Fruit trees at Lidl from 5 Feb for £3.99

Farway

katyk wrote: »

aarghh!

Just went to my nearest Lidl this evening to buy second apple tree and they, and all other local, stores are out of the types of apples I need if my one is to be able to pollinate!

Am I safe to assume I could buy a gala, fuji or red delicious from anywhere and it would work with my one? Can't see me getting one for £4 though!

Last year they reappeared in Lidl later on, so don't give up hope

Any pollinator from anywhere will do, try Wilkinson's or perhaps Aldi [none near me so do not know if Aldi sell fruit trees sometimes]

As it is only early Feb there is no need to panic, there is at least another month before any growth will start

nodwah

coolpran wrote: »

i wanted to buy a conference pear tree, but its not available in the 3 stores i looked. the only ones they have are "doyenne du comice" and "buerre hardy" varieties.
i ?

Honestly doyenne du comice is the absolute best tasting pear ever!

nodwah

katyk wrote: »

I have bought a stella and a jonagold apple yesterday and am now at the 'gulp' stage whilst I wonder where to put them. Not too easy to say don't put them near the house - it ain't a big garden. had originally intended to buy dwarf trees which only go to about 6/7 feet high but these, according to the label, can reach over 12 feet! Had been being cash wary really - dwarf ones were from T&M and were about £18 each. Does anyone know if planting them in large containers would restrict the height any? Or could I do so by vigorous pruning each year? Presume they cannot live forever in pots, however big?

Have read the stella label and it says 'If you wish your tree to be a bush maiden, prune it back to 3ft. To make it a standard, cut it back to 4ft.
Next spring, prune all top shoots back to 9". In the following spring, cut its leading shoots back to 12". Prune any lateral shoots back to 6" '

That suggests I can keep it fairly small if I wish??

Have just realised that my jonagold is not self pollinating! Went and read it properly after reading all here! (Yes, I know I should have checked in the shop...) Can anyone advise how far away the other tree can be for them to pollinate? Would one in the back garden and in the front be too far? No way I will get 3 trees in my wee back garden! No neighbours close with fruit trees that I am aware of.

PS for anyone who is thinking about it the jonagold says it reaches 6-10 ft in height and needs red delicious, gala or fugi to pollinate

PPS Edited to add each is about 5" already when bought!

hate to say this but i belive that jonagold is triploid - meaning it needs 2 different pollinators so you need another tree !

gala or golden delicious are common ones that would do or you could get an ornamental crab apple

And you also need - BEES!

if it's a really wet spring, my husband often goes around the trees and hand pollinates with a paintbrush and I've read in China they have to do that because they've killed off all the bees with indiscriminate use of pesticides:eek:

wornoutmumoftwo

They're selling trees in instore as well, about £5 I think.

coolpran

wornoutmumoftwo wrote: »

They're selling trees in instore as well, about £5 I think.

thanks. will try the wembley InStore this evening.

nodwah wrote: »

Honestly doyenne du comice is the absolute best tasting pear ever!

because i have space for only 1 pear tree, i need a self-fertile one

MandM

...But would you really want to grow Golden Delicous? It really is a most tedious apple (in my opinion). There is no point in growing a tree to get fruit you wouldn't want to eat. A crab apple is a smart move - but don't buy a specifically ornimental one, get one with "real" fruit, and make crab apple jelly. A simple treat, far better than the stuff you can buy, and dead cheap too. You still get beautiful blossom.

katyk_2

nodwah wrote: »

hate to say this but i belive that jonagold is triploid - meaning it needs 2 different pollinators so you need another tree !

gala or golden delicious are common ones that would do or you could get an ornamental crab apple

And you also need - BEES!

if it's a really wet spring, my husband often goes around the trees and hand pollinates with a paintbrush and I've read in China they have to do that because they've killed off all the bees with indiscriminate use of pesticides:eek:

According to the instructions it will need gala, red delicious or fuji - does not mention needing more than one other tree. Garden will be pushed to accomodate what I need already - no way I will have room for yet another.
Also golden delicious and crab were still available in lidl but they were part of a different 'group' and appear to pollinate with each other as well as cox's and something else.
Paint brush could be utilised if absolutely necessary.
Regards
Katyk

katyk_2

many thanks wornoutmumofthree - I will have a look in instore at the weekend

Farway

MandM wrote: »

...But would you really want to grow Golden Delicous? It really is a most tedious apple (in my opinion). There is no point in growing a tree to get fruit you wouldn't want to eat.

I would, and have, as I read many years ago that English grown Golden Delicous are just as the name says, Golden & Delicious, the shop ones are green and tedious

However the last two wet summers and my Golden Delicious have not got on very well, so cannot prove by experience or taste that English Golden Delicous is just what it says

The last two wet summers affected many plants, so here's hoping for 2009

coolpran

wornoutmumoftwo wrote: »

They're selling trees in instore as well, about £5 I think.

thanks, went to instore in wembley (its called PoundStretcher) and found a conference pear tree.
there were also a couple of varieties of apple, cherry trees there..all for £4.99