Fruit tree FAQs

Our cherry tree is now planted and getting well established with lots of new branches. Please could you give use some advice about the best time of year to prune the cherry trees. We have a number in the garden already and would like to prune them at the correct time of year?
The best time to prune cherry trees is at bud-burst (early spring) for young trees and June for older trees. In general the approach is the same as for plums – and as with plums, it is usually much better to train rather than prune. Unlike apples and pears, plums and cherries tend to need less pruning anyway as they generally grow in more or less the right way without intervention. I would try to avoid pruning as much as possible. If you send me some photos I can give you some more suggestions.
My garden is quite small but I am determine to have a few fruit varieties in the garden in the forms of fans and espaliers in containers – I can follow all the planting and pruning necessary from your excellent website, so I am not daunted by it – but I can’t work out how big a container I should have, I know they don’t stay in their pots forever but what size suitable to start off in? My little trees would have limited space, imagine a courtyard garden. They would fan to a height of six or seven feet – its a sunny rear garden and I would like a selection of trees, apricot, apple, pear etc.
Thanks for your interesting enquiry – and I note you are in a sunny part of the country, which is good as gives you plenty of options. For apples, I would consider using the extremely dwarfing M27 rootstock. We sell quite a few of these, and the great thing about them is the mature tree is about the same size as a person, so roughly 6ft tall or so. You can plant them quite close together, we have an experimental plot with 10 of them in a space 3m by 7m. Also, because they are so small they bring a human scale to the garden-orchard that is impossible with all other rootstocks (which produce trees that are bigger than we are) and they do not “take over” an area of the garden as a bigger tree would. These trees can either be grown in open ground, or in containers – perhaps 20L or so to begin with. In either case they need a permanent stake as they cannot support themselves. To start, have a look at our Stock Search page ... and in the “rootstocks” drop-down, select “rootstock – M27”, then press the search button.

Regarding fans / espaliers, I would suggest starting with a plum such as Opal, trained as a fan. I realise you did not say plums, but I think they are a bit easier than apricots or pears.

You asked about the container size – well, for growing a fan/espalier I think you will be better planting directly into the soil rather than in a container. When placing an order for a tree that is to be grown as a fan or espalier, you are usually better off choosing 1-year old trees as these are easier to train to the desired shape – so either bare-root or trees that come in a 3L container. Overall my suggestion would be to consider apples on M27 dotted around the garden, with a couple of apricots / pears / plums trained as fans against the (south-facing) walls.
I would like to plant a Cox's orange pipin apple tree in my garden. Can you advise which of your trees would best suit. Will one self fertilising tree do? I want apples to eat and cook with. Is queen cox better. Which part of a garden and in what soil would this tree best suit. Also how soon would I expect to see fruit?
Thanks for your enquiry. Yes, a single self-fertilising tree will be fine. If you are in a town or city you may find there are other apple trees nearby as well, which will help. I think Queen Cox is marginally better, but there is not a lot in it between the different variations of Cox's Orange Pippin. Cox is not the easiest or most reliable of varieties, and you might want to look at one of the alternatives - see this page.

However, if you are an enthusiast then only Cox's Orange Pippin will do, and I always think you should plant what you want if possible - some of those other varieties are close in flavour and easier to grow though. Cox's Orange Pippin is really best for eating fresh, although it can be used for juice as well. If you want a cooking apple then have a look at this page which lists our range of cooking apples.

