Dig for victory: How to get fab fruit at your fingertips with MONTY DON's guide to growing your own at home

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This is the final instalment in our 必須の series on growing your own produce. We’ve already covered vegetables, herbs and soft fruit, and today we turn to ‘最高の，を越す’ fruit.

For hundreds of years an orchard was the most 望ましい part of any garden. Fruit was a 広大な／多数の／重要な 高級な because for almost everyone it was only 利用できる if you grew it yourself. This meant that there would be a season for 明確な／細部 fruit, such as pears, apples or plums ― and that would be that.

Now you can go to a supermarket and buy fruit from all over the world at any time of year. We take it for 認めるd.

But we should celebrate the arrival of each seasonal fruit with the same 楽しみ as we do birthdays and Christmas, and for gardeners fruit is very much part of the seasonal unfurling of the year, from the first blossom of damson trees in March to the 収穫 of the final apples in November.

Monty Don (pictured) of Gardener's World gives his 選ぶ of the fruit trees and 株 his 専門的知識 on how to grow fruit

A 熟した pear in September and an October apple plucked from the tree, crunchy and with a コンビナート／複合体 flavour ― these are truly two of my favourite things.

In Saturday’s 週末 magazine I explained how 平易な it is to grow your own vegetables and over the past couple of days in the Mail I’ve also 論証するd how simple it is to grow herbs and delicious soft fruit.

Today I’m showing how anyone with an outdoor space can grow a fruit tree. Even if your 陰謀（を企てる） is tiny, there are 特に bred varieties that will grow in マリファナs. Apples, pears, plums and cherries can be trained as espaliers (which 支店 horizontally) or 非常線，警戒線s (わずかな／ほっそりした, upright trees), or to be fan-形態／調整d.

I grow all these variations and they maximise fruit 生産／産物. Training and 持続するing them is enjoyable and by choosing fruits that grow in different circumstances ― such as quince on a 冷淡な east-直面するing 盗品故買者, pear on the warmer west one opposite and apricot or fig on the really sunny south-直面するing one ― you can harness a wide 範囲 of growing 条件s.

An apple tree can make a marvellous centrepiece, and you can grow fragrant citrus trees if you have a 避難所d garden and somewhere to 保護する them over winter. So do not be daunted ― growing fruit is 平易な, fun and makes for a 一連の delicious seasonal 扱う／治療するs.

Fab fruit at your fingertips?

Fruit growing is divided into ‘最高の，を越す’ and ‘soft’ fruits, which distinguishes those grown on trees from those borne on shrubs, 茎s or 工場／植物s. These are my favourite 最高の，を越す fruits to grow at home.

Perfect Pears

Above all other fruit, pears are suitable for growing in a garden because they are so much nicer to eat when 適切に 熟した. They only remain 熟した for a day or two and this is why you never find a 熟した pear in a supermarket.

They must be 選ぶd carefully when they are unripe but come away from the 支店 easily in the 手渡す, then 蓄える／店d on a windowsill until the flesh gives gently to finger 圧力, and then すぐに eaten in all their juicy ripeness.

Pear trees will 許容する わずかに colder, damper growing 条件s than apples although the fruit need more sun to ripen.

会議／協議会 pears reliably produces 激しい 刈るs of olive-green fruit

They are ideal to grow against a sunny 塀で囲む or 盗品故買者 and best trained as espaliers. Pears are ideal to train as espaliers as they 答える／応じる 井戸／弁護士席 to hard pruning in winter and はしけ pruning in summer. (Remember, winter pruning 刺激するs new growth and summer pruning 制限するs it. So winter pruning is 決定的な for trained fruit but summer pruning is 必須の once they are 設立するd.)

With all training is it is 価値（がある） remembering that fruit in general is produced most on lateral (sideways) growth 反して the tree wants to grow vertically. 減ずるing vertical growth and training 水平の growth encourages fruit, although the tree grows いっそう少なく vigorously.

There are many pear varieties 価値（がある） growing:

‘会議／協議会’ (above) reliably produces 激しい 刈るs of olive-green fruit. It is 部分的に／不公平に self-fertile which means it will produce a good 刈る if 工場／植物d 単独の ― but if a pollination partner is の近くに by, the 産する／生じる will 増加する.

‘Durondeau‘ has a compact habit and if grown as a freestanding tree is suitable for smaller gardens. It produces 激しい 刈るs of yellow-fleshed pears with russet patches. ‘Durondeau’ is also 部分的に／不公平に self fertile but flowers at the same time as ‘会議／協議会’ so is an ideal pollination partner.

‘Doyenne du Comice’ is, at its best, the most delicious of all pears. The fruits are large, golden-yellow 紅潮／摘発するd with red.

All about apples??

Apples are one of the greatest 死傷者s of modern fruit 生産／産物 because supermarkets sell only those that travel and 蓄える／店 井戸／弁護士席.

