Fan Training a Cherry Tree

[Harasimow]

I have bought my first fruit tree

I went for a cherry "Sunburst" I am going to "fan train" it to save space and make picking easier.

The tree is soaking in a bucket of water tonight but I've cleared a space for her

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Will plant tomorow and post pics of how im training it.

[grahamhobbs]

If you have squirrels in your area, think how you are going to protect the crop!!! A net draped over it will stop the birds but not squirrels.

[oldjerry]

Air rifle every time,with apologies to all nutkin fans everywhere..and they're not the worst thing you've ever tasted,and the pelts are good.

[Harasimow]

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[oldjerry]

Interesting choice of first fruit tree,good luck with it.If you really get into the top fruit training thing( I did ,it's addictive) can I suggest you look at 'step over' apples,in a busy productive allotment like yours they'd be really good.Also,and these are my faves,(you may already have seen one) but gooseberries can be trained like standard roses,they look brilliant,take up little space,and you don't have to bend to pick them!Anyhow,happy fruit growing,sorry to bang on,another of my obsessions. Best Wishes.

[gray_bale]

Squirrels don't take cherries, but the blackbirds do.

When you think the cherries are ripe, do not wait, gather them straight away. As if you leave them till the morning they will be gone.

One way round it is to cover the tree with netting, making sure all possible entrances are sealed.

They do prefer growing as fans on a south facing wall, but then again I have never tried them as fans in the open.

Do you know what rootstock its on, Colt or Gisela 5, as this determines how much growth there will be 'Colt' 4m tall and 'Gisela 5' 2m tall.

I find gooseberries as standards too much trouble for what they cost. They need permanent staking, as they will snap off at the base. Suckers need cutting out regularly. Crop quantity is reduced compared with a bush.

[oldjerry]

They don't cost any more than any other gooseberry,if you train them yourself,and thats the good bit.and if you don't spray,then you lose less to mildew..

[gray_bale]

In 'buying' standard gooseberries they are about double the price of a bush approx £8 verse's £16.

To get the standard size with less suckering as you would with a normal gooseberry, they are high grafted onto Ribes aureum rootstock. They have to be staked permanently, and invariably when staked they snap off at the top where the graft is. There is normally just too much weight of fruit etc for the graft too support. If you can support the head so much better.

[oldjerry]

Agreed,but who would buy more than one fruit bush when hardwood cuttings are so simple? and to be honest so is rudimentary grafting,Ive sat in on 2hr sessions where novice gardeners have learnt the basics of budding and grafting from scratch.The main difference between them and the professional is the later has to do them quickly,succesfully and in great numbers.It always amazes me that gardeners who are quite profficient at growing and training say tomatoes from seed,think propagating a few fruit bushes is so hard.

[gray_bale]

Yes I agree with that. The Uk is so far behind the times with grafting and budding compared with say the USA. Its all shrouded in mystic.

But many people want instant fruit, and cannot wait a few years for apple to appear on there trees.

[grahamhobbs]

Whilst we are on the subject, does anyone know where you can get specific rootstocks for various fruits. it would be nice to grow a number of cordons and step overs. If you had the right rootstock and propogated that, then with grafts of your favourite fruit, replicating a number of them would be virtually for free.

[Harasimow]

Did anyone see the episode of Gardeners world where someone was growing I think 160 different types of apple on one tree? Brilliant!

[oldjerry]

Whilst we are on the subject, does anyone know where you can get specific rootstocks for various fruits. it would be nice to grow a number of cordons and step overs. If you had the right rootstock and propogated that, then with grafts of your favourite fruit, replicating a number of them would be virtually for free.

Graham,I'm wracking my brains here who are those fruit tree people on the isle of Wight?.Deacons(Phew) they certainly used to advertise rootstocks for sale.Otherwise,Frank Mathews are good people to deal with,I dont know if they officially sell rootstocks,but in my experience they are very approachable.

[gray_bale]

Check out http://www.gb-online.co.uk/livecart/sho ... Rooted.138

[grahamhobbs]

Thanks Oldjerry and gray-bale, very good leads