Gardening: Fruit for thought

Planting trees may not be rocket science, but choosing the right fruit trees for your tastebuds, your soil and your space requires forethought and knowledge.

For example, it's pointless to choose an apricot that needs a good winter frosting if you live somewhere warm and humid all year round, and if you don't understand how your trees are pollinated, you may be waiting a long time for a fruit salad.

Good nurseries will be able to answer all your questions but the trick is, of course, to know what to ask.

These questions should be on your hit list before you adopt a fruit tree:

What is the rootstock? You may have the choice of the type of rootstock, which will tell you the ultimate size of the tree and how much fruit it can produce. Dwarfing rootstock is great for tight spaces.

How big will it grow?

What conditions does it need - sun, shade, soil type, feeding, mulching, watering, pruning?

How long before it will fruit and how long until it reaches full fruit production?

Is it self-fertile, double grafted or does it need a pollinator? (Self-fertile trees will produce good crops but may do even better if there is a second suitable cultivar or the same species planted nearby.)

Will it grow in a pot? Not everyone wants to grow fruit trees in pots, but there are advantages. They enhance outdoor living areas, fit into small spaces, can be moved around to find the place that suits them best, the fruit is more easily protected from birds and, best of all, you don't have to go far to pick it.