While all supermarket apples look good and have a nice crunch, very few taste of anything. However, there are hundreds of varieties you can grow which have 独特の flavours and 質s. 加える, an apple tree is a marvellous feature in any garden.

避難所 from 冷淡な 勝利，勝つd is 決定的な for the trees, as is sun for ripening and 国／地域 with good drainage.

Apples are grown on rootstocks which 決定する the size of the tree. Put 簡単に, the rootstock is part of a 工場／植物, often just a stump with a healthy root system, from which new above-ground growth can be produced.

A variety of apple (or other fruit) is then 汚職，収賄d の上に this, which means that the same variety of apple can reach different sizes depending on the rootstock. M9 is best for コンテナs and very small trees, MM106 for medium-sized trees, 非常線，警戒線s or espaliers and poorish 国／地域, and MM111 is best for larger trees.

Apples in the UK usually flower from 中央の-April to 中央の-May with the blossom 継続している about ten days

Fruit trees are sold either as 明らかにする-root (meaning without a コンテナ) and in コンテナs. 明らかにする-root trees are best 工場／植物d in autumn to 早期に spring, but コンテナ trees can be 工場／植物d at any time of year. Before buying any tree 質問（する） the 供給者, and if they cannot 明確に tell you what it is don’t buy it.

When 工場／植物ing, dig a 穴を開ける one metre in 直径 but do not 追加する compost. 緩和する the 底（に届く） and 工場／植物 the tree on a slight hillock so the union between the rootstock and the trunk (where it looks lumpy) is （疑いを）晴らす of the ground. 会社／堅い it in 井戸／弁護士席 with your heel, 火刑／賭ける securely, give it a good soak then mulch thickly. Bark chippings are perfect. It is important to water it in a 乾燥した，日照りの summer and to keep it （疑いを）晴らす of 少しのd for at least three years.

Apples in the UK usually flower from 中央の-April to 中央の-May with the blossom 継続している about ten days. This means the earliest will have stopped flowering before the 最新の has begun. But most will overlap around the start of May.

This is important as all apples need a pollinator in the 形態／調整 of another apple tree within 50-100 yards that is flowering at the same time. Apples need insects to 成し遂げる this pollination, usually honeybees.

Apples are categorised into flowering groups 1-8 with group one 存在 the first to flower and group 8 the last. You need to know which group your chosen variety is in. Most are in groups 3, 4 & 5 and these all pollinate each other.

My personal favourites are:

EATERS: ‘Jupiter’, ‘Ribston Pippin’, ‘Rosemary Russet’.

COOKERS: ‘Blenhe im Orange’, ‘Arthur Turner’, ‘Newton Wonder’.

Amazing Apricots

These fruit grow like?peaches but apricot blossom?is even earlier so must?have some 保護.?Although 熟した apricots?are delicious, they are?best used for jam in the?UK. But what 広大な／多数の／重要な jam!?The trees are 堅い and?pest 解放する／自由な if grown in rich,?解放する／自由な-draining 国／地域 and?thickly mulched in spring.?Prune out 損失d?支店s and summer prune?to 限界 growth.?

VARIETIES: ‘Moorpark’?(best), ‘Farmingdale’,?‘Helmskirk’ (best for?冷淡な areas).

熟した apricots are best used for jam in the UK, but what 広大な／多数の／重要な jam they make

Pristine Peaches?

The same growing 条件s are 株d by peaches and nectarines. Peach trees are very hardy but blossom 早期に so are susceptible to late 霜s. They like rich 井戸／弁護士席-watered 国／地域, but do not overwater. The trees need a 激しい mulch of compost 毎年. They grow 井戸／弁護士席 in a lar ge コンテナ but raise it up so that when watered ― which you should do generously each week ― 超過 can drain away. They are 傾向がある to peach leaf curl, 原因（となる）d by aphids, but are very resilient. They need a sunny 塀で囲む or 盗品故買者 to ripen. Fruits are formed on new growth so these can be pruned hard every year. Thin the fruits so 非，不，無 touch or shade each other.

VARIETIES: ‘Duke Of York’, ‘Peregrine’, ‘Lord?Napier’ (nectarine).

Quince Charming?

I am a 抱擁する lover of quinces, both as trees and of the fruit.?They do 井戸／弁護士席 in any decent 国／地域 although prefer damp (but?not waterlogged) ground. The fruit are inedible raw, but?fragrantly delicious stewed, or made into a jelly.?Quince trees have an ungainly 絡まる of 支店s that?resist training. They do not need pruning and are self-fertile?so a 選び出す／独身 tree will usually 耐える fruit after a few?years. However, cropping will always be more reliable if?you have two trees. All quinces are 完全に hardy ― in?fact, they must have a period of 冷淡な ーするために flower?and therefore fruit 適切に.

