Whynot branch outto peaches, apricots andfigs?
WHIle apples, pears, plums and quinces are very hardy and can be grown anywhere, some fruit trees are more susceptible to cold weather, in particular spring frosts.
However, if you have a south or west-facing wall or fence, the following are well worth growing and should crop well most years.
PEACHES
peAcHes and nectarines share the same growing conditions. the trees are very hardy, but blossom early so are susceptible to late frosts.
they like rich soil with lots of water, but will not tolerate waterlogging. they also need a heavy mulch of good compost every year. Both will grow well in a large container.
they are prone to peach leaf curl, caused by aphids, but are remarkably resilient and will produce healthy new leaves later in the season.
For the fruit to ripen, they need a sunny wall or fence and some protection against frost that can be removed in good weather — a canopy of horticultural fleece works well.
Fruits are formed on new growth so they can be pruned hard every year, removing at least a third of all shoots, and the trees respond well to fantraining (see previous page). It is important to thin the fruits so none touch or shade each other. VARIETIES: ‘Duke of York’, ‘Peregrine’ and ‘Lord Napier’ (nectarine).
APRICOTS
AprIcots grow very like peaches, but the blossom is even earlier, so must have some protection, such as a fleece canopy.
Although fully-ripe apricots are delicious, they are best used for jam — but what wonderful jam!
the trees are tough and pestfree if they are grown well with rich, free- draining soil and a thick mulch each spring. prune out all dead and damaged branches and summer-prune to restrict growth. VARIETIES: ‘Moorpark’ (the best), ‘Farmingdale’, ‘Hemskerk’ (for cold areas).
FIGS
FIgs need as much sunshine as possible to ripen fully — this makes them ideal fruit for training against a sunny wall.
they need well- drained soil with plenty of moisture and, once established, their roots should be restricted by a wall or some underground barrier to encourage more fruit and less tree.
However, if grown in a container, they do need plenty of water, while a weekly feed of liquid seaweed between spring and late summer will help form next year’s fruits, which are produced on the previous year’s growth.
pruning, which is best done in spring, should be to shape and train and encourage the next year’s crop.
Figs carry at least two and sometimes three crops of fruit at once, with two harvests in warm conditions — although in Britain only one will ripen a year.
this means that once the last mature fruit has been gathered at the end of october, all figs bigger than a pea should be removed and composted. VARIETIES: ‘Brown Turkey’, ‘Ischia’, ‘Brunswick’.