Good morning from sunny Berkshire.

We're thinking about growing some additional fruit next season and was
looking for some advice on what to grow. We've inherited
Gooseberries, Blackcurrants and Rhubarb so we thought about adding the
following:

Strawberries - Elsanta or Cambridge Favorites
any recommendations as to variety?

Raspberries - Malling Admiral & Autumn Glory?
Any better varieties?

Trees - we don't have the space for an orchard so are looking to grow
them as fans (or similar):

Cherry - Stella? From what I've read these seem to be pretty easy to
grow provided you can keep the birds off?

Apples - any recommendations on variety as there's a bewildering
number?

Peaches - rochester? I've read these can be difficult, anyone with any
experience

If anyone feels I've missed any fruit types out then any
recommendations would be gratefully received.

Anyone got any recommendations as to suppliers - I've found Ken Muir
and Keepers Nursery online (has anyone any experience of these). Any
other suggestions?

Thnanks
Steve.

In article , steve Snider
writes
Good morning from sunny Berkshire.

We're thinking about growing some additional fruit next season and was
looking for some advice on what to grow. We've inherited
Gooseberries, Blackcurrants and Rhubarb so we thought about adding the
following:

Strawberries - Elsanta or Cambridge Favorites
any recommendations as to variety?

Raspberries - Malling Admiral & Autumn Glory?
Any better varieties?

What about loganberries, tayberries and similar? Very robust and heavy
cropping.

Trees - we don't have the space for an orchard so are looking to grow
them as fans (or similar):

Cherry - Stella? From what I've read these seem to be pretty easy to
grow provided you can keep the birds off?

Apples - any recommendations on variety as there's a bewildering
number?

It's interesting to go to a specialist nursery and grow some that aren't
easily obtainable in the shops. There is a wide range of flavours. First
decide whether you want cookers or eating apples. I grow only eating
apples and have a russet, a fairly crisp variety and some aromatic ones.
Some ripen early, and these tend to keep only a couple of weeks after
picking, others aren't ripe till Dec but will keep till Mar, and there's
everything in between. Apple varieties are listed with their flowering
period as a number after the name - you need two varieties so they can
pollinate each other, and obviously they need to be in flower at the
same time!

Peaches - rochester? I've read these can be difficult, anyone with any
experience

They need more warmth than the others. I'd be inclined to concentrate on
things where you could get a worthwhile crop.

If anyone feels I've missed any fruit types out then any
recommendations would be gratefully received.

Pears (but tend to be larger trees than apples), plums, gages etc, figs,
medlars, mulberry, quince, redcurrant, worcesterberry, blueberry (needs
acid soil), apricot ;-)

Medlars and mulberry are also largish trees - well, the medlar isn't,
but it spreads. Figs can be grown in containers

Anyone got any recommendations as to suppliers - I've found Ken Muir
and Keepers Nursery online (has anyone any experience of these). Any
other suggestions?

Ken Muir is reputable, but I have no experience.
Scotts of merriot, Somerset, is where I have bought all my fruit trees -
they have a huge variety of apples and a good range of all the others,
and their catalogue gives descriptions and recommendations.
Reads have a good fig list - I haven't explored any further.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

Why don't you try minarette fruit trees from Ken Muir, they take up little
space and are great value www.kenmuir.co.uk

steve Snider wrote:
: Good morning from sunny Berkshire.
:
: We're thinking about growing some additional fruit next season and was
: looking for some advice on what to grow. We've inherited
: Gooseberries, Blackcurrants and Rhubarb so we thought about adding the
: following:
:
: Strawberries - Elsanta or Cambridge Favorites
: any recommendations as to variety?
:
: Raspberries - Malling Admiral & Autumn Glory?
: Any better varieties?
:
: Trees - we don't have the space for an orchard so are looking to grow
: them as fans (or similar):
:
: Cherry - Stella? From what I've read these seem to be pretty easy to
: grow provided you can keep the birds off?
:
: Apples - any recommendations on variety as there's a bewildering
: number?
:
: Peaches - rochester? I've read these can be difficult, anyone with any
: experience
:
: If anyone feels I've missed any fruit types out then any
: recommendations would be gratefully received.
:
: Anyone got any recommendations as to suppliers - I've found Ken Muir
: and Keepers Nursery online (has anyone any experience of these). Any
: other suggestions?
:
: Thnanks
: Steve.