VARIETIES: ‘Vranja’, ‘Lescovacz’ (below), ‘支持する／優勝者’.

Fabulous Figs

Plums ripen from?中央の-summer into?autumn, and 含む?damsons and greengages?as variations. They?grow 井戸／弁護士席 in a 国／地域 that is?heavier and wetter than most?fruits ― with damsons 存在?exceptionally hardy and greengages?needing a 避難所d,?sunny 場所／位置.?But all plums ripen best in 十分な?sun with only ‘Czar’ and ‘Victoria’?growing 井戸／弁護士席 in shade.?Greengages are the best of all?plums and greengage jam the?very best of all jams. However,?they can be temperamental,?are slow to start fruiting, do?best in 井戸／弁護士席-drained, fertile 国／地域?with plenty of warmth and?water and are more picky over?their growing 条件s than?your 普通の／平均（する） plum.?Because the blossom is one of?the first to appear they are very?susceptible to 霜 損失 and?this is often the 原因（となる） of a 欠如（する）?of fruit. Plum trees do not need?any pruning but if necessary it?should be done in June and in?乾燥した，日照りの 天候.

VARIETIES: ‘Victoria’, ‘Oullins?Golden Gage’, ‘Czar’.

All plums ripen best in 十分な sun with only ‘Czar’ and ‘Victoria’ growing 井戸／弁護士席 in shade

Plum 職業

Plums ripen from?中央の-summer into?autumn, and 含む?damsons and greengages?as variations. They?grow 井戸／弁護士席 in a 国／地域 that is?heavier and wetter than? most?fruits ― with damsons 存在?exceptionally hardy and greengages?needing a? 避難所d,?sunny 場所／位置.?But all plums ripen best in 十分な?sun with only ‘Czar’ and ‘Victoria’ ?growing 井戸／弁護士席 in shade.?Greengages are the best of all?plums and greengage jam the?very best of all jams. However,?they can be temperamental,?are slow to start fruiting, do?best in 井戸／弁護士席-drained, fertile 国／地域?with plenty of warmth and?water and are more picky over?their growing 条件s than?your 普通の／平均（する） plum.?Because the blossom is one of?the first to appear they are very?susceptible to 霜 損失 and?this is often the 原因（となる） of a 欠如（する）?of fruit. Plum trees do not need?any pruning but if necessary it?should be done in June and in?乾燥した，日照りの 天候.

VARIETIES: ‘Victoria’, ‘Oullins?Golden Gage’, ‘Czar’.

A potted plum tree, or 'Prunus domestica'

Sublime citrus fruit

I grow やめる a few orange and lemon trees in マリファナs, and when they are 成し遂げるing 井戸／弁護士席 they look fantastic with their orange and yellow fruits against the rich evergreen leaves. The perfume from the blossom is exquisite, too.

Seville oranges are very hardy and the blossom has a wonderful fragrance, although the fruit are not edible unless cooked. They do, of course, make the best marmalade.

甘い oranges can be eaten, but are いっそう少なく hardy, although not nearly as 極度の慎重さを要する to 冷淡な as limes. Perhaps the easiest citrus to grow in a マリファナ are lemons. However, 避ける the mistake of too large a コンテナ. At best it will lead to an 過度の root system which will result in 集まりs of foliage at the expense of fruit. But it is also likely to result in the compost 持つ／拘留するing too much water, which will rot the roots.

徐々に 増加する the size of the マリファナ as the 工場／植物 grows, so there is only an インチ or so of space for the roots to 拡大する into. 工場／植物s should be repotted every three years as they grow with the final マリファナ 23-27 in in 直径.

Monty Don in the 木造の 温室 with some citrus fruits growing on a tree

The secret of good potting compost for any citrus 工場／植物 is drainage. Yellowing leaves are nearly always a 調印する of too much water so 追加する plenty of horticultural grit to your potting mix. I 最高の，を越す dress this with a 厚い mulch of good garden compost.

If the compost is 適切な 解放する／自由な-draining almost all the water should drain very 急速な／放蕩な. In winter there is no need to do this more than once a month and in summer no more than once a week. A 温室, 温室 or sunny porch makes life easier but citrus do not like 存在 indoors longer than necessary. Fresh 空気／公表する and 日光 are what they like best.

However, wherever you live in the UK they do need winter 保護. A 温室 or 霜-解放する／自由な shed is ideal as most houses or 温室s are unsuitable for overwintering citrus trees as they like the 空気／公表する around them to be やめる moist.

A good 支配する of thumb is that if it is 乾燥した，日照りの enough for soft furnishings then it will be too 乾燥した，日照りの for a citrus to be happy.

Although the fruits are very decorative and can remain on a 円熟した 工場／植物 for months, it is advisable to 除去する most from young 工場／植物s as they （問題を）取り上げる a lot of energy. 除去するing 熟した fruit also 刺激するs flower 生産／産物, followed by even more fruit.