The wrong sort of trees

[lsm1066]

I have an orchard. Wonderful I hear you cry. And it is. Except that it isn't. Because whilst it contains two bramleys, two eating apples, two pears, two plums and a newly planted cherry, it also contains 8 Laburnums, 3 conifers (2 Douglas firs and something else), two magnolias and a holly tree.

I live in the Fens, so obviously having all these trees is keeping the water levels manageable. The problem is, they're casting a lot of shade over the area, which I want to use to grow soft fruits next year. So I need to get shot of them a replace them with something that's going to be relatively quick to establish and not too tall (10 feet would be good), and which will be useful rather than ornamental. The orchard is on the East-South-East side of the property, so it gets lots of sun. Just a shame not enough of it gets to the ground!

Thanks
Lynne

[JR]

Take out anything not fruit producing and replace with anything on M60 root stock and they should stay within 8-10 foot.

Cherry, Apple or Plums are always good although you already have a few.

[Peggy Sue]

I have a uselessly place Magnolia too, and much as its pretty in spring I'd rather be eating apples from it in autumn so I might be following in you footsteps here!

[marshlander]

We've friends who have recently planted an orchard. They have selected varieties that blossom & fruit in sucession so they pick apples from late summer to late autumn. They eat apples from store til Easter and make lots of juice too.

We've an ancient bramley that yields loads and loads. Two un-named eaters that taste good but look a bit rough so mostly end up juiced.

We also swapped a lot of apples with the local Skidbrooke Cyder Company for some cyder which was brilliant.

We've planted 2 pears, victoria plum, wild damson, crab apples and quice but they are all young trees yet.

We've also planted a twisted willow, an silver pear, a judas tree and a forest pansy and inherited a clump of sycamores, 2 ancient laburnhams and an ash.

As we've only got half an acre I think I'm at the limit!

[tiggy]

some people are reluctant to remove holly trees as they believe it is unlucky.I would keep the holly but prune it carefully and remove the others in favour of productive items.My personal grumble is sycamore trees in urban gardens,sticky fallout from aphids and all the blasted seeds but thats just me and some people value them because they are a tree.Havent got space or I would have set cider apple trees.

[Jandra]

You could plant willow and hazel. They'll grow fast, you can coppice them for firewood and beansticks and that'll keep them low enough that they don't cast too much shade.

Jandra

[lsm1066]

Take out anything not fruit producing and replace with anything on M60 root stock and they should stay within 8-10 foot.

Cool. Thanks for that. Off to the garden centre I go!

I have a uselessly place Magnolia too, and much as its pretty in spring I'd rather be eating apples from it in autumn so I might be following in you footsteps here!

We have another in the pretty bit of the garden, and it's in much better shape. Even flowers twice! So I think I can live with losing those two.

We've friends who have recently planted an orchard. They have selected varieties that blossom & fruit in sucession so they pick apples from late summer to late autumn. They eat apples from store til Easter and make lots of juice too.

Great idea

We've an ancient bramley that yields loads and loads. Two un-named eaters that taste good but look a bit rough so mostly end up juiced.

We have the same. I use a lot of bramleys for things like pies, apple sauce and mint jelly but at least 10 times what I use goes to the local produce auction. And the eaters aren't a variety I like much, but they're ok in pies for people who don't want to use sugar. I'd completely forgotten about juicing! Dur! And my mum's just bought me a dehydrator. So apple rings galore shall be ours!

We've planted 2 pears, victoria plum, wild damson, crab apples and quice but they are all young trees yet. We've also planted a twisted willow, an silver pear, a judas tree and a forest pansy and inherited a clump of sycamores, 2 ancient laburnhams and an ash. As we've only got half an acre I think I'm at the limit!

Just about! Can you actually see the ground?

some people are reluctant to remove holly trees as they believe it is unlucky.

That'd be me But the holly has had a serious haircut. We actually have two. The other one's in the "pretty" part of the garden.

My personal grumble is sycamore trees in urban gardens

Oo yes! We're not urban. In fact where we live isn't so much a village as an elongated t-junction My poor neighbours have three, each at a different corner of their garden. One's ok, being about 50 feet from the building. But the others are right next to the house and cast total shadow over the back of the house all year round. Guess which are protected!

You could plant willow and hazel. They'll grow fast, you can coppice them for firewood and beansticks and that'll keep them low enough that they don't cast too much shade.

You know what Jandra? I was talking to the neighbours about the trees on our land a few weeks ago and they said that the first thing the previous owners did when they moved in was cut down 3 big mature willows that were growing by the side of the driveway. I love willows, and I'd love to have them back, so that's a great idea.

Thanks all. It occurs to me that this is going to be an expensive business. Probably best for my pocket as well as my orchard that I replace two or three at a time.

Lynne