APRICOTS, PEACHES & NECTARINES - The advent of new rootstocks and modern varieties means that these lovely fruits can now be very successfully cultivated in the garden.
The best method is to fan train them against a warm south or southwest facing wall. Here the tree receives the warmth of the sun throughout the day and then benefits from the heat that has been absorbed by the bricks through the time when in shade or darkness. Thus the fruits will ripen with little check become large and sweet (note that if a suitable wall is not available a warm fence or trellis in a sheltered sunny part of the garden is a very good second choice).
Before planting erect a trellis against the wall. The lattice should be 1' square and the trellis should measure approximately 2.1m (7') long x 1.8m (6') high. A fan of 2.4m (10 x 8') canes should be attached to this which will act as a support and guide for the tree.
Plant the tree against the trellis at the base of the fan. Shortly after the tree produces its first leaves, cut back the central leader to about 45cm (18") above ground level. As the side branches develop they can be trained along the canes, attaching them with soft string. (Note that wire ties should not be used as they will damage the tree.) Peaches and nectarines can also be grown in the open as a bush in milder southern counties and modern apricots are being successfully grown in this way south of a line from the Wash across to North Wales.
DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR – The trees are supplied as healthy, dormant, bare root plants, delivered in specially designed protective packaging to ensure they arrive in perfect condition. Trees will be between 4-6' high, some with side branches developing, but please note that size can vary considerably due to the characteristics of different varieties. All come complete with comprehensive growing instructions. ROOTSTOCKS – Most fruit trees are grafted onto a closely related species 'rootstock' to predetermine the size and vigour of the tree and give the best possible yields. We have carefully chosen semi-dwarfing rootstocks (all of which are certified virus-free) to ensure that our trees grow, crop well and remain of manageable size in your garden. POLLINATION – Many of our apple, pear and plum fruit tree varieties will also pollinate themselves satisfactorily, however, the best fruit set is achieved by choosing at least two varieties from a species (unless your neighbours have trees that will act as pollinators!)