"Jim Jackson" wrote in message
...
Mary Fisher wrote:
I'm in inner city Leeds, Yorkshire so there's no point in southerners
bothering to reply - conditions are very different :-)

I want to get an apricot tree, I'm assured that they will produce fruit
here
if grown in a protected, sunny site.

I can do that but not with a wall behind it, which is recommended, unless
we
build one which would have to be done from the friendly neighbour's
garden.
He's co-operative and wants to build a garage in that spot anyway -
eventually.

The site is reasonably sheltered and gets full sun (when it's out!). The
local temperature is higher than in less built-up regions.

Would it help to put a temporary panel of a less heat retentive
material -
wood, plastic, glass - until a wall can be built?

Would the panel (hem!) advise training the apricot as a fan or other
shape
or having it as a small tree? I'd prefer it to be flat against the
fence/wall.

Do I need to know anything else?

Mary,

I'm on the Leeds/Wakefield Border in East Ardsley, and 2 years ago I put
in a maiden Apricot, against a wall. It's made slow progress, so I can't
report flowers or fruit yet. I'm training as a fan against the wall. I
thought I was mad (the family think so too :-) so I'm really glad to see
someone else wanting to try this. I'm not sure Kay has an apricot? I don't
remember seeing one when she showed me round her garden a couple of years
ago.

I'm sure you could get an apricot started before the wall is in place -
but you'd have to be very very carefull building the wall not to damage
the tree. I think one of the reasons a wall is usefull is that you can
support fleece for covering the apricot, should there be danger of frost
when the tree is in flower.

Thanks for that, Jim. I don't think you're mad at all. I haven't had a full
tour of Kay's garden so don't know about hers.

I've had so much conflicting 'expert' advice from professional growers and
books and websites that we've very confused. I suspect that I'm in too much
of a hurry (you get like that as you get closer to your box !) and that I
should put more thought into it.

The wall will be built for other reasons even if we don't get an apricot.
The neighbour is very amenable. About four or five years ago we built a 1m
high retaining wall at the end of his garden, with proper foundations and
piers. The proposed wall will be an extension of this.

If we do get a tree it seems that it might be better to prepare the site
thoroughly and buy it in autumn rather than this spring. It will be
important to grow one which flowers late, I think, to avoid possible frost
damage.

My first idea was that fan training would be best (and good to look at) but
it would take up a large spread of the wall and space is tight. It would
also possibly take more management than a tree, time and physical abilities
are diminishing. If we let it grow as a tree I want to make sure I can get a
dwarf one, even eight feet high would really be too much.

I'm really just musing now, I'm very grateful for all the advice given here
and if I do get a tree I'll let you all know what happens. In the meantime,
Jim, could you mail me please?

Mary