I've cleared what was a sort of old walled garden area and grassed it down and planning to make it into an orchard. Nothing commerical - just for fun.

Any advice? What spacings, should I aim for traditional size trees and let them go taller or go for smaller ones easier to pick? I know nothing.

Partly wondering about getting old "rare" type fruit varieties but then again will I be a bit dissapointed with them compared to more commercial varieties? Any good value places to buy trees?

Apples/ Pears tick. Anything else worth considering? Plum?

I would say wait if you can. There was Glastir funding for planting & maintaining new orchards, particularly with heritage varieties. I'd be amazed if there wasn't support to pay for the same in the new scheme.

 

[SilliamWhale]

[/QUOTE]

I would say wait if you can. There was Glastir funding for planting & maintaining new orchards, particularly with heritage varieties. I'd be amazed if there wasn't support to pay for the same in the new scheme.

Been kicked off Glastir

 

[neilo]

Been kicked off Glastir
[/QUOTE]

Yes, but don’t you think the new schemes are likely to be built on similar options?
RPW were promising that they would be able to pay more outside the EU too, as they are currently limited to paying costs & income foregone, rather than paying for supplying a ‘public good’.

 

[suffolksmallholder]

We talked with Dan Neuteboom a decade ago about out orchard. This is now producing some lovely fruit. The root-stock is paramount this will then suit your soil conditions.

Restoring old fruit trees - Suffolk Fruit and Trees - The Fruit Tree Specialists

Advice on growing and restoring old fruit trees in gardens and orchards, plus pruning, training and more.

realenglishfruit.co.uk

SS

 

[dt995]

We planted an orchard based on everything we could get at the time from https://iansturrockandsons.co.uk/

 

[Bald Rick]

I've cleared what was a sort of old walled garden area and grassed it down and planning to make it into an orchard. Nothing commerical - just for fun.

Any advice? What spacings, should I aim for traditional size trees and let them go taller or go for smaller ones easier to pick? I know nothing.

Partly wondering about getting old "rare" type fruit varieties but then again will I be a bit dissapointed with them compared to more commercial varieties? Any good value places to buy trees?

Apples/ Pears tick. Anything else worth considering? Plum?

Talk to Ian Sturrock is you want Welsh trees. He rediscovered the Bardsey Apple and supplies these as well as other fruit trees

https://iansturrockandsons.co.uk/


I would also consider a few nut trees if you have the space. We have 3 walnuts that supply our Christmas needs.
Don't bother with medlar, apricot or quince. Apricot are difficult to grow well and medlar & quince are very "niche"

 

[egbert]

Talk to Ian Sturrock is you want Welsh trees. He rediscovered the Bardsey Apple and supplies these as well as other fruit trees

https://iansturrockandsons.co.uk/


I would also consider a few nut trees if you have the space. We have 3 walnuts that supply our Christmas needs.
Don't bother with medlar, apricot or quince. Apricot are difficult to grow well and medlar & quince are very "niche"

speaking of walnut...that has the additional bonus of potentially growing into a lot of money as a sawlog!

(and i'm hot for sound Walnut trunks, so please form an orderly queue!)

 

[solo]

With a walled garden a fig tree could also be possible. I’ve got one,but not the walled garden. Took about 3 or 4 years to establish and has fruited well the last couple of years. Fresh fig is far superior to the dried version.

 

[PhilipB]

I've cleared what was a sort of old walled garden area and grassed it down and planning to make it into an orchard. Nothing commerical - just for fun.

Any advice? What spacings, should I aim for traditional size trees and let them go taller or go for smaller ones easier to pick? I know nothing.

Partly wondering about getting old "rare" type fruit varieties but then again will I be a bit dissapointed with them compared to more commercial varieties? Any good value places to buy trees?

Apples/ Pears tick. Anything else worth considering? Plum?

Yes, Plums.

Nothing beats a plum picked at peak ripeness and eaten direct from the tree.

When it comes to guides I enjoy the writings of Raymond Bush- he wrote in the C.30s-50s. His books are available second hand as penguins- or three of them were collected up together as 'Fruit Growing Outdoors' by Faber & Faber.

More modern works are, of course, available...