Apple trees are not too fussy over soil, but for dessert apples the sunniest part of the garden is preferable.
Please could I enquire if you sell MM111 or M25 rootstock by themselves, or if you could recommend any supplier. Thanks
We do sell rootstocks - all the major apple, pear, plum, and cherry rootstocks. Rootstocks are supplied in bundles of 10. Please email us with your requirements.
Hello: could you suggest a suitable apple to grow in Northern Italy? I'd love to grow a Cox's Orange Pippin -- but am open to suggestions, such as -- perhaps -- Rubinette Rosso. I live in the hills outside Milan. The altitude is about 400m; the tree would be planted on sloping ground facing just north of West -- it would get plenty of afternoon and evening sun, but in winter the ground could be cold. By the way -- your website is marvellous...
Thanks for the kind comments about our website. We don’t think there is a particular issue with the situation you describe, one of the more vigorous rootstocks (e.g. MM106) might be a better bet than a more dwarfing one, although I always say if in doubt you should grow what you want to grow! In general apple trees are not bothered by cold winters, but fruit production requires pollinating insects – and preferably other apple trees nearby, although some versions of Cox are self-fertile. Are there any other fruit trees in the neighbourhood?
Have you heard of an apple variety called Filippa? This is a variety of eating apple, green, and originates from Denmark  I know it is not grown commercially in this country - can you help at all?
Yes, we can propagate this variety for you, for delivery this autumn. Let us know what apple rootstock you wanted it grafted on.
Hello, Can your container grown Charles Ross trees be planted at any time of year? If not when is best please?
Our 1-year container-grown Charles Ross trees can be planted at any time of the year, but preferably in the period September to the end of April.
Please would you advise if Cox's Orange Pippin is a suitable variety of apple tree to grow in SW France - the climate is Mediterranean i.e. hot summers and very cold winters. Many thanks.
We've sent Cox's Orange Pippin trees to several customers in similar situations. We recommend using a vigorous rootstock such as MM106 for these conditions. Cox's Orange Pippin often does well in warmer drier climates than the UK.
I would like some advice on which rootstock cherry tree to plant, I have a small garden and would like a cherry tree that can be kept to a size of about 8ft what would you recomend? Also at 8ft what do you think the root system would measure? thank you.
Thanks for your enquiry. If you are aiming for a tree of no more than 8ft then the Gisela 5 roostock is the only choice. A mature tree would probably have roots with a circumference of a 1m – it could be more or less depending on your situation. You would need a stake for the first 5 years or so, possibly a permanent stake. You could also consider growing it against a south-facing wall if you have one, as that makes it easier to keep the size of the tree under control and also easier to net the tree if birds become a problem (as they often do for cherries). Regarding varieties, all home-grown cherries are nice to eat, simply by virtue of being fresh from the tree rather than from a supermarket. However I personally like Sweetheart.
I don't suppose you could tell me what colour blossom the Sunburst cherry has? I'm looking for a pink blossom ideally.
Sunburst blossom is parchment white. I have sent you a photo on a separate email. Most dessert cherry varieties seem to have white blossom - pink blossom is perhaps a feature of the ornamental cherry species.
Hi there I am looking to buy Hidden Rose apple tree. I was wondering if you could kindly help me please.
Thanks for your enquiry, Hidden Rose is a very rare pink-fleshed apple. We don't sell this variety but we will see if we can get some graftwood to propagate one.
Hi - I would like to send my parents (living in Limoges region of France) a gift of a Bramley apple tree.
I'm always delighted to receive enquiries like yours, as I enjoy the thought of this great English apple tree being planted on French soil! The Limousin is a good climate for apple trees. Do you know what size of tree your parents are likely to prefer – I can then advise which rootstock would be best. By the way, are there any other apple trees nearby? The reason I ask is that Bramley is a bit tricky when it comes to pollination, and needs two (different) apple trees nearby to help pollinate it.
Hi, I am looking to plant several plant fruit trees (probably 3) to replace 3 large holly trees that need to be removed. I was hoping you could advise on a good variety to choose - we are based at a school -I did want English heritage varieties - I was originally looking at apples, but I am open to other suggestions.
England’s most famous apple is of course Cox’s Orange Pippin. However I would not recommend it for a school project because it is not that easy to grow. Instead I suggest Kidd’s Orange Red - Cox is one of its parents. This is much easier to grow and yet the flavour is quite close to Cox’s Orange Pippin. (Slight disadvantage – it comes from New Zealand though - but it is a very English style of apple).

Still on my international theme (sorry, not sticking to your brief very well am I!) you might want to consider Spartan - very easy to grow, and very popular with children and adults as the apples are bright and juicy. Spartan is from Canada, but is very widely grown in the UK and most people who know it are surprised it is not actually a native!

A real English one to try is Red Devil - developed by probably the last of the amateur English apple breeders – Hugh Ermen. Red Devil is a good one for juicing as well, which might be interesting for your students.

