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What is the best fruit tree to plant in a north facing garden? I would like to grow a lemon tree for all my gin and tonics but is it too cold and would I not get enough light I am in the UK?

G'Day Jed,

I have quite a number of fruit trees but I don't think my experience in Aus will translate well to the UK .

Citrus are tropical fruit originally but they develop so many different new varieties these days that there may be one for your area. Have a talk to your local plant nursery. I have read that the reason for all the lemon-scented herbs being developed and used was to replace the lemons that could not be grown in northern Europe. So that may be another way.

Nev

Hi Jed,

If I remember correctly, sour cherries were traditionally planted on the north wall of Victorian walled kitchen gardens. They don't need as much sunshine as most of the dessert fruits.

I have a cherry tree in my garden which gives tonnes of fruit. But...they are sour as can be. When I moved to the house it was very sad looking, so I pruned it back and it is blooming.

I have taken to picking them and boiling them up with some brown sugar and eating them with yogurt or ice cream. DELISH! They freeze down nicely as there is only so much cherry pud you can eat. They taste rather like those cocktail cherries on a stick, you get with a 'vodka martini, shaken not stirred'.

And my other experiment was to whack a load, destoned in a large jar with sugar and a bottle of cheap brandy. I left it for a year to 'ackle' and hey presto....Cherry Brandy Rocket Fuel Stylie. It's lovely, but you don't need much to drink, just a snifter.

I wish I had your problem with the tonnes of cherries! Used to live in a cherry growing area, and made delicious wine. I remember the first time I made it, it never seemed to be fermenting, i.e. it simply wasn't bubbling. But it didn't smell off, so my friend and I decided to try it. One glass later (between the two of us), we were both rather tiddly! That stuff must have fermented when I wasn't looking. The strongest drink I ever made.

Another tip for your cherry brandy - crack a few of the kernels and add them to the mixture. Gives a bit of that almondy flavour. Or I have added a vanilla pod, that goes well with cherries, too.

Hhmmm, cherry pies, cherry gateaux, cherry jam, cherries bottled for winter... I'm green with envy! My little tree is only one year old and probably won't produce more than a handful this year, if I am lucky!

Cheers
Ina

Thanks for the cherry stone or vanilla tip Ina. Our tree is only very small but seems to chuck out a load of cherries. Perhaps it likes me! I have noticed that there is a piece of copper pipe hammered into the soil at the base of the tree.

When I was in NSW staying with a friend, he told me that fruit trees need something in copper and he had a copper nail hammered into the base of his grapefruit tree.

Is this true anyone? I am wondering if this is the reason I get plenty of fruit from a tree no more than 12ft tall?

Actually you gotta be a bit careful with copper as too much is toxic, but Aus soils (from memory) tend to be deficient in copper . Citrus can benefit from the same treatment with an iron nail, they need plenty of iron. Not to mention nitrogen..........so pee on 'em

Nev

Don't think the neighbours would like to see me doing that! You know how squashed in we all are here. May have to go under the cover of darkness.

But thinking about it....the cherries are ok for the mo, so I'll leave the 'full mooning' for a while!

I understand entirely.....probably a bit cold too

Nev

Extremely drafty today Nev, would definately give the goosebumps in many places!

I'm afraid that lemons are definitely out - they are major sun lovers! As the others have said sour cherries (morello etc.) grow against a north facing wall, so they should be great. Most fruit though requires direct sun I believe. Maybe there's a shade tollerant apple out there?

If you want to go shrub rather than tree, then goosberries and redcurrents come in shade tollerant varieties

Alcina

Gooseberries seem to be a dying trend. When I was a kid there was always goosegog pie or stewed with a load of custard from granny's garden. Yummy! Not the custard you understand.

You do see them in the shops but they are soooo expensive. We do have a place in Wiltshire that has pick your own. I may have to trek over there and get some this summer.

I don't have enough space for a bush unfortunately.

The reason why there's hardly any gooseberries around any more is American mildew. A very common fungal disease; even non-organic commercial growers don't seem to be able to control it effectively. Lots of them just gave up on gooseberries. Seeing that they are mostly eaten cooked, they were probably less popular than other soft fruit anyway.

If you don't have any gooseberries in your area, you might be lucky and avoid being affected, but I wouldn't try growing too many bushes (I planted one last year, so keep fingers crossed!)

Ina

That's something I have learnt today. I did'nt know about that mildew problem. Thanks for the info Ina.

Goosegog bushes are a bit big and prickly as well, so one is probably enough. Could be an idea for keeping the cats out of my garden!