How to plant fruit trees this autumn for training next summer
Although you can buy ready-trained fruit trees trained as fan or espalier or fan trained trees it’s often a good idea and more cost-effective to buy bare-rooted plants in the autumn and train them to the shape you require.
Fruit trees are best planted as bare root plants in the autumn which means the trees have been grown in a field in the soil, then when the plant drops its leaves and becomes dormant in the autumn the plant is dug up and ready for sale. If those plants are not sold by the spring the roots are cut back and the plants potted on for retail garden centre sales in the spring.
Ideally, you plant fruit trees as they are dug up from the fields into your garden in the autumn when the soil is still warm from the winter sun.
The fruit trees need to be planted at the same level they grow in the field if you look carefully at the lower stem you should be a soil mark which indicates the level they have been growing at in the field before being dug up.
Plant in a large hole so the roots are not cramped or if you are using a pot use the largest pot you can find for the area and use John Innes compost number 2
Add a handful of Growmore as you plant, firm in well as you backfill the soil around the roots and water well even if it’s wet weather. Watering will help to remove any air pockets around the roots
Your tree will need a tree stake and ties or wires if grown on a wall or fence.
Most of the fruit tree GardenAdvice supplies are suitable for training into espaliers or fan shapes. Whilst you can buy pre-shaped fruit trees these can be quite expensive
Currently, GardenAdvice have the following fruit trees available
APPLES
Bramley bush (C)
Cox’s Orange Pippin bush (E)
Discovery bush (E)
Egremont Russet bush (E)
Golden Delicious bush (E & C)
James Grieves bush (E & C)
Sunset bush (E)
Worcester Pearmain bush (E)
APRICOTS
New Large Early bush
Moorpark bush
CHERRY
Morello bush (C)
Stella bush (E)
Sunburst bush (E)
NECTARINES
Necta Red bush
Lord Napier bush
PEACHES
Peregrine bush
Merryweather bush (E & C)
PEARS
Concorde bush
Conference bush
Doyenne Du Comice bush
William Bon Chretien bush