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Cutting a hole in the patio to plant an apple tree
I have a garage at the end of my garden that gets lots of sun. The garage is tatty and run-down, so I'd like to grow something on it.
My preferred choice is an espalier Apple tree, or perhaps climbing roses.
First question is which should I go for? I'm not an experienced gardener so will I manage an espalier?
Second question is how wide does the hole need to be? Would a 12" square be enough, so long as I go down deep and put in some good topsoil and compost?
A picture of the garage and patio is below.
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two questions
what is the floor made out of? concrete, blocks, tarmac?
and how long has the land been covered over?
if its blocks then lifting a good section to dig in some organic matter will be easy.
concrete may be a problem, the roots of the tree will go much further from the trunk than 12 inches and if the ground has been covered for a long time then it could be pretty bad soil with all the organic matter in it gone.
tarmac - you have the added problem of contamination from the tarmac products.
you also have the problem of planting something right next to a wall and any damage the roots might do to the foundations?
you can grow some small apple trees and climbing roses in big pots, that might be your best bet
Thanks.
I would rather plant in the ground so I can go away in Summer without remembering to water it.
The land has been covered for 20+ years. I haven't lifted the flagstones yet to check, but I suspect there's concrete under there.
Perhaps I would be better cutting a longer trench? I don't mind doing the work to remove old concrete from under the trench. Hopefully the concrete wouldn't go too deep down, so roots could then go sideways under the patio?
might you not be better with a very large planter?
The apple will be on a dwarfing rootstock so it'd be fine a big " pot"
Just a thought.
Jo, Check out the rootstock on the apple. Many are happy in confined spaces.
It's been a while since I was " in the trade" but google apple dwarfing rootstocks.
MM25 seems to ring a bell.
Yes, that is an option.
Isn't a large "pot" effectively the same as a "hole" the same size?
The patio is already 18" above the level of the grass so putting a pot there would mean the tree started higher than I'd like.
You never know what's under the ground, but if it's a pot, you know what you're putting into it and your apple should be happy there.
Just remember the watering / feeding regime.
If it's very sunny (south-facing?) you might consider something other than an apple. Maybe even a fig, which doesn't want good soil or a big root run. You'd have to protect it from frost though.
I would think the main issue would be getting enough water to the roots. Maybe you could fix up some sort of feed-in from the guttering? Or try to ensure that the ground around it slopes and directs the rain water to the soil around the tree.
Thanks. I think lifting a few slabs to look underneath as suggested is the best way forward.
I'm still considering getting rid of the whole raised patio, but as it is in fairly good condition it seems a shame - and would be a lot of work.
I'd heard that fig trees next to a house were a bad idea?
I do have a house wall I could try my espalier on and then use this for another climber like a climbing rose.
What else would look nice on this wall? It is at the end of the garden facing the house so ideally would be something that gives flowers for quite a long period.