Which apples, pears, plums?

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Which apples, pears, plums?
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gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8939
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 18 2:04 pm Post subject:

Fee wrote:

gz wrote:

Fee wrote:

There was an old quince growing in the scrub across from our old house, I don't believe anyone else knew what it was, we didn't to start with either, it was a bit treacherous to pick any fruit off it but it did make delicious jelly.

Would taking a cutting make sense? Could always be grafted....

It would if it weren't now 180 miles away

friends near to it?

yummersetter

Joined: 26 Jan 2008
Posts: 3241
Location: Somerset

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 18 3:05 pm Post subject:

Its safe to windowshop the Agroforestry site now https://www.agroforestry.co.uk/product-category/plants/top-fruit as they've sold out. Its very good for making the brain spin with new fruit and nut ideas, though as they are based on the South Coast of Devon they might be more optimistic about hardiness than you need where you'll be.
Starting with the idea of growing what you can't buy properly ripened, I'd think about buying an Asian pear from them, I grew Shinseiki and it was nice, juicy and crunchy - wood was a bit brittle and I lost half the tree in a freak storm but I think we were unlucky there. You should plant Doyenne du Comice, you may only get a few fruits and then you have to get the timing perfect on ripening, but if you do, it'll be the most delicious fruit you've ever tasted.
Plums - Mirabelle de Nancy Kirkes Blue and a Japanese plum - they'll all benefit from a sunny sheltered place though.
Apples - Scrumptious, Kidds Orange Red, Orleans Reinette and Peasgood Nonsuch . . . though you have time to research what is recommended in your area.

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8939
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 18 3:51 pm Post subject:
Although nurseries further South are good, I'd look for something more local or at least of similar climate. Possibly one growing older varieties so more likely to be doing it themselves instead of,like many, just buying in. I don't know whats near your new home, but I'm sure someone on here will

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 18 4:54 pm Post subject:

gz wrote:

...

friends near to it?

Good point, I should at least tell them it's there and what it is!!

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46235
Location: yes

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 18 6:35 pm Post subject:

for a fairly hardy old school variety of apple it is hard to beat tom putts , triple use variety
cookin then cookin or eating then cookin or eatin or cider as the harvest matures

they do need another group 3 type to pollinate them but the ones i know seem to be long lived ,heavy cropping and vermin resistant even when neglected

from what i recall cheshire is a bit damper and warmer than york but they should be ok.

something to consider is wind, if it is sheltered you have lots of choices, if windy especially when in leaf and you have a soft soil it might be best to go for smallish trees or even cordon grown stuff rather than big stuff

re naming favourites i have a slight problem in that most of mine are from late 19th/ early 20 th C stock and we haven’t found names for most of the best ones yet. not knowing a name is no barrier to taking grafts though

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15986

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 18 6:27 am Post subject:
Think there is still a place you can get apple trees identified, but can't remember which of the former fruit places it was. May now be private, so may have to pay a small fee, but worth looking into.

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 18 7:31 am Post subject:

dpack wrote:

not knowing a name is no barrier to taking grafts though

True that

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 18 8:17 am Post subject:
There’s probably some sort of local ‘apple group’ with access to old local varieties. Check which ones are edible though.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46235
Location: yes

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 18 10:06 am Post subject:

Mistress Rose wrote:

Think there is still a place you can get apple trees identified, but can't remember which of the former fruit places it was. May now be private, so may have to pay a small fee, but worth looking into.

we know a few id experts but they are stumped with about half of the ancient varieties dotted around york

yummersetter

Joined: 26 Jan 2008
Posts: 3241
Location: Somerset

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 18 11:05 am Post subject:

Brogdale and the RHS used to do a visual iD but didn't know what our rarities were. My grandfather loved collecting roses and apples so they could be virtually unique to our local orchards.

I regularly get emails offering DNA testing for apple identification, and when it gets cheaper might submit some samples; now I know them well and know their qualities and shortfalls, the name doesn't seem so important . . I just pick the Good-for-Baked-Apple-in-September or The-One-that-Tastes-of-Strawberries-when-Ripe-Enough-but-Not-Too-Much fruits.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46235
Location: yes

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 18 11:52 am Post subject:
the little ginger russet is ace etc etc etc that green one that is too tart unless it is picked late makes ace pies in december etc etc . i can see quite a few unknowns getting cloned over the next few years. the plums are even trickier than the apples to find the names of.

yummersetter

Joined: 26 Jan 2008
Posts: 3241
Location: Somerset

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 18 12:43 pm Post subject:
At least in Olden Days, most top fruit trees were bought from local growers (or Woolworths). In our case, we know Grandfather was loyal to the nearby Scotts Nurseries and we have their catalogues and Scotts Orchardist to help with identification. Who would ever be able to track this decade's purchases through the dozens of online website suppliers?

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46235
Location: yes

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 18 1:35 pm Post subject:

Quite a few sites we have were part of hospital self sufficiency which were maintained until meds replaced activities in the 1960's ( or patients were no longer used as field slaves depending on points of view and local conditions ).

most of these hospital orchards are early 20th cent plantings selected by folk with victorian experience so it does narrow it down a bit although i recon we have only 30% named so far

some of the ecclesiastical ones have stuff that could have been repeat grafted since the OT was written

yummersetter

Joined: 26 Jan 2008
Posts: 3241
Location: Somerset

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 18 2:53 pm Post subject:
In that case, its likely the varieties would be from Robert Hogg's 'The Fruit Manual: A Guide to the Fruits and Fruit Trees of Great Britain' the BIble of Victorian fruit growing plus newer introductions from Laxton, Thomas Rivers

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46235
Location: yes

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 18 5:18 pm Post subject:
thanks that could be very handy info.

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