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please can some of you good folks help
I have just been given half of a small allotment as the current plot holder couldn't manage his half anymore. I already have my own plot on site but just couldn't resist this half...especially as my friend already has the other half. I want to plant 2 damson trees which are currently in large tubs on my plot and some apple trees which are doing nothing in my front garden (battered by sea, sand and salt) ...is there a best time to transplant them or is it a stupid idea/ will they survive / will I get any fruit/ and if I transplant them how do I go about it thanks

G'Day Diver,

The apples are best transplanted once they have gone dormant and lost their leaves, in general that is the best time to transplant any tree. I moved a mandarin last winter that was about 3 metres high. Just prune them back pretty hard, dig around at the drip line and then under the trees, pull up us much soil as you can handle with them and then dig a hole at the other end and place the trees in. During the next growing season you have to water them more regularly until they become established again.

Good luck!

Nev

Are allotments that permanent that you can plant fruit trees on them? I don't know much about them (allotments). What if you friend decides to give up his allotment, wouldn't you lose your half?

I'm sure your fruit trees will be very happy, however. Bare rooted trees are generally planted in the dormant season but plants in pots can theoretically be planted any time, however I'd do it in the autumn, before the ground freezes (if it does!).

thanks to both of you. I will wait til Autumn and follow your instructions. My allotment site is permanent......one of the guys is 86 and he took it over from his dad....both of our names are on the plot number so if he decided to give up it would pass to me...lots of people on our site have fruit trees ,many planted from seed....I am in Merseyside in the UK so we definitely get frost....thanks again

Glad to hear - that's really permanent!

I remember the only time we planted apple trees, they were young bare rooted ones we were going to train as espaliers. By the time we got them (had to order thru garden centre) it was mid Nov. We lived the other side of France then where the winter was much colder.

That afternoon we got as far as digging out the holes for them but it got so cold and windy and dark we decided to plant them out the next day. Luckily the soil was in a wheelbarrow which we put in the garage and put the apples in there in a bucket of water.

That night it froze and stayed below freezing for about 6 weeks! Thankfully because the soil was in the wheelbarrow we were able to plant the trees the following day, then covered them over with fleece. They survived but if we hadn't already dug the holes, it would have been too late! So I tend to do a bit earlier than the text books say.

Wow! that's pretty serious cold M3!

Nev

Nah, it was only about -8C!!! It was a bit of an unusally long freeze though. What got me was the long long winter with spring happening so late, then whoosh all of a sudden it was summer.

I like it here with more of a "normal" climate with a nice long enjoyable (garden wise) spring. Time to enjoy the bulbs and the blossom.

-8 is still pretty cold to me!

Nev