Robert

On Mon, 26 May 2003 09:44:59 +0100, steve Snider wrote:

Good morning from sunny Berkshire.

We're thinking about growing some additional fruit...Strawberries...
Raspberries...Cherry...Apples...Peaches...

If anyone feels I've missed any fruit types out then any
recommendations would be gratefully received.


Quinces. Medlars. Azaroles. Kiwi fruit. Saskatoon berries.
Blueberries.

My personal philosophy of growing food is that you shouldn't
waste time, effort, and space on items that you can buy from the
local grocery at reasonable terms. For example, there is an
abundant supply of good apples year round these days that make
the home grown apple something of a redundancy unless you go in
for cultivars not grown commercially.


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

(Rodger Whitlock) wrote in
:

Quinces. Medlars. Azaroles. Kiwi fruit. Saskatoon berries.
Blueberries.

What's an Azarole???

Victoria

On Tue, 27 May 2003 22:24:23 +0100, Victoria Clare wrote:

(Rodger Whitlock) wrote in
:

Quinces. Medlars. Azaroles. Kiwi fruit. Saskatoon berries.
Blueberries.

What's an Azarole???

A crataegus species with edible fruit, grown in the Mediterranean
area.


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

In article , Victoria
Clare writes
(Rodger Whitlock) wrote in
:

Quinces. Medlars. Azaroles. Kiwi fruit. Saskatoon berries.
Blueberries.

What's an Azarole???

The fruit of Crataegus azarolus - much grown in Crete, Spain, Sicily
etc. and known as the Mediterranean Medlar.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

steve Snider wrote in message . ..
Good morning from sunny Berkshire.

We're thinking about growing some additional fruit next season and was
looking for some advice on what to grow. We've inherited
Gooseberries, Blackcurrants and Rhubarb so we thought about adding the
following:

Strawberries - Elsanta or Cambridge Favorites
any recommendations as to variety?

Raspberries - Malling Admiral & Autumn Glory?
Any better varieties?

Trees - we don't have the space for an orchard so are looking to grow
them as fans (or similar):

Cherry - Stella? From what I've read these seem to be pretty easy to
grow provided you can keep the birds off?

Apples - any recommendations on variety as there's a bewildering
number?

Peaches - rochester? I've read these can be difficult, anyone with any
experience

If anyone feels I've missed any fruit types out then any
recommendations would be gratefully received.

Anyone got any recommendations as to suppliers - I've found Ken Muir
and Keepers Nursery online (has anyone any experience of these). Any
other suggestions?

Thnanks
Steve.

tayberries and boysenberries both have wonderful flavour when cooked
or in jam.
I've found peaches easy to grow. Fan. South facing wall. Cropping
after only 2 years.
There's nothing like a tree ripened apricot. The flavour is so good
its worth the fact that some years you will lose your blossom to frost
Strawbs best grown through black matting (or weeds become a nuisance).
try to get varieites that stagger fruiting times coz the season for
each variety is not long. Possibly include a perpetual variety to
extend the season.
Rasps give a good yield - the summer ones are sweeter.
Agree with the Scotts recommendation.

"Kay Easton" wrote in message
...
In article , steve Snider
writes
Good morning from sunny Berkshire.

We're thinking about growing some additional fruit next season and was
looking for some advice on what to grow. We've inherited
Gooseberries, Blackcurrants and Rhubarb so we thought about adding the
following:


What about redcurrants? Easy care, never had a problem with mine, except
you will need to net them to keep the birds off. Nice scattered in desserts
or on a flan base covered in sort of a jelly topping then doused in cream
:0)

Andy.

"steve Snider" wrote in message
...
Good morning from sunny Berkshire.

We're thinking about growing some additional fruit next season and was
looking for some advice on what to grow. We've inherited
Gooseberries, Blackcurrants and Rhubarb so we thought about adding the
following:

Strawberries - Elsanta or Cambridge Favorites
any recommendations as to variety?

I thought I had sent you an email, but in my advanced state of senile
decay, I may not have, but:-

If you can get to windsor you can have as many strawberry runners
as you want.

Alan
--
Reply to alan(at)windsor-berks(dot)freeserve(dot)co(dot)uk