Growing fruit trees in Cambridgeshire soil

If I ever tried to grow plums again, I'd go for the absolute strongest rootstocks that I could find (such as Brompton). They would probably reach about half the "expected" size and make a nice bush - around 10-12ft.
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Nowadays, I am using a mixture of "very vigorous" MM111, M25, Pyrus and seedling rootstocks, to attain 10ft/3m trees. They grow about 1ft per year when young.

Based on my observations (I used to live in Cambridge, have friends in Cambridge and I now live a few miles out of Cambridge), the soil is below average - quite shallow and quite dry as a result of either gravel or chalky subsoil and the fact that Cambridge is the lowest rainfall city in Britain.

In my experience, this can mean that apple trees grow much smaller (more precisely; they grow more slowly). If you plan to grow the tree in a lawn, the competition from grass will also reduce growth rate by competing for water and nutrients.

If you have soil like myself, my friends or like my old addresses, then you may as well throw away all the text books that tell you how big your tree will get as many of the published figures are for trees in fairly good soil, that are sprayed to prevent pests or diseases.
Pests (ranging from aphids to caterpillars) will either suck the nutrients out of the tree, or eat the light-gathering leaves. Both actions slow down the growth.
Diseases, such as scab or mildew, will damage some of the leaves, again reducing the light-gathering ability of the tree.
Throw in a below-average soil and lack of penetrating rainfall and you'll soon find that "dwarf" or "semi-dwarf" rootstocks have no vigour once the pests and diseases have taken their toll.
Additionally, most apple books don't mention much about "powdery mildew", but I can assure you that in this area, it is a crippling disease and varieties without some natural resistance will be a lost cause unless you plan to spray.

If the grass remains green for most of the summer, then I'd suggest MM106 rootstock wuld be OK.
If your grass is prone to dying off for most of the summer, then you may want a slightly stronger rootstock, such as MM111 or possibly M25.

There is a well-stocked and very competitively priced fruit tree nursery near to Fordham, called "Simpsons".
42 Station Road, Fordham, Ely, Cambs - CB7 5LW, tel 01638 720194
Note that there are two different nurseries within a mile of each other, so make sure you get the correct one with the big stock of fruit trees!
I think that Simpson's may have connections with, or be the same company as this one:
> Website link here <

The largest rootstock that you'll normally encounter is MM106, which has the benefit of being fairly resistant to woolly aphids, which, in this area, are a serious and disfiguring pest that make the branches twisted, knobbly and split.

Simpson's stock a good range of trees, including many "bush" trees, a few half-standards and the occasional "standard".
Remember that once the nursery has "stopped" the tree to cause side branching, the trunk height is locked-in unless you gradually prune off lower branches as the tree grows.

I don't think that pollination would be a problem, since there are plenty of apples or crab apples around that should pollinate your tree. If, after a few years, the flowers are still not turning into fruits, then you could consider a cordon to act as pollinator, but I really don't think that you'll have a problem with pollination.

While I can't remember which varieties you may find, I'd suggest that if you go for MM106 rootstock, that you choose quite a vigorous variety to ensure adequate strength to compete with the grass.

As for varieties.....
I'd go for something quite vigorous and with at least average resistance to disease.
Varieties that I'd choose to reach 3-4m for rootstock MM106 in the "typical" conditions of this area (your conditions may not be typical!): in alphabet order:

Howgate Wonder
Jupiter
Tydeman's Late Orange
Winter Gem


You may find this tree size estimator to be of value for rootstock/variety/soil/size estimation:

Fruit tree mature height calculator

It is also easier to reduce the vigour of a slightly-too-strong tree than it is to increase the vigour of a tree that is too small/slow-growing.

I apologise if I am breaking forum rules by posting the link.

It is hard to find trees on these rootstocks. Can you recommend a good nursery a little further afield, or perhaps mail order/website?

Finally managed to find a Tydeman's Late Orange on M25 rootstock, although it's a half standard
Apple Tydemans Late Orange | Buy Apple Trees | Purchase Apple Fruit Trees

Still no luck with this variety on M111 rootstock.

Simpsons do have it bare rooted on MM106.

You may find that Tydeman's Late Orange on MM106 has enough vigour, since the scion and rootstock vigours combine to give the overall vigour.

T.L.O. is fairly vigorous, so on MM106 rootstock, it should match an average-vigour variety growing on MM111 rootstock, or a low-vigour variety growing on M25 rootstock.

Have a fiddle with the tree size estimator.