Growing Meplars
 

Good afternoon all.

When I came to Normandy, I knew the German word „Mispel“ but had never
seen neither the fruit, nor the tree.
In the meantime I have passed through a process which probably makes me
fall foul of half of mankind: I love eating meplars since I learned to
cut them in half, first.

As it is also advantageous to have these trees in a hedge, I wonder if I
have a real chance to grow them from the fruit's stones (or whatever is
the right name for the seeds). In our tree nursery I was informed that
it is very difficult to grow meplars from scions, and I had not thought
to ask about the seeds. With the first frost came the first edible
fruit and for the time being I try to keep all the seeds.

As the fruits do not survive long enough in my vicinity, instead, here
is a picture of the future hedge that I am about to plant as a second,
inner rampart with some of our (nice) neighbour's smaller animals in the
foreground (256K):

http://pix.toile-libre.org/?img=1416067910.jpg

Bye,

Michael
--
Location: Lower Normandy (Orne), France
GnuPG/OpenPGP 4096R/3216CF02 2013-11-15 [expires: 2015-11-15]
sub 4096R/2751C550 2013-11-15 [expires: 2015-11-15]

Growing Meplars
 

On 16/11/2014 5:00 AM, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Sat, 15 Nov 2014 17:17:11 +0100, Michael Uplawski
wrote:


Good afternoon all.

When I came to Normandy, I knew the German word „Mispel“ but had never
seen neither the fruit, nor the tree.
In the meantime I have passed through a process which probably makes me
fall foul of half of mankind: I love eating meplars since I learned to
cut them in half, first.

As it is also advantageous to have these trees in a hedge, I wonder if I
have a real chance to grow them from the fruit's stones (or whatever is
the right name for the seeds). In our tree nursery I was informed that
it is very difficult to grow meplars from scions, and I had not thought
to ask about the seeds. With the first frost came the first edible
fruit and for the time being I try to keep all the seeds.

As the fruits do not survive long enough in my vicinity, instead, here
is a picture of the future hedge that I am about to plant as a second,
inner rampart with some of our (nice) neighbour's smaller animals in the
foreground (256K):

http://pix.toile-libre.org/?img=1416067910.jpg

Bye,

Michael

aka Medlar in the UK. Plenty of advice on growing them here,
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-y.../fruit/medlars
especially here
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-y.../fruit/medlars
and here
http://les-trois-chenes.hubpages.com...o-grow-medlars

By all accounts, best eaten after 'bletting' or rotting, for a few
weeks after picking. Never tried them.

IMO, the flowers alone make them worthy of a place in the garden.

Growing Meplars
 

"Fran Farmer" wrote in message
...
On 16/11/2014 5:00 AM, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Sat, 15 Nov 2014 17:17:11 +0100, Michael Uplawski
wrote:


Good afternoon all.

When I came to Normandy, I knew the German word „Mispel“ but had never
seen neither the fruit, nor the tree.
In the meantime I have passed through a process which probably makes me
fall foul of half of mankind: I love eating meplars since I learned to
cut them in half, first.

As it is also advantageous to have these trees in a hedge, I wonder if I
have a real chance to grow them from the fruit's stones (or whatever is
the right name for the seeds). In our tree nursery I was informed that
it is very difficult to grow meplars from scions, and I had not thought
to ask about the seeds. With the first frost came the first edible
fruit and for the time being I try to keep all the seeds.

As the fruits do not survive long enough in my vicinity, instead, here
is a picture of the future hedge that I am about to plant as a second,
inner rampart with some of our (nice) neighbour's smaller animals in the
foreground (256K):

http://pix.toile-libre.org/?img=1416067910.jpg

Bye,

Michael

aka Medlar in the UK. Plenty of advice on growing them here,
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-y.../fruit/medlars
especially here
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-y.../fruit/medlars
and here
http://les-trois-chenes.hubpages.com...o-grow-medlars

By all accounts, best eaten after 'bletting' or rotting, for a few
weeks after picking. Never tried them.

IMO, the flowers alone make them worthy of a place in the garden.

Nice small tree with good flowers, but I am finding much of the fruit drops
and I don't know why, I find the taste nice but can understand why folk are
put off by the look of the thing. I believe the word Medlar comes from old
English (Saxon?) meaning Dogs arse!

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk

Growing Medlars
 

Thank you for the references. “Meplar� is my own creation, as I wrote
the posting some time after having looked up the word in an
online-dictionary. The error is probably due to the closer similarity to
the German word „Mispel“.

I correct the Subject (and Darn! Sorry.).

On Sun, 16 Nov 2014 09:53:25 -0000,
Charlie Pridham wrote:

"Fran Farmer" wrote in message
...
On 16/11/2014 5:00 AM, Chris Hogg wrote:

By all accounts, best eaten after 'bletting' or rotting, for a few
weeks after picking. Never tried them.

They are hard and unedibe before the frost hits the fruit and turns it
to compote. It's not the thing that you will have for dessert in a fancy
restaurant. Also, each fruit has five rather big stones. Because it is too
squashy to be pealed, you have to find another technique to eat it. In
the beginning, I was deterred by sticky fingers ... (not the record),
but an uncle has finally explained that you need to cut the fruit in
half and squeeze the ‘compote’ into your mouth... Deliverance. 8-)

Nice small tree with good flowers, but I am finding much of the fruit drops
and I don't know why, I find the taste nice but can understand why folk are
put off by the look of the thing. I believe the word Medlar comes from old
English (Saxon?) meaning Dogs arse!

You should not have mentoned that... ;-) In a way, it is a fitting
description. Ah whatever. More for me, then.

Michael


--
Location: Lower Normandy (Orne), France
GnuPG/OpenPGP 4096R/3216CF02 2013-11-15 [expires: 2015-11-15]
sub 4096R/2751C550 2013-11-15 [expires: 2015-11-15]

Growing Medlars
 

In article u,
Michael Uplawski wrote:


Nice small tree with good flowers, but I am finding much of the fruit drops
and I don't know why, I find the taste nice but can understand why folk are
put off by the look of the thing. I believe the word Medlar comes from old
English (Saxon?) meaning Dogs arse!

You should not have mentoned that... ;-) In a way, it is a fitting
description. Ah whatever. More for me, then.

Actually, it's wrong, anyway. The old name was open-arse, and the
French sometimes call it cul de chien.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.