Most useful trees

[Tony]

Here at home I regularly comment that we should pull out this shrub and that bush and replace them with fruit trees, we've got a few around the place but I'm always happy to have more.

So my question is, what is in your opinions the most useful trees if I were to plan say another 3? I know there's some personal preference going to come out here but all suggestions welcome...

 

[TeeDee]

Interesting question. Look forward to some answers.

 

[Macaroon]

My first question would be what, if any, size limits do you have?

 

[bobnewboy]

I'm no expert, but I'd suggest planting and tending some of the UK's more endangered native species, for fruit if you like, or for posterity if you dont. Trees like the True Service, Medlar, Quince, some vintage pear and apple varieties. Maybe some native ash the way things have been going......?

 

[HillBill]

What do you have already?

 

[British Red]

In term of pure utility and as a pretty tree you could do a lot worse than a sweet chestnut. Easy to start yourself from a but with no grafting required, beautiful bark and leaves and a delicious crop. When you fell it the timber is attractive and naturally rot proof.

 

[Tony]

We have a few apple (not sure of variety) a plumb and a cherry.

Red, I jsut mentioned the chestnut to Shelly, boy she shot that one down quick, I like eating them, she obviously does not We've got a big chestnut out from, non edible though. She pointed out that next door has a huge sweet chestnut and I can go and get my fill over there

As for size limits, so so, I expect I could accommodate a few decent sized trees if i put them on the border of our property

 

[santaman2000]

My tastes will obviously be biased as an American and a Southerner. That said, the logic behind it should be convertible to UK tastes and trees as well.

Do you want something with minimum maintenance and a long term prospect? Say something that will keep bearing for generations? For me that would be a pecan tree; the trees my great grand parents generation planted are still bearing nuts with no upkeep at all. Newly planted trees take years, decades even, before their first crop though, and the young trees do require maintenance. These trees also provide wonderful shade. Especially those that are 50 are more years old, and when they finally have to be removed they'll provide wonderful firewood or food smoking wood.

Something quicker to bear fruit but less long lived? I still remember the fruit trees in my maternal grandmother's yard when I was a child. Apricots, pears, and apples all were very good indeed. My paternal grandmother (and later almost all of her children) all kept fig trees and we always had a supply of fig preserves.

 

[British Red]

Fair play Tony, would she go for a walnut? Nice figured wood, bit of a squirrel magnet.


Mulberries are pretty, fantastic fruit like luscious raspberries, slow growing though.

I have a medlar for interest, but its not an attractive tree tbh, wild service are much nicer to look at.

 

[spandit]

Robinia pseudoacacia - not edible but quick growing, rot proof, wonderful blossoms for bees, great firewood. Likes poor soil (nitrogen fixer)

Cobnut?

+1 on the medlar & mulberry...

 

[Tony]

I like the idea of nuts, walnut, almond sound cool...

 

[HillBill]

How about figs? I have one, lovely trees and prolific. Just need to contain the roots.

Aronia bushes are good too, very healthy berries.

 

[Chris the Cat]

For me, Hazel seems an obvious choice Tony,
Fast growing, love to be cut back, the sun-shoots are useful around the garden, let them thicken and make good staffs/walking sticks.
And fab nuts!!
Two in mine.

Best.

Chris

 

[Tony]

Not thought of figs...

Got loads of hazel

 

[TeeDee]

Apparently there are variants of Kiwi that can be easily grown in the UK that are prolific producers.

http://www.fruitexpert.co.uk/kiwifruitbushes.html

 

[dewi]

A lemon tree... saves that trip to the supermarket when you want a nice G&T.

 

[Chris the Cat]

Cherry?

da C.

 

[HillBill]

We have one on our fence. The leaves are beautifully coloured in spring, and they are VERY prolific, ours is a "Jenny" smaller than normal fruits, but hundreds of them. Protect them from the wind though, it can damage the young leaves. Need lots of pruning, the leaders of the vines come from every spur where the fruits set.

Apparently there are variants of Kiwi that can be easily grown in the UK that are prolific producers.

http://www.fruitexpert.co.uk/kiwifruitbushes.html

 

[Macaroon]

Fair play Tony, would she go for a walnut? Nice figured wood, bit of a squirrel magnet.


Mulberries are pretty, fantastic fruit like luscious raspberries, slow growing though.

I have a medlar for interest, but its not an attractive tree tbh, wild service are much nicer to look at.

I too was thinking of Walnut; I think it's a lovely tree, great nuts, lovely timber and a good few uses for the foliage and husks. Very easy to source a nice few whips, as well.......any where within a few hundred metres of
the nearest one to you there'll be many of them where the little grey fellas have buried nuts and not dug them up, then you've got a plant you know is suited to the local conditions as well.

Walnuts are nowhere near as numerous as they once were, and another that seems to be very scarce these days is Greengage; ten years ago I had "picking rights" in three or four different places and now they are all gone. Greengage is a delicious and very underrated fruit and very versatile...........................

 

[Trojan]

Quince or Fig - something different to apple!