Fruit tree growing

How to grow fruit in the UK

This website provides extensive information on how to grow fruit in the UK, including pruning fruit trees, thinning, fruit tree pest control, planting fruit trees, training fruit trees as espalier, fan, cordon or stepover, and much more.

Fruit trees – essential activities in July 2020

• Trees are now in their maximum growth stage. At the same time, insects and various fungi and diseases are making their presence felt. Just visit your trees weekly and make note of any problems that are occurring.
• Many trees are suffering due to lack of water. Cupped leaves, yellow leaf or leaf drop will confirm this fact.
• If you did not net the trees, the birds will be enjoying your cherries.
• This is the perfect time to carry out summer pruning on apricots, peaches, plums, cherries and nectarines.
• If fruit thinning has not been carried out already, this is your last chance to stop the trees being overloaded. Too much fruit this year will mean little fruit next year.
• Make sure the trees are free from weeds in the area around the trunks.

Click here to discover all our fruit growing tips for July.

Contact us if you need personalized advice.

Watch a video tutorial about summer pruning on apples.

How to start a garden orchard

In this website, you will find knowledge regarding the principal factors to consider for a garden orchard. Here they are in summary:

1. 1. 1. Find a suitable site for growing fruit trees. It should be free from spring frost and hail, and should be reasonably sheltered. Read more about the ideal site for growing fruit trees.
      2. Check that the soil is suitable for growing fruit trees. It should be moisture retentive, rich in organic matter, and well drained. Read more about the soil for growing fruit trees.
      3. Protect the trees from deer, rabbits, mice, badgers and other animals. A tree guard is a simple and very effective way of protecting a fruit tree. Watch a video tutorial on how to plant a fruit tree.
         
      4. Have access to water in drought periods. Regular watering is essential for newly-planted trees in spring and summer, and for all trees when rain is scarce. Read more about weather effects on fruit trees.
      5. Control pests and diseases when necessary. Many problems can be solved without chemicals, by optimizing the action of natural predators. It is well worth visiting your trees regularly so that you can see the onset of any problems early on.
      6. Have a means of storing fruit once picked. Read our tips on when to harvest and store fruit, with information on ethylene filters and how to ripen pears

Trees in trouble

Sometimes, you may run into fruit tree problems. Perhaps you want to know how to prune an apple tree. Or a tree may have stopped growing, its leaves may have discoloured or curled up, or perhaps it simply doesn’t produce much fruit. Just contact Dan Neuteboom by email (enquiries@realenglishfruit.co.uk) or by using this web form, describing the fruit tree problem. Specify your location (fruit trees are site specific, and site visits are possible depending on your location), and include some photos if possible.

Video channel

The videos published on this website illustrate the critical stages of fruit development, from the period from blossom to fruit formation, in a chronological sequence throughout the year. Click here to see the videos currently available.

Watch a video tutorial on how to thin apples, narration by Dan Neuteboom, camera by John Paddy.

The healing power of nature

The healing force of nature, how to learn from the healing force of the universe and discover the beauty of life. Read Dan Neuteboom’s article about nature and healing.