Saturday, September 17

We are fruitaholics

We have to admit that we are fruitaholics. As well as the masses of fruits that we grow on the allotment we also have some fruit growing in the garden.

Some is intentionally and some are just happy bonuses.

The newcomers
I’ve already mentioned our success with nectarines/peaches. Half a dozen fruits may not rate as a success for some but for us it was fantastic. The tree was kept in a pot in the garden as we wanted to cosset it and also such fruit grown on the plot would be likely to attract unwelcome attention.

We also have a few strawberry plants - Finesses growing in a tub. These really ended up in the garden as we had set out the new strawberry bed when our main strawberry order arrived and so when Finesse arrived the plants were homeless. The idea of a few in the garden was appealing and so they stayed.
The kiwi Issai that was also planted in a tub in the garden doesn’t really seem very happy. It was off to a great start and has produced lots of fruit but these just aren’t getting any larger. It hasn’t had idea conditions this year but we are also wondering whether it is happy growing in a pot.
The long standing residents
We’ve had a grapevine - Himrod - that has lived in our greenhouse for years. There was a point where it took over completely and had to be severely put in it’s place. Now it is subject to hard pruning every year. It doesn’t hold this against us and produces masses of small seedless sweet green grapes every year. After pruning it is left to just get on with it except for a little cutting back once bunches of fruit have set.
Behind our greenhouse are a couple of apple trees and a pear tree. These are not really trees in the true sense more delinquent cordons. They shouldn’t really be there as we cut down all our cordon trees years ago when we just couldn’t control the woolly aphids that infested them each year. The roots were difficult to remove and so were left and new growth just cut back until it eventually gave up trying. These three, however, just sneakily continued to grow behind the greenhouse until one day we noticed that they were loaded with fruit. 

We know the pear is a Conference and that one of the apples is a Bramley but are unsure what the other apple is - maybe Peasgood Nonsuch. 
We sort of remember which trees we planted but not really where each one was. One thing I am sure of is that they produce fantastic apples.

There are grapes growing on one of the vines planted outdoors on the plot but these are still currant sized even though the photo makes them look fairly mature I doubt whether any will swell and ripen and be fit for picking. Well there's always another year!


12 comments:

  1. Sue, you have a fruit a plenty! And I have fruit envy! lol Actually, I do hope to have fruit tree's one day. I've been reading about this 'quadrant' method for small spaces. I hadn't considered growing kiwi..but hm..that could be interesting. I'll be watching your progress with interest.

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  2. Oh wow! That's a lot of fruit! I'm jealous... :-) Love 'n' hugs, Mel xx

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  3. KIwis do take a lot of room, Jenni but they will grow up a fence. You could also consider small fruit trees in tubs, family trees or trees trained up a fence which should all take less space.

    It's now just a case of keeping it 'til we can eat it all, Mel

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  4. That's a lot of fruit. Your apples look delicious, they were obviously intent on growing.

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  5. I think you underplay the peaches/nectarines, it's quite an achievement to grow them in Yorkshire. Picked my apples today, now all I need is some room to store them in!

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  6. What a scrumptious array of fruit Sue, and I, for one, am impressed at you getting ANY peaches or nectarines that far north. I hope you find the secret of keeping your kiwi happy.

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  7. Sue,I am very jealous,I also have a kiwi but I planted mine in the ground against a fence as it had outgorwn its pot and alloted greenhouse space in the winter!I only planted it out last year but have had some growth but no fruits.I know we had a bad winter and to be honest at one point it looked very dead but I am in worcestershire so we tend to warm up quite early so pot or ground I dont honestly know?!!

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  8. You are the fruit queen. You have all kind of edibles not just vegetables but so many fruits to harvest. You probably don't spend any money on fruit. How do you preserve your huge harvest of fruits?

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  9. The apples were/are delicious, Jo

    Storing can be an issue can't it Rob - we have some apples in an old fridge in the garage - others are stewed and frozen. The nectarine is one that is supposed to do OK in our climate but I have to admit we were really surprised to get some fruit in it's first year especially after last winter.

    We certainly will make trying to coax the kiwi a priority, Janet.

    Hi Flowerlady - is your kiwi self fertile? We have a couple planted on the plot but the boy one is a bit backward in producing any flowers so no fruit as yet even though the girl one is trying her best. The one in the pot is supposed grow small fruits and has lots of fruit but they just don't want to swell up.

    Lots are preserved inside us Diana but other are frozen either 'raw' or cooked. We do need to buy fresh fruit in winter and as yet there are things like pineapples that we can't grow. WE do give some fruit away too as there are always friends who are keen to help us use up our harvests.

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  10. You just have SOOOOOOOOOO much fruit...I am hoping that very soon I will to be a fruitaholic!!

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  11. Maybe we can be founder members of Fruitaholics Anonymous Tanya

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