Fruit Trees & Bushes
Bare root ‘top’ fruit and soft fruit are available to order from November to February.
Nearly all fruit trees are budded onto certain rootstocks which influence the final size of the plant and encourages early fruiting.
Bush Apples are budded onto MM106 and will generally grow to a mature height of 2.5 to 4.5 metres, depending on variety. They grow on a short leg and start to branch at about 50-60cm. above ground level, making harvesting easier.
Vigorous varieties such as Bramley, Jonagold, Laxton Superb etc. will grow to 4-4.5m., whilst smaller growing varieties, such as Greensleeves, Russets, Pixie and Falstaff will only reach 2.5-3m.
Bush trees can easily be trained into cordons and espaliers, with the correct pruning. Half standard Apples have a clear stem of 1-1.2m. and are grafted onto a more vigorous rootstock MM111 giving an approximate final height of 4-5m.
Pears and plums will produce trees 3-4m. tall, Cherries, Apricots, Peaches and Medlars 3m. Quinces and Nuts 3-4m.
To successfully produce fruit, the flowers need pollinating. This is usually done by flying insects like honey bees, bumblebees, flies, beetles and wasps.
Most soft fruit produce compatible flowers and pollen and are therefore self-fertile, but many fruit trees especially Apples, need another different cultivar of the same fruit that flowers at the same time to ensure cross pollination.
If you live in a built-up area there are likely to be other fruit trees growing in close proximity, so you may not need to worry about planting more than a single tree. Although pollinating bees can travel up to 2miles, it is thought that for cross-pollination purposes, trees should be within 18m of each other to be really effective, and ideally closer.
Many fruit trees are self-fertile, so that insects pollinating their own flowers will lead to successful fruit set. This is ideal in a small garden as only one tree is needed to produce fruit. However, even self-fertile varieties tend to crop better when another cultivar is planted nearby for pollination.
Fruit trees are classified into various flowering groups, so that it is easy to choose cultivars that will flower at the same time and effect pollination.
When selecting varieties for cross pollination you can choose any different variety from the same or adjacent groups. Two different varieties may be adequate for successful fruit set, but three or more is better.
Crab apples are particularly useful as pollinators as they produce an abundance of flowers over a long period, and will usually pollinate any variety of Apple.
| Name | Polinate | Price | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| APPLE MM106 James Grieve | C | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 Katy | C | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 Sunset | C | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 Tyderman Early Worcester' | C | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 Winter Gem | C | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 Bramleys Seedling | C | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 Golden Delicious | D | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 Worcester Pearmain | C | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 `Beauty of Bath' | B | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 `Blenheim Orange' | C | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 `Bountiful' | C | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 `Braeburn' | E | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 `Coxs' Orange Pippin' | C | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 `Coxs' Self Fertile | C | 16.50 | 10 Litre pot |
| APPLE MM106 `Discovery' | C | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 `Egremont Russet' | B | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 `Elstar' | C | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 `Falstaff' | C | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 `Fiesta' | C | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 `Gala' | D | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 `Green Sleeves' | C | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 `Grenadier' | C | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 `Laxton's Superb' | D | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 `Lord Lambourne' | B | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 `Red Devil' | C | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 `Spartan' | C | 16.50 | 10 Litre pot |
