OFF-GRID SMALL SCALE FARM
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Heritage fruit trees Devon & Somerset local & mail order

Mostly traditional, local and English varieties of apple, pear, and other fruits, available on dwarf to full-size rootstocks, grown on the Somerset and Devon border near Wellington and available by mail order, gift vouchers and at farmers markets around the South-West including Frome, Glastonbury, Crediton, Axbridge and Wiveliscombe. Pre-innoculated with mycorrhizal fungi.

UPDATE WE HAVE TEMPORARILY CLOSED

Thank you for visiting our site and supporting us with your custom, it is valued.

We have had to temporarily close our business as of now, September 2023. If you are interested in fruit trees and would like to be notified when the situation changes please add your name and email to our list by using the form below.

Innoculation

To give your fruit tree a really healthy head start we can also send them with their roots pre-innoculated with Mychorrizal fungi, giving it a huge 'secondary' root system within weeks, which will feed and support it. Just remember to order 'innoculation' once for each tree that you order.

Planting Advice

I recommend using mychorizzal fungi powder on their roots if you can get some (most garden centres sell small sachets now with names like rootmore) or you can select for me to do it for £1 a tree when you order (see left).

Plant it into a hole twice as big as the roots need. Spread out the roots, so they are all down or sideways (not up), then backfill the soil to the same level that the tree has been planted previously. Crumble the soil back in, give it a shake, then firm the soil around it. Rather than adding compost/manure etc to the planting hole, which discourages the roots from spreading out nicely to look for fertility, top dress on top of the soil after filling it in.

Grass especially will compete with the tree’s roots so it is a good idea to mulch around it for the first two or three years. When mulching or top dressing your tree, keep the main stem clear, to discourage sprouting low down. Any shoots from the base of the main stem/trunk underneath the graft should be removed.

Gift Vouchers

Fruit trees make fantastic presents and we now offer gift vouchers, which enables the recipient to decide which trees they would like for themselves. We will send a hand-written card.

Rootstock sizes

The rootstock that the tree is grafted onto will have many effects on the tree, the biggest one being its eventual size. Here is a rough guide to what heights to expect, but the vigour of the variety you choose will also affect the size of tree.

  • Dwarf - 1.5m - 2m - Quick to produce fruit, but shorter lived. Needs a good fertile soil

  • Semi-Dwarf - 2m - 2.5m - Quick to produce fruit, but shorter lived. Does well on poorer soils as well

  • Semi Vigorous - 3m-4m (MM106, St. Julian A, Colt, Quince A) Good for an orchard that is easier to pick than traditional very vigorous trees

  • Vigorous - 4m+ (MM111 this is also most tolerant of heavy/light soils, drought and waterlogging)

  • Very Vigorous - 5m+ (M25 - your traditional orchard apple stock)

Ordering trees

Visit our shop for fruit trees and view our available stock. If you order comes to £150 or more you can enter ORCHARD at the checkout to qualify for a 10% discount

Ordering trees by post

Postage usually covers up to 4 trees, but all stone fruit (plum, greengage, cherry and damson) are generally taller so will need pruning to be posted. We prune to the correct height for the formative framework of branches for a half-standard tree, or, if requested for fan training. If you do not wish to have them pruned, please get in touch before ordering so that we can quote for the extra postage.

Ordering trees to pick-up

We are not a public nursery, but you can pre-arrange to pick-up trees from us in Devon. To order for pick up please type COLLECT at checkout in the Promotion code box. We graft all our trees onto certified virus free rootstock.

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