Where to buy a cheap fruit tree?

valk_scot

Ashridge Nurseries has a half price sale on atm and they're a really excellent nursery, huge selection of varieties on a wide choice of rootstocks. In the past I've bought fruit trees from B&M, Lidl and Poundstretcher, mostly these have come away fine and grown into sturdy trees.

But they've all developed into rather large trees that required a lot of pruning. This was fine when I had the allotment and had the space, also I was fit enough to get up a ladder to prune and pick. I've given up the allotment now due to poor health but wanted fruit trees in my somewhat smaller garden, so dwarfing rootstock was going to be an essential. Most High street cheap fruit trees are grown on semi-dwarfing rootstock but they're still going to be big, up to sixteen feet or so without strong pruning, I wanted to keep things around 8-10 feet so I needed true dwarf rootstock and thus I ended up at Ashridge. I just bought maidens to keep the cost down but no failures out of the four trees I bought, they're romping away. They did cost twice what they would on the High street but I did get exactly what I wanted, well packaged and in excellent health.

cjb02

I have bought from LIDL, ALDI and Wilkinsons before and there trees are fine IMO. They do take about 3 yrs to fruit, which when I have been paying 4quid, I am quite happy with them. However people make fair points about size. I prune regularly so size is not a problem, non of mine are above 10ft at the moment, that might not be to everyones liking. If it wasnt for lidl, aldi and wilkinsons, then I probably wouldnt have bought any fruit trees. It is all about what you want.

pawsies

Just got Victoria Plum today in flower for 7.50 at my local garden centre (Cherry Lane in Beverley)

was £15 and looks like a good strong tree