Fruit trees (Top Fruits) are a long-term investment, so choosing the right one for your space and needs is crucial. Read on to learn everything you need to know about choosing a tree for growing your own great tasting fruit.
Taking the time to plan carefully at the start will help ensure healthy growth, reliable cropping, and many years of enjoyment.
What Type of Fruit?
Which fruits do you eat most of? You can choose from apples, pears, cherries, plums and even peaches. Once you have chosen the type of fruit you will need to decide on varieties.
It’s worth bearing in mind that the fruit of early ripening apple trees tends not to keep well and are best eaten fresh. Later ripening varieties, however, are suitable for eating fresh and storing over winter.
How Will Your Fruit Tree Be Pollinated?
Most top fruit need a pollination partner, i.e. a different variety of the same kind of fruit. For cross-pollination, choose a different variety from within the same pollination group/flowering period. These groups will be listed on the plant information labels.
Some varieties are self-fertile and require no partner. Even for self-fertile varieties, cropping will generally be better if there is a pollination partner nearby. If you only have room for one tree and live in an area with lots of other gardens, it is likely that there will be other fruit trees nearby. Ask your neighbours if they have fruit trees. They may also be able to suggest varieties that have or haven’t thrived in the conditions of your local area.
Where to Plant?
Choose a sunny, sheltered position well away from any frost pockets and avoid poorly drained or shallow soils. A south-facing wall or fence will soak up the heat of the sun and is good for all fruit, but particularly peaches and nectarines. Make sure there is enough space for the tree to grow to its full size.
What space do you have?
Top fruit can be trained to grow in a range of different forms, making them suitable for gardens of all sizes, from large open spaces to small patios. The form you choose will influence not only how much room the tree takes up, but also how it looks and how easy it is to maintain and harvest.
- Bush: Most common. An open centred tree with a clear stem of 75cm.
- Standard and Half-standard: Like bush, but grown on more vigorous rootstocks with a longer clear stem of 1.35m for half-standards and 2m for standards.
- Cordon: Restricted form with single or multiple upright stems or a horizontal stem as a step-over.
- Espalier and Fans: Restricted forms where branches radiate out in one plane to go against a wall.
Understanding Rootstocks
Top fruits are propagated on rootstocks through a process called grafting. One plant is selected for its roots (the rootstock), and determines the vigour, disease resistance and eventual size of the tree. The other plant is selected for its variety and is called the scion. Grafting involves attaching the shoot of the scion to the chosen rootstock. This allows you to benefit from the healthy rootstock of one tree, which will grow to the desired height, as well as the tasty fruit of the other.
The main consideration when choosing a rootstock for your tree is the size of tree you would like, as rootstocks come in various sizes. Other factors such as location, soil type and pruning will also influence the size of the tree, so the sizes given are only a guide.
Continue your Gardening Journey
Need a little extra advice? Visit your local Tates of Sussex Garden Centre today, where our friendly knowledgeable, team will be happy to help you choose the right plants and offer expert guidance.
