The Unusual Fruit Garden Plant Collection

[The Unusual Fruit Garden]

of course all this means I've planned a fruit garden based on something I'm not actually growing but thought I was ha so now I'm thinking should I be buying a mulberry tree (£40 ebay for 1.5m tree's worth it?), would it be worth it anyway crop wise and where to put it if I do

[Scarlet]

Start it off in a pot

[veggiechicken]

There's a dwarf one - http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ase_92752.html

[The Unusual Fruit Garden]

more pics of the tree at work, which comparing to mulberries online certainly seems to be the case, now to decide if I can squeeze in and train a mulberry tree seeing as it was the taste of them that made me do my fruit garden





Really can't wait for this to fruit again, I discovered them far too late last year, no-one will get a look in this year

[Jay-ell]

Nice list there UFG. Where abouts are you based?

I had thought about Saskatoons but never got round to growing them. May be its the suckering that held me back.

Now I'm not one to really go for unusual crops but what about Lingonberries, figs, golden currants, choke berries, Himalayan Honeysuckle, grapes, black/red/pink/white currants, gooseberries, pomegranates?

Or theres bilberries, Worcesterberry, Dead Mens Fingers/Blue Sausage Tree, Flying Dragon (
Citronnier épineux 'Dragon Volant')?

[The Unusual Fruit Garden]

I really need to let things off the list develop first rather than adding more as I have very little space left without completely ripping up my garden and starting all over, I am looking into the possibility of an allotment though so if one of those comes up, I'll be looking for more things to try. I'm in the north east between Durham & Middlesbrough. I thought Lingon but heard the Tayberry is just a sweeter variety, I don't want anything too tarty as I like sweet berries I can pluck and eat, I don't intend to make jams or anything unless I get overwhelmed and thats wishful thinking at the moment, I do need to figure out how to get a mulberry in though, that is the next priority

[veggiechicken]

Lingonberries are nothing like tayberries. One is a low, evergreen shrub, the other grows like a raspberry or blackberry.
Its also nothing like a mulberry!

[TrixC]

Your fruit garden sounds great!

With mulberries you need to be aware that they are quite large trees with a spreading habit - bigger than an apple tree for example. They live for hundreds of years and the traditional varieties will take 5-10 years to fruit - it sounds like some of the new dwarf and everbearing varieties may be quicker but people also say they’re not as tasty. Some people claim you can grow them in pots but I’ve not seen an example of this and given the size of the tree I’m very sceptical it could fruit well in a pot. The fruit is delicious but it’s not really practical unless you have a large garden and are prepared to be patient.

[The Unusual Fruit Garden]

Lingonberries are nothing like tayberries. One is a low, evergreen shrub, the other grows like a raspberry or blackberry.
Its also nothing like a mulberry!

My bad, my eyes read loganberry which I've heard is similar, I do actually have a lingonberry, supposed to be similar to cranberry, I only bought 1 in a 9cm pot to see what they were like and it arrived with 3 little berries on. I keep forgetting about it as thats in a pot out of sight/mind for now and not in my raised beds.

Your fruit garden sounds great!

With mulberries you need to be aware that they are quite large trees with a spreading habit - bigger than an apple tree for example. They live for hundreds of years and the traditional varieties will take 5-10 years to fruit The fruit is delicious but it’s not really practical unless you have a large garden and are prepared to be patient.

I know the tree's take time, I can wait one out as I have access to a huge one at work which everyone ignores (for now but I was turning heads picking fruit last year). I also found the location of another through an online mulberry tree finder map so I shouldn't have a shortage while waiting for a tree to come good

[Zelenina]

How about trying to grow a mulberry plant from seed, TUFG? They're apparently a bit tricky to germinate, but you'll be able to get plenty of seeds to try with when it fruits again. Or you might find a few self-sown seedlings growing under or around the tree. Seedlings would stay quite small for a couple of years and be easy to move when you relocate.

By the way, it looks like a black mulberry. I discovered a tree in our local park when I was a kid and remember the berries being tasty. There is also a white mulberry but I've read that it doesn't taste so good.

[The Unusual Fruit Garden]

I think seed would take far too long to produce anything, I know I have a tree at work but don't want to be waiting 10-15 years for a seed to fruit, I'll have a look whats about.
In the mean time, here is that lingonberry I forgot I had, small at the moment but should cover a wide area if it grows ok, supposed to be a slightly juicier sweeter version of a cranberry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnh9QGYsD5M

[Guest]

Just incase you didn't realise - lingonberries, cranberries and blueberries should all be grown in ericaceous compost. Some people also say guava should as well but mine is fine in the ground and I have rooted cuttings fine in MPC.

As for the mulberry you could just be cheeky and take cuttings from the one and work and root them and that way you have lost very little if you decide to oink them out at a later date. Mulberries can apparently be trained i.e espaliered. I've had a mulberry for several years that has done next to nothing, but Christmas 2016 I was given a grafted one which grew a foot in every direction so if you do spend money opt for a grafted one.

[The Unusual Fruit Garden]

well I'll be looking at a mulberry after they come in to stock on Thursday so I'll see what it looks like and go from there, in the mean time I just took delivery of some whiskey barrel planters I ordered online, one is the standard round half barrel but the other is a full barrel cut length ways to make a cradle style planter, quite unusual I thought so made a quick video to show them for anyone interested as it wasn't actually listed on eBay but was pictured by a seller who sold me one after enquiring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ormJ5ZpPgPY