Grow Your Own Magazine

Hello Everyone
This is my first post so if this question has been asked before...my apologies.

My plot is at the bottom of my garden and I have used it mostly for veg growing. I want to change this into fruit growing.

I have an apple espalier, a cherry, pear, gooseberry and strawberrys but I woulkd like to grow grapes etc.

My question is.....where can I get information that is dedicated to turning a plot into a fruit plot? How to plan etc? The books I have deal mostly in growing them and not planning a whole allotment.

Great site, having a good look around.
John

Hi John
Not sure of the answer - but I would really like to know too We have had this very conversation this evening as fruit is so much more expensive than veg and demand far outstrips supply in this house!

Mel

Hi

I would like to grow some fruit trees too but I'm not sure if the climate here would be O.K. I live in West Yorkshire, 800 feet above sea level and we get a lot of wind.

Would this climate be O.K. for Cherries, plums & apples?

Would like to hear from anyone with experience of growing fruit trees in colder climates.

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Jayne

Hello Jayne & John, I'm no expert in growing fruit trees but can say this. I have cherry trees in my garden which I grow mainly for the blosssom and food for the birds but they do produce cherries. My daughter lives in Crieff and has apple trees which produce apples in abundance. My late father in law lived in Carnoustie (east coast of Scotland - cold place) and grew apples, pears, plums, gooseberries, currants, strawberries, rasberries and a wonderful vegetable garden ( I miss him and all his gentle ways) I think you should both be able to grow fruit successfully. I don't know of a book which will plan it all for you. I would start by looking at what you have. In a previous garden I had I planted the hedges as mixed fruit with gooseberies, blackcurrants, redcurrants, hazelnut, etc. and added a strawberry bed and raspberry canes. It was all very successful. That was in Argyll on the west coast of Scotland. If you have a greenhouse or south facing wall or fence you might be able to grow some nectarines or grapes. Think about what you would like, look up the growing conditions required, consider what you can provide and plan it out from there. Good luck and keep us posted with how you are getting on.

Hi Jayne, Mel, Alice

I have pretty much come to the conclussion that I will have to plan it myself and wiil be using this summer to plan and next year to start. I already know where the sunny parts of the garden are. I will be using a bed system with the usual posts and wires and I suppose I will use my ' gardeners know how', (read: trial and error) and see how things go.