| APPLE MM106 'Pixie' | D | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 'Rubinette' | C | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APPLE MM106 'Scrumptious' | C | 16.50 | 10 Litre pot |
| APPLE MM111 Bramleys Seedling | C | 22.50 | BR half std. |
| APPLE MM111 Gala | D | 22.50 | BR half std. |
| APPLE MM111 Granny Smith' | C | 22.50 | BR half std. |
| APPLE MM111 Idared | B | 22.50 | BR half std. |
| APPLE MM111 James Grieve | C | 22.50 | BR half std. |
| APPLE MM111 Jonagold | C | 22.50 | BR half std. |
| APPLE MM111 Laxton's Superb | D | 22.50 | BR half std. |
| APPLE MM111 Melrose | C | 22.50 | BR half std. |
| APPLE MM111 Queen Cox | C | 22.50 | BR half std. |
| APPLE MM111 Tyderman Early Worcester | C | 22.50 | BR half std. |
| APPLE MM111 `Beauty of Bath' | B | 22.50 | BR half std. |
| APPLE MM111 `Coxs Orange Pippin' | C | 22.50 | BR half std. |
| APPLE MM111 `Discovery' | C | 22.50 | BR half std. |
| APPLE MM111 `Ellisons Orange' | E | 22.50 | BR half std. |
| APPLE MM111 `Elstar' | C | 22.50 | BR half std. |
| APPLE MM111 `Ingrid Marie' | D | 22.50 | BR half std. |
| PEAR Quince A `Conference' | C | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| PEAR Quince A `Conference' | C | 22.50 | BR half std |
| PEAR Doyenne du Comice | D | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| PEAR Quince A `Concorde' | C | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| PEAR Quince A `Concorde' | C | 22.50 | BR half std |
| PEAR `Beth' | C | 16.50 | 10 Litre pot |
| PEAR `Beurre Hardy' | C | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| PEAR `William Bon Chretein' | C | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| PEAR 'Invincible' | C | 16.50 | 10 Litre pot |
| DAMSON `Merryweather' | SF | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| DAMSON `Shropshire Prune' | SF | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| GAGE `Ouillins Gage' | SF | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| PLUM + `Marjories Seedling' | SF | 16.50 | 10 Litre pot |
| PLUM `Cambridge Gage' | SF | 16.50 | 10 Litre pot |
| PLUM `Czar' | SF | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| PLUM `Green Gage' | SF | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| PLUM `Opal' | SF | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| PLUM `Victoria' | SF | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| PLUM 'Imperial Gage' | SF | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| CHERRY `Morello' | SF | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| CHERRY `Stella' (red) | SF | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| CHERRY `Sunburst' (black) | SF | 16.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| APRICOT 'Early Moorpark' | SF | 19.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| PEACH `Peregrine' | SF | 19.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| PEACH `Rochester' | SF | 19.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| MESPILUS germanica | SF | 25.00 | 15 Litre Half Std |
| MESPILUS germanica `Nottingham' | SF | 18.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| QUINCE oblonga Meech's Prolific | SF | 18.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| QUINCE `Vranja' | SF | 18.50 | BR 2yr. bush |
| CORYLUS avellana Nottingham Prolific | SF | 15.00 | BR 2yr. bush |
| CORYLUS avellana `Cosford Cob' | SF | 15.00 | BR 2yr. bush |
| CORYLUS maxima `Gunslebert' | SF | 15.00 | BR 2yr. bush |
| BLACKBERRY `Thornless' | 4.50 | BR bush | |
| BLACKBERRY 'Thorn Free' | 4.50 | BR bush | |
| BLACKCURRANT `Baldwins' | 4.50 | BR bush | |
| BLACKCURRANT `Ben Lomond' | 4.50 | BR bush | |
| BLACKCURRANT `Ben Sarek' | 4.50 | BR bush | |
| GOOSEBERRY Whinhams Industry | 4.50 | BR bush | |
| GOOSEBERRY hinnonmaki Red | 4.50 | BR bush | |
| GOOSEBERRY hinnonmaki Yellow | 4.50 | BR bush | |
| GOOSEBERRY `Invicta' | 4.50 | BR bush | |
| RASPBERRY `Autumn Bliss' | 2.00 | BR per cane | |
| RASPBERRY `Glen Clova' | 2.00 | BR per cane | |
| RASPBERRY `Malling Jewel' | 2.00 | BR per cane | |
| REDCURRANT `Jonker Van Tet' | 4.50 | BR bush | |
| WHITECURRANT `Versailles' | 4.50 | BR bush |