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planting an orchard


mint

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calling all gardeners!  we have a large field which was once used for planting vines.  we are having the stumps etc grubbed out and my husband would like to plant fruit trees so that there will only be minimal work clearing the grounds between the rows of trees.

we are in the charente maritime.  so, what would grow well and would it be cheaper or not to bring the fruit trees from blighty?

all suggestions gratefully received.  cheers

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I would have thought that anything we can grow here in the north of the Sarthe you should be able to grow there; we've apples, plums, mirabelles, cherries, peaches, pears and a ropy old apricot.  Neighbour grows figs no problem but they need a warm wall so no good for an orchard.

I would buy varieties available locally and get them from a specialist fruit nursery - there are plenty of them about and they'll be happy to advise.

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Apricots would be best on a south or south west facing wall due to their early blossoming and frost. Figs will be fine in Charante Maritime in open space and Pomegranates as well. All the others that Phil mentioned will be good, and if you want to be a bit different you could grow medlars and quinces.

I've used trees both bought locally and in the UK, and if you want specific varieties that you know from the UK it may be necessary to purchase them there.

Chris

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thanks chris and cassis.  i love the sound of pomegranates.  i grew up in malaysia and i love the fruit in salads and, of course, to eat on their own

cassis, what are mirabelles?

so, i have decided on apricots for sure and pomegranates.  we already have a fig tree so may well have a couple more

pears, apples and cherries sound fantastic.  yipee!  it will be SUCH fun

 

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  • 1 year later...

Cassis & Chris pp

Are you both still out there?  You gave me very good advice on this subject last year but we missed the planting season as we were stuck with being unable to sell our house back in the UK.

However, we are here now and a year has flown by but, better late than never, and we are in a postion to plant.

My French neighbour has told me about a foire quite near here where there will be fruit trees for sale and I am really excited about getting going.

 Now we are in situ, I realise that we have extremely poor soil.  Hardly an earthworm in sight, all sand and some calcaire.  We have cleared most of the grounds of the old vines left over from the vineyard and odd self-seeding trees, stumps, brambles etc, etc.

Does your advice from before still hold good?  How will the poor ground affect what we can reasonably expect to grow?

Look forward with interest to your replies.

Pad, do you know anything about this as well? 

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Cassis's comment about buying locally is good advice. The local garden centres will advise what grows best in the typeof soil and other conditions that you have. You will probably need to buy some sacks of compost/terreau to enrich the soil. You can get some which is specifically for trees. If your soil is sandy you will have to be especially generous with water. Good luck.
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The stone fruit and figs will be fine, I wouldn't even add anything to the soil for these. Apples, pears, quinces and medlar will all benefit from an extra large planting hole and the addition of some good, well rotted manure or compost.

Try and get them in as soon as possible, Chris

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[quote user="sweet 17"] Will have to make sure that water butt is in place then or the fruit is going to prove a mite expensive.[/quote]

You can never have enough water butts.

Chris is right: it's perfect for planting now. 

Even if you haven't got your trees yet you can be preparing the holes. What size trees are you going to get?
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In view of what Chris has said, we have decided to go for the "stoned" fruit.  Let's hope it's only the fruits that will be stoned and not me, as I am still on my regime of strictly controlled drinking!

Funny, you should mention St Catherine's day, Wooly, because my French neighbour has specifically mentioned that day as the day of the foire where there will be many fruit trees for sale.

Thanks for all your interest, guys.  Each message is much appreciated. 

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I'm no expert, but I have a interest in this as I also have plans for an Orchard, mainly apple.  My observations so far are:

Look closely at what the locals grow, and of course, talk to the locals.  This will help form the main selection of trees.

When planting, think carefully about the spacing, if its a big orchard, you will need tractor access up and down each row.

What are you going to do with all the fruit ?  Apples are fine as they keep, but tonnes of plums and pears can be a problem.  A couple of good (how will I know if they will be good ??) plums trees will probably provide all your needs ??

Your soil explains the vines, why not replant the vines ???

Love the idea of exotics, just dont go mad.  You 've got to have kiwi and fig.  What about bush fruit, currants and gooseberrys ?

and making Quince Jelly is akin to torture !

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Yes pcwhizz you are quite right about looking at  the fields round about. My neighbour was the former owner of my small field and so told me what had been planted there before. He also advised on what would and wouldn't grow as well as where best in the field. The latter point may seem arcane, but part of the field had been a path tramped manu years ago by loads of cattle and so had been well dunged. The one thing I planted against his advice as a walnut tree and blow me down the bu*ger will not grow.

So folks, listen to them whizened old yokels, they gaat wizdom in thur waards!

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PCwhizz & Wooly

Good tips, guys, and thanks.  Food for thought indeed.  Have decided on fruit with stones (reason given earlier).  Don't think I'll plant cherries much as I love them because I have visions of stoning tons of the stuff (slippery and difficult and hazardous) in order to use them in pies and jams and things.

Would love Reine Claudes and big Victoria plums (are they the same as Agen plums?)

Thinking hard about pomegranates but would have to get local advice on that one.  Also fancy avocado, again if it will grow locally.

Have transplanted some of the vines to where we will be building a pergola structure but the grapes were very small even though they were sweet and I don't really like seeded things that are fiddley to eat and involve a lot of spitting!

Will be doing something about getting the trees in the next week or two, in time for planting on St Catherine's Day, as Wooly has advised.

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HI

After our visit to France last week, we have got down to two so far, one near Montpon, this has growing, still with large yellow fruit on like oranges, the agent said they were star fruit, what can you do with these, also on the back lawn there are many fruit trees but did not pay much attention to them, as it was very cold, and I had the trots, very uncomfortable, nice house though.

The other house is near Montflaquin, it is fantastic, a plum orchard not sure how many trees, three double garages for my classics, and the biggest barn I have ever seen, 1000  sq m, yes 1000sq m. from the entrance you have a job to see the other end.

Colin

 

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One of the best sites and indeed growers of fruit trees in France is Eric Dumont.  Just go to his site.  I have no involvement with the business but have lots of his fruit trees here in Normandie and are moving to the Vendee where again there will be lots of his fruit trees!
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