Taking an apple tree to France

[Keith Wilson]

I have just bought a property near Beziers and would like to take a favourite apple tree with me. It is quite small (6ft) and transport is not a problem, but would it be legal?

[Cassis]

Yes it would.  No problem to import an apple tree for your own garden.  Should fit nicely between the other half's knees on the journey.

[Ron Avery]

Agree with Cassis,   it would  not be problem to import it , but not a good time of year to do it unless you can get a very large earth ball round it and keep it well watered en- route, it is very hot along the Med coast and will remain so until mid september, so the chances of your tree surviving the move and transplant are very low.  The best bet is leave it where it is and buy one here in the autumn.

[Cassis]

Good point, Ron.  I was just thinking of the import regulations.  The problem would be to keep the rootball intact en route.  Given it is small, you may be able to pack it into a big plastic pot.  But normal time for transplanting deciduous trees is when they are bereft of leaf.  I seem to be losing my command of modern English and lapsing into dog-Shakespeare.

[Cassis]

How do apple trees get on that far south?

[chris pp]

How do apple trees get on that far south?

Pretty crap on the whole, not the best climate for them.

This is where loads of people down south say " I've got a so and so apple tree and it loves it here" but as we know the apple growing area of France is up north. Now Apricots, they do really well down there.

Chris

 

[Iceni]

This may/may not be relevant but be wary of rabbits. We discovered the hard way that they love to chew the bark of a young Bramley -didn't touch cherry or hazelnut just the Bramley. A little taste of Old England ?

John

not

 

 

[saddie]

I would definately be wary of taking an apple tree into such a warm climate. Here in the Correze they grow "golden" - AOC no less but even they have a sort of gauze screening over them which I assume is against the sun. I was told by a Dutch apple grower over here that Cox's do badly here because it is too hot.

[Ron Avery]

We have apple trees that flourish here in the Aveyrion and further south in the Tarn there are large orchards at Gaillac,  so no problems with them growing, it would be a problem moving one in summmer though, it would frazzle before it was established even with a large root ball. Incidentally Saddie,  those nets are for protection from heavy rain and hailstones not from the sun.

[Cassis]

Any idea what variety they grow, Ron?  I wonder if they are a variety specially adapted for the climate if can be grown commercially.  As Chrispy says, apples are normally grown further north and generally regarded as a cool climate fruit.  We grow peaches and nectarines here in our garden but they don't do as well as the apples and cherries.  Or the hazelnuts, walnuts and chestnuts.

[Ron Avery]

I'll have look next week, but "Elista" et "Reine des Reinettes" appear to be local apples it would appear as they are used in recipes both in the Tarn, in the far SW and also in Italy.

We have an apple in the field that is like a worcester nice sweet eating apple and we also have had a bumper crop of cherries both the red and marino ones.  Apricots,  peaches are flourishing and it looks like a good crop of walnuts to come if it keeps raining from time to time. 

[saddie]

Thanks Ron for sorting out the netting query. We do get a lot of heavy rain/storms here. Just had one it nearly stopped MOH watching the footie!

[Kitty]

Watch out for deer as well - they nibble at anything they can round here (South West - 33).  You may need to protect the bark.

[Rob Roy]

Although people always tend to associate apple growing with Normany, the Correze is actually the biggest producer of apples in France. All those little stickers saying 'Perline' on the apples in Tesco, Sainsbury etc come from this area [:)]

We have had baking hot weather for the last month or so, but it's raining tonight - yippee!!