You could add a bit of interest by growing a self-fertile plum tree. The best choice would be a late season one (early and mid-season plums ripen when most students will be on summer holidays). E.g. Marjorie’s Seedling – which you sometimes find in the shops, but is much nicer when picked fresh from the tree. It can be used for cooking as well as eating fresh, and is easy to grow.
Do you supply step-over apples. I am a garden designer seraching for two with a trunk of about 4cm high in varieties that are not available in the supermarkets. My clients will be expecting something of a reasonable size already. Thank you.
Yes we do have a few step-overs, I will email a list of current availability separately.
Hi, I am interested in purchasing 4 espalier pear trees. Could you let me know if you have any for delivery now.
I'm afraid we don't offer espalier or fan-trained trees, because they are too likely to get damaged in transit. We recommend that you plant a 1-year "maiden" tree and train it yourself, following the instructions on our website - it is much easier than it sounds, and the results look very impressive.
What is the difference between a dessert and culinary plum?
There is no right and wrong answer to this question, since most plums can be used for both cooking or eating fresh. Generally speaking, dessert plums - when fully ripe - have a higher sugar content than culinary plums, whilst dual-purpose plums, such as Victoria, have an intermediate sugar content. However it is a bit more complicated than that. The best-flavoured plums for eating fresh are not just sweet, they have a balance of sweetness, sharpness, juiciness and other subtle components which make them pleasurable to eat. These plums are often from the gage sub-family, or are true plums which have gages in their ancestry. Good culinary plums may be less pleasant to eat fresh but they are desirable because they respond well to heating and cooking. The dual-purpose Victoria plum is not as acidic as some pure culinary varieties, but succeeds as one of the best culinary plums because it reduces down to a very attractive and well-flavoured puree.  Damsons are another example, not particularly great to eat fresh, but quite special when cooked.
Do you sell bullace trees?
I’m afraid we don’t sell Bullace trees at the moment. Have you tried Keepers Nursery?
I live near Aviemore and would like to plant a few fruit trees - apple and plum I think are most likely to be successful. There were fruit trees in this area in the past. Can you advise on suitable varieties? We are at 280m and prone to late snow and frost (frequently into April, can be as late as June) and obviously have a short summer, but unlike the west the ground is quite dry. We have space so size isn't a problem from that perspective but the wind might be...
Thanks for your interesting enquiry. It sounds like a challenging location but on the other hand if you’ve already had trees there that is a very good sign. It sounds like the biggest risk is damage to blossom during April and May.

For apples I would consider: Greensleeves, Spartan (although this might be too late in the season for you – but it generally very reliable), Sunset, Red Windsor. These all have good frost-resistance.

In addition the following generally do well in Scotland (adapted to cold soils and shorter seasons): Ashmeads Kernel, Scotch Dumpling.

For plums: Marjories Seedling – which flowers fairly late, Merrweather (damson), Victoria – the flowers have some frost resistance, Belle de Louvain – a tough tree and the flowers have some frost-resistance, Czar – another tough variety with some frost resistance.

I think if wind is a problem you should probably consider some kind of wind break on the prevailing side. Some of our other customers in Scotland have suggested that planting very dwarf apple trees (on the M27 rootstock). These need staking and good soil conditions – but because they only grow to a height of 6ft or so, they can be more easily sheltered from the wind. However there is no equivalent rootstock for plums, so I’m suggesting the St. Julien rootstock, which produces a strong and fairly large tree. Incidentally plums are well-suited to growing on a trellis, and that is sometimes a good way of dealing with a strong wind – because the trellis can take the pressure of the wind.

By the way, if planting on a site that has already had apple trees, try to avoid planting in exactly the same locations as previous trees – the new ones will not like it. I hope this gives you a few ideas!
I am thinking about the Scrumptious apple tree, but I don't know what the difference is between the two you have in stock - one says cordon and one says 1 year. Can you explain please?
A cordon is a tree which has been trained to grow in a very small space, and usually planted at 45 degrees – normally you would plant 4 or more together in a row to achieve an ornamental effect. Our Scrumptious cordon is a 2-year old tree which has been pre-trained in the nursery to be suitable for this style of growing. However, there is nothing to stop you planting it in the normal way and eventually it will form the usual larger branches and start to grow like a conventional fruit tree.

The 1-year tree (also on the M9 rootstock) is basically just a stem with no side-branches, and could be trained in to any desired format – it is a “blank canvas” at this stage. If you plant it and then cut back the stem (as described in the “initial pruning of 1 year old trees” on this page it will quickly send out side branches and start growing into a conventional tree. It will need a permanent tree-stake to support it, as trees on M9 cannot support themselves. However in other respects trees on M9 are excellent in gardens because they don’t get too large and they never “take over” a space in the way that a fruit tree on a more vigorous rootstock would.