What shall I place in this south facing corner? Apple cordon etc?

I got my Apples (for Espallier) from Ashridge Trees as bareroot last Winter, £15 each from memory. They grew well last year.
http://www.ashridgetrees.co.uk/fruit-trees/apple-trees

Not sure carriage will be cost effective for only a couple though ... collect from a local nursery might be better, and they will know what would suit local soil and so on.

I had helpful advice (and there is loads of Info on their website) from Orange Pippin Fruit Trees
http://www.orangepippintrees.co.uk/search.aspx
they look to be a couple of quid more expensive.

 

....just a query(!) Kristen, I think perhaps you meant to say, 'make sure you don't get a tip bearer'
For any cordon or espalier, you are pruning and training to produce fruit on spurs along the length of the stems. The trees that are purely tip bearing really won't make much fruit when trained in this way.
Sam, I think your trees will be lovely there, but do think you would get more fruit from your Conference if you plant another pear variety too! So, have a nosey in surrounding gardens and if nobody has a pear, you ought to consider adding a pear that is in blossom when the conference is. So a Williams for example.

 

Thanks. Always reassuring to find that someone is reading the claptrap that I write!

"Not tip bearing" is indeed what I meant.

Good point, I forgot to consider that. Some varieties will not pollinate themselves, some varieties will also not pollinate other varieties (so the other guy needs to either be able to self-pollinate, or you need a third variety) ... and some that can self-pollinate don't do a very good job, so having another variety will mean more fruit is set.

Another reason not to buy a fruit tree just because it is in the Pound shop and .... costs only a Pound

 

OK, With that, I'm reading that you mean when fruit appears, just remove it rather than let the treet put the energy into making them full size etc?

I paid a little more than £25 I think, but went for pretty well established trees immediately. And I'm impatient! Sounds like I'll be breaking even very soon, and my son will LOVE picking them, which I think it also important; to know where food actually comes from.

Hi Julie, I went for the conference because the text said the following:

• Pick: Mid-season
• Flowering group: 3
• Self-fertile
• Uses: Eat fresh

Conference is the most widely-grown pear variety in the UK. It crops heavily and reliably, and will grow in most situations.

It is also one of the few pear varieties to be genuinely self-fertile, so you don't need another pollinator nearby. In turn it is a good pollinator for many other pears.

The skin is usually partially covered in golden-green russet.

I can see myself removing one of my clematis montanas currently planted against the wall and new trellis and putting in a few more cordons!

Hi Nick,

I bought from Orange Pippin. Read some good things about them, they were very helpful and the specimens look lovely. Yes, I did pay a little more than others and went down the 2yr route so should be nicely established. Obviously I could have gone for bare root, but it's pure impatience that I didn't!

 

Yes, this makes sense, thanks! As above, I bought the conference as it's meant to be self fertile but can see the value in adding another! I'll maybe look at a couple other as bare roots, getting more well established would be a fair few quid extra I hadn't bargained for

 

Yes, exactly that

I would expect your container-grown to establish a bit more quickly too, as well as being bigger to start with. Horses for courses, but even at £25 its a good investment, and your own home-grown fruit will taste better than from the shops, and be free of chemicals - except for anything that you know you have chosen to used.

 

Excellent, I will fully take that on board, thanks Kristen.

Agree. Picking off the cordon sounds delightful. Both parents and inlaws have some serious fruit trees, so looking forward to joining the crew!

Incidentally, I just emailed Orange Pippin to see if I can add to my order!!!!!!!!

 

Sam, I'm sure you will get some fruit from your Conference, I agree with the advertising spiel about it being self fertile...but it's cleverly written in as much as it doesn't make it clear that the heavy crop they go on to describe is NOT related to it's self fertilising ability. Yes, it is self fertile and is able to produce the odd pear when planted alone. But, if you plant another variety that will cross pollinate your Conference...it will produce a heavy crop etc.
I guess you just wait and see what the tree performs like. You may be lucky and have a pear tree nearby that does the trick. If your tree only has a few fruits, just remember this thread and don't dig it out! Just get another tree, cordons don't take up much space

 

P.S. Kristen, I'm sure everybody always reads your interesting and informative posts carefully!

 

Needs to be another Pear in the same pollination group (i.e. one that will flower at the same time). I see Conference being described as either Pollination Group A, B or C and "3" which I presume is equivalent to "C" - but might be "A" I suppose.

A Ashridge Trees
B Blackmoor Nurseries
C Pomona Fruits
3 Reads Nursery, RHS, Orange Pippin Fruit Trees

You can plant a variety with a pollination group either side of the one you have, so if you can reliably work out what is a B, or a 2 !!, then that should be fine.

That's great - I wonder if I can charge by the letter?

 

Hi both,

I can confirm I've ordered two more cordons from Orange Pippin, and they are arriving tomorrow/Wednesday. Hopefully this will help get the most out of the fruits with the extra pollination

In total I'll have the following four growing up the back wall/wall trellis! Going to remove a Clematis Montana Mayleen now to make space

Conference
Doyenne Du Comice
Red Falstaff
Red Winsor


Can't wait to get planting them!

 

I hate to hijack this thread. But what's the largest an apple cordon can grow? I'm looking for a rootstock that will make an apple cordon grow roughly 10' high. All the ones I've seen are 6' I assume or they don't say.

 

I would have thought anything on M26 rootstock would get to that sort of size if you have reasonable soil & water ?

 

Two of the cordons have arrived and they look like BEAUTIFUL specimens, already 7 foot tall and very healthy.

One final question (hopefully!), if anyone can help, I'm going to have one at the back and three coming down the side wall, What should I have at the rear and along the side and should I alternate between pear and apple or have two together? Trivial I know but you guys are all whizz's! Hope the image helps