Page 26 - ALG Issue 3 2022

fruit
Dwarf
Fruit
Trees
Late summer and early autumn are great times to get fruit planting started. Fruit trees on allotments are not always an option depending on the rules of the lease. Some associations are not keen, with some sites allowing full-sized trees. Others are happy to accommodate dwarf varieties of fruit favourites.
Dwarf pears, apples and plums are all popular with fruit eating allotmenteers and their blossom can be particularly alluring to pollinators.
Taken from Complete guide to dwarf & miniature fruit trees - Chris Bowers
Dwarf apple trees
Cox’s Orange Pippin remains everyone’s favourite, certainly as far as our members are concerned. It still ranks above imports and more modern less traditional varieties such as Gala and Braeburn. You can grow those two as well.
Red Falstaff is the number one choice of apple tree for apple growers. It is super frost hardy, self-fertile, reliably heavy cropping and the fruits are of excellent quality. It is a bit like a Braeburn to eat, only better. It is ready from early October and will store for several weeks. The blossom is especially attractive too.
If you prefer green crisp apples, then Greensleeves is a particularly good option. Again, self-fertile, the inner flesh is so clean, crisp, and juicy, refreshing without being too tart. A good doer and easy to grow. It has a sibling which shares all those qualities, it is called Redsleeves and is earlier to ripen too
– you can enjoy Redsleeves from August. It is sweet and nicely flavoured and quite cold hardy.
Popular varieties such as Gala, Braeburn, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith and the cooker Bramleys can all be grown as dwarf trees too; but these are all varieties that will require a pollinator with another different variety.
Dwarf Heritage Apples, Plums and Other fruits
Apples: Beauty of Bath, Charles Ross, Cox, Ribston Pippin... M27/ M26/ PIXY
The Heritage Fruit Tree Co
Fruit Trees, Pruning, Orchard Planning. 01295 810516 / 07950 006813 “Fruit with Flavour” Consultations and Training Courses. www.heritagefruittrees.com
26 Allotment and Leisure Gardener