“It’s Not Too Late To Start Your Own Mini Orchard. Plant Now For A Bumper Crop Of Fresh Fruit”

Ideally autumn is the best time to plant fruit trees but they can actually be planted succesfully at any time of year.

You don't need a large garden, as many young fruit trees, like the ones we offer on dwarf rootstocks, can be grown in a pot on a patio.

The only time you can't plant is when the ground is frozen or waterlogged. Make sure the soil is well prepared with plenty of organic matter, such as well-rotted manure, compost, composted bark or tree planting compost.

When the trees are dormant (very much alive, but the sap is not rising - cuts when made will not 'bleed') fruit tree growers dig them up from the fields and wash off all the soil. The trees are then said to be 'bare rooted'. Hundreds of thousands of trees of all sizes and varieties are transported and planted each winter to great success.

To Plant your trees follow the simple steps below:-

   1.) Dig a hole twice as big as the rootball and fork over the bottom to allow the roots to grow.

   2.) Add a good helping of fertilser such as Blood, Fish & Bone or manure to help the trees establish.

   3.) Plant the tree with the graft above the soil (the nobbly bit about a foot up from the roots).

   4.) Water in well and leave to grow!

   5.) If growing in pots use a pot with good drainage and plenty of space - around 30 litres is ideal.

   6.) Use a soil based compost such as John Innes No3 and a good helping of fertilser.

The only extra care needed when buying bare rooted trees is that you must never let the roots dry out, so keep moist until you plant, do not expose to the air, and keep well watered well into spring and summer until strong new roots have been produced.