UKC

Bit random, but anyone got any unusual varieties of apple, pear, plum they'd recommend.

I've already started a small orchard with some I've picked, but now I'm putting in 10 cordons and am staring at a list of a few hundred varieties and it might as well be pot luck.

Interested if anyone has any particularly flavoursome pears. I've got an invincible, but it's proving anything but.

In reply to Philip:

In time honoured tradition, I'm going to suggest something different to the answer you sought.

Try a quince; a fruiting quince, obviously, but it pays to know that there are fruiting and flowering quince and though the flowering quince do fruit, they're much harder work than those from a quince bred for fruit. You can make some lovely marmalade with quince and orange, as well as the other stuff for which quince is better known.

Otherwise, for plum trees I'm all for Victoria plums; ours is no trouble and fruits well. It may not be unusual but they are tasty,

T.

T.

In reply to Philip:

In my experience, I'd go for ones that keep, Coxes/Russets/Bramleys. you could keep yourself in supply then until the New Year. Once you've enough of those, try some others that don't keep and ripen earlier.....Katy?

In reply to Pursued by a bear:


One of the guys (Alex/Adam?) on Gardeners World the other week was suggesting quince. Didn't say which variety he'd planted himself unfortunately but it sounded good.

In reply to Philip:

I found a hedgerow tree with little orange plums about 2 cm in diameter and almost spherical, no idea what species but they were great. Sadly I live far from it now.

Greengages. Wonderful things.

Damsons. I’m currently tending to 40 damson saplings and have high hopes.

Also, hazelnuts. I know you didn’t ask about bra but this is UKC so I can’t just talk plum type fruits. I’m planting more this winter and hope one day to make a hazelnut spread that’s not all processed crap.

In reply to Philip:

Living high on a bleak hill on the outskirts of Rotherham I have just harvested about a kilo of olives. If you get a good amount of sun you should be OK but it may take a couple of years for the harvest to build up.
My tree arrived in a 4inch pot 5 years ago and is now about 8ft tall and looks very pretty.

In reply to Fraser:

A quick sort through things in the garage has told me that we have a variety called Vranja, if that's any help.

T.

In reply to Pursued by a bear:

Or Bullace https://www.keepers-nursery.co.uk/fruit-trees/damson-cherryplum-bullace/bul...

In reply to Philip:

I’d go for strawberry, as they’re better in smoothies.

In reply to Philip:

Hi

You're in Staffordshire? I'd reccomend Bushey Grove.

It's a highly flavoured, crisp, white-flesh, slightly acidic, decent-cropping variety. From Hertfordshire originally (but Staffs has soils that are at least as good). It comes to fruit quite young. The flesh stays firm if cooked, so although primarily an eater, it can be used like a Bramley too.

You used to be able to get it on a variety of rootstocks here: https://www.keepers-nursery.co.uk but I don't see it in their list now. Google may be your friend; otherwise RIP another historic variety.

In reply to Philip:

Turns out I was wrong. They do have it; just now on the main page list of varieties.

Here:
https://www.keepers-nursery.co.uk/fruit-trees/apple/cooking/bushey-grove

In reply to johncook:

That's amazing - My olive bush is useless. What do you do to yours?

In reply to wintertree:

Damsons .....mmmmmyummm
..

In reply to Pursued by a bear:
I have a quince. It's fan trained. Lovely blossom too.
Damsons a plenty, and nuts are going elsewhere.

I'll check out the Bushey Grove, but I have a huge Bramley (200-300 kg fruit) and a Lanes Prince Albert.

If I can't choose I'll probably just go for the varieties with the rudest names.

In reply to Pursued by a bear:

Thank you - I didn't know that about quince, and it explains why mine produces lovely flowers and hard-as-nails fruit.

That said, I waited this year till they were very ripe (on a sunny windowsill) and made quite an interesting quince jelly with cinnamon.

In reply to BusyLizzie:

Mine too, that's impressive so far north.

In reply to Philip:

When you've only got five leaves left, get one of these

youtube.com/watch?v=Y8MQcrR4OSc&

In reply to BusyLizzie:

Soil is alkali (House is built on an old industrial basic slag tip) and then mulch heavily with home made compost every spring. It can suffer if there is a spell of late spring frost, heavy rain or wind when the flowers are open. Apart from that I do very little except prune it to the shape I want. Olives flower/fruit on older wood, not the previous years growth. You may have missed some as they are sometimes hidden under new leaves?

In reply to Philip:

Howgate wonder.

My Mum's tree simply produces the most gigantic apples.

In reply to wintertree:

The little orange plums sound like Mirabelles.

In reply to Philip:

Hi Phil. Clare says have a look at medlars - beautiful trees and unusual fruit, eaten when they're a bit rotten ('bletted').
J

In reply to johncook:

Mine is in a pot - sounds like it would do better in the ground?

(I always smile when I see your name, as my husband is a John Cooke.)

In reply to Philip:

Don,t know about Pears but can really recommend Fiesta, a disease resistant Cox type Apple. Tastes great and keeps well...

In reply to BusyLizzie:

As said elsewhere, you can still make quince jelly from the flowering Japanese quince.

In reply to BusyLizzie:

Make sure that it is in well drained ground.

In reply to Philip:

Of the three varieties we've got in our garden (Russet, Bardsey and something else) the Bardsey is the nicest by far:

http://www.iansturrockandsons.co.uk/shop/bardseyapple

In reply to bouldery bits:



Seconded. Nice apples to eat & cook with.

Best we've managed was one just under 2 pounds in weight.

In reply to Philip:

Cherries. I have two and they look great all year from the thick fragrant blossom, ripe red fruits and then great colors in autumn. Last year they were plagued with black fly so i need a new strategy next year if i am to get fruut again.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:


You can buy boxes of living ladybirds to release in aphid season, as well as planting stuff they like.

I have 3 small cherry trees (one transplated Wild or Bird and two cultivated ones) and we had our first fruit - singular - this year. I have high hopes for the future if I can get the fruit before the birds...

In reply to Jamie Wakeham:


I googled imaged that- spot on, thanks! I’d quite forgotten about them until this thread, I shall try and get one in now this winter.