Which apples, pears, plums?

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Which apples, pears, plums?
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Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 18 7:55 pm Post subject: Which apples, pears, plums?
Part of the grand plan is for a little orchard, I'd like apples, pears and plums. Which varieties can folk recommend? Apples, I'd like a good eater (or 3) that keeps well and a dessert that we will probably cook up and keep in the freezer as sauce/puree. I'm clueless on pears! Happytechie would like Victoria plums but I'm betting there's alsorts of different plums out there worth trying.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 18 8:43 pm Post subject:
I’m no use, the only fruit trees I personally would bother with is a Bramley and morello cherry. However, I did recently meet a Leicestershire Apple expert who was telling me about local varieties. She particularly recommended Annie Elizabeth as a good traditional cooker. I wonder if there is anyone near you who could recommend local heritage varieties?

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46246
Location: yes

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 18 8:51 pm Post subject:

what soil?
what aspect?
exposed or sheltered?
how big?
general microclimate?

re style, traditional or modern?
are you planting to get a decent sized crop in a few years ( but it will be tailing off in 15 to 20 yrs and you will need to replant)?
or
willing to watch the crop get bigger over decades until it is huge ( even if you wont get much fruit in the first 4 or 5 yrs)?
a combo of those approaches is probably a good idea if you have the space.

have a look at https://rvroger.co.uk/
to get an idea of how big a question you just asked re varieties. and they only have a few of the total varieties of tree fruit.

something to considered carefully in a smallish orchard is the best flowering time to give a good chance of fruit being set. a spread of groups does require quite a few trees but choosing the right group for the location can minimise bad years

tis a bit late to start from scratch for this year but that gives you time to observe the site and microclimate to inform your choices.

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 18 11:36 pm Post subject:
Glad I asked

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15993

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 18 7:05 am Post subject:

You also need to consider what you like in an eater; crisp, tart, sweet etc. As far as pears go, again your taste has to be considered. I only really like Comice, but other people prefer Conference, which I only find good for wine making.

We have an Oolins golden gage which is a lovely plum; yellow, sweet and not too bad cropper. We have let it get out of control and are bringing it back slowly, so hoping to get a good crop again.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45676
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 18 9:41 am Post subject:

where are you now?

the only pear I'd recommend is Concorde, dependable and tasty.

there's literally 100s of apples, none keep very well in normal refrigeration, till Christmas maybe? ones that I like:

Red Devil: crisp, not too sweet, makes pink juice
Lord Lambourne: quite sweet but lotsd of flavour
Herefordshire Russett: great apple but doesn't really have that nutty russett flavour
Egremont Russett: loads of flavour but tough to grow
Red Windsor: lovely red apple
Epicure: not much to look at but a great apple
Discovery: best early apple, there's now a red fleshed clone which is supposed to be great
limelight: a good green apple, flavour develops in storage

plums:
highest recommendation would be an American gage called Jefferson, a regular cropper that is really delicious.

oullins is also a good gage, so is Brandy.

best early plum is Herman but a really light cropper,

Duke of York and Prince of Wales are both good red plums, loads of flavour.

Mallard is the absolute best jammer, makes a bright red flavour filled jam, bit sharp as a dessert for some

Reeves is a good one, not so plummy in flavour but really nice and refreshing

Victoria is a heavy regular cropper but not my favourite for flavour

there's loads of plums I could recommend for flavour but most are irregular croppers:

Blue Tit
Hackman
Reine Caude De Violette
Coes Golden Drop
Crimson Drop
Thames Cross
probably plenty I've forgotten.

don't get sucked into buying Medlar's, pointless blinking things. quinces have done really badly for us so all grubbed up now. mulberries worth it as a nice bushy tree, berries a bonus

Slim

Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6612
Location: New England (In the US of A)

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 18 3:03 pm Post subject:
I'm trying out dapple dandy pluot, but only planted a bare root last year so I can't recommend it yet!

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 18 5:21 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

where are you now?

We'll be in East Cheshire by the end of April/start of May, between Nantwich and Audlem.

Won't be planting the orchard for a while but doesn't so the planning!

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8951
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 18 9:01 pm Post subject:
I'd second Tahir's suggestion of Concorde Pear.I grew one in Cwmcarn,up aside valley..so not ideal,but it grew and cropped well.

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 18 10:31 pm Post subject:
Don't forget damsons!

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15993

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 18 6:10 am Post subject:
Tahir mentioned quince. We have one that is brilliant. It tends to give a heavy crop every other year, but it rather depends on whether we have a late frost when the flowers are out, or very cold burning winds. I use it as poached quince, quince jelly, which is amazing, quince wine and quince brandy. All really lovely.

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 18 7:44 am Post subject:
There was an old quince growing in the scrub across from our old house, I don't believe anyone else knew what it was, we didn't to start with either, it was a bit treacherous to pick any fruit off it but it did make delicious jelly.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 18 9:01 pm Post subject:
They have one at school. It drops huge quinces all over the playground. None else knows what it is eep forgetting about it.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45676
Location: Essex

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 18 6:28 am Post subject:
golden delicious probably won't do well up there but it stores well and can be richlky flavoured if its ripe at picking

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15993

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 18 6:29 am Post subject:
Don't forget it. It is definately worth getting the fruit.

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