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Best fruit cordon to grow on chalk (SE facing)
Sazz101
Posts: 248
in Fruit & veg
My beautiful Ceanothus Concha was hit badly by the frosts, so I’m taking it out. There will be a stretch of fence 2m by 6 ft to cover and I would really like a fruit cordon. The fence is SE facing and there’s about 6-10inches of cultivated soil on top of chalk. I’m in SE England. Any ideas on what fruit varieties will do well?
I did start reading up on apples but quickly became overwhelmed by choice. I don’t mind a cooker or an eater. Not stuck on apples though. Really just want something that will cope with the chalk and the extreme weather we now have.
Thanks in advance 
0
Posts
I grow Waldo which produces huge berries of superb flavour during July and August.
It is thornless too.
Unlike many blackberries Waldo is well behaved.
Each year it only produces about 6 new canes that are easy to train.
I froze over 6Kg from mine last year in addition to a few more Kg's that I used or gave to neighbours.
Waldo-
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
If you dig in some rotted manure when planting it'll be quite happy on your chalky soil. Make sure you water it well over the first season so it establishes well, then leave it to it.
I used to pick lots over the fields which were good, but the taste and size of these really is something quite special, and being a cultivated bramble they're very tough.
Cut out all the canes that have fruited when you've picked the last of them and tie in the new shoots that will have grown that will have the berries the following year.
You can cut bits off anytime if it gets too big.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
They're so sweet and perfumed, they're perfect just eaten as they are.
No hard cores inside either!
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I harvested the last of mine about 2 weeks ago and have 11.3Kg in the freezer - so that's a LOT of crumbles
I've cut out all the canes that fruited this year and have tied in the new canes for next year.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.