No - We have thought about it, but not at the moment, as they way too expensive and somebody has to pay for it down the line. All of our stock can be viewed and purchased from our website which displays live ‘available’ quantities.

I assume you mean 'peat' free compost. And yes we confirm that peat is not used in any potted plants. All is made from green recycled with sharp sand/perlite added.

All of the Leicestershire apple trees are grown on MM106 rootstock, which is ideal for growing on clay soils. In fact all of our mother trees are on MM106 and are field grown in heavy clay.

Any variety is suitable for an exposed location.

Hi - Yes you can graft any apple to any apple rootstock. Only watch out for excessively vigorous growers, like a Bramley being grafted onto any dwarfing rootstock. You will get a large swelling growth at the graft joint.

Yes - All fruit trees can be grown in pots as long as they are large enough. As far as the type of container, clay pots are heavy and stable. Plastic is durable, light and easier to manage, but they have a very short life, till they start cracking. For most fruit, choose pots 50-60cm in diameter. Pots are ideal for dwarfing rootstocks, but any semi dwarfing rootstocks will need potting up to a larger container or planting out into the ground.

No – We do not grow Espalier or Fan trained fruit trees. As they are very easy to train yourself.

No - It is hard to recommend varieties as this is down to personal taste and each variety has its own unique taste. You can see in the best sellers our most popular varieties. Also the local weather conditions has an impact.

Yes – There is a product called ‘donation’ which enables you donate.

Yes and No - Each has its own advantages:

A pot grown tree can be planted at any time of the year. They should start to fruit the following summer after planting. A Bare Root tree is grown in a field and can only be lifted and sent out during the winter months when dormant. They should not be allowed to fruit the first summer after planting.

Without a doubt it is the.

The basic rule is if you are going to grow a ‘traditional’ orchard, then whatever the ultimate height of your tree, will then also be your planting distance. For example M26 will grow to around 3 metres and so will need a planting distance of 3 metres, M27 will grow 1.8 metres and will need a planting distance of 1.8 metres.
But if you are growing your trees using a different training method ie cordons, then spacing is reduced. Something like 60cms between trees and 1.8m between rows is appropriate.

With the modern housing estates, the gardens are closer together and smaller. In which case it may be beneficial to have another tree planted in close proximity. If there are more older properties nearby, these tend to have larger gardens, and normally a fruit tree. In which case a pollinator is not required, providing there are enough bees about. The selected two varieties must be in the same pollination group or the adjoining group ie group 2 and 4 will pollinate group 3 as will any others in group 3. Some people use the A B C instead of 1 2 3. Some varieties are self-fertile.

A rootstock is the portion of the tree that grows in the ground. Attached to it is the scion. It is the rootstock that determines the ultimate height that the tree will grow into, and also its suitability to soil conditions. The scion is the actual known variety being grown. This is an identical copy of its original mother tree.

ABC

No - The apples grow to normal size when grown on a dwarfing rootstock. Different rootstock do however have a marginal effect on fruit size.

Generally, the taller an ultimate tree will be, increases the number of years for fruiting. Those grown on MM106 will take a couple of years to start producing a few apples. Maximum production will be over double that. But a M25 rootstock of a traditional orchard will start producing in about 5 years and maximum fruiting in over 10 years. Commercial growers do not now use M25 for that very reason.

This is determined by the rootstock, soil type and variety
MM106 , Colt, St.Julien, Quince C – 12-15 feet ,4-5 metres
M25 – 25-30 feet 8-10 metres

Our webpages and data are encrypted, and all of our software is always up to date. All data in held on a remote host server and is not held on PC's.

If you haven't found an answer to your question on this page or our FAQ pages, please contact us for more information