Plant a bare-root fruit tree

Choose a variety that will suit your area of the country

It’s the perfect time to plant bare-root fruit trees. All like a sunny spot and none do well in waterlogged soils. They tend to prefer neutral or alkaline soils but will thrive in acid soils, especially if lime is added periodically.

Apples are easiest and there are varieties suited to all parts of the country. Pears need a warmer, more sheltered spot and plums, which flower early, should not be planted where late-spring frosts are common because the flowers can be damaged, resulting in no fruit.

Choose varieties that aren’t easy to buy in the shops and that are suited to your area. It’s not easy to spray trees to reduce disease, so look for varieties that are resistant to scab and canker or recommended for organic growers. Many of the popular commercial varieties, such as ‘Cox’s Orange Pippin’, are difficult to grow in the garden, while others, such as ‘Braeburn’, need more warmth than our summers usually produce.

Consider the rootstocks, too. M9 and M26 are the most popular and will produce dwarf trees that will be small enough to pick the fruit without a ladder. M27 is very dwarfing and only suitable for very fertile soils or the trees will struggle.