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Latest fruit news
Mini pear Joy of Kent that everyone has room for
LUBERA's new mini pear has been called Joy of Kent, chosen by the winner of a Gardeners' World newsletter competition.
Although Joy Of Kent is a new variety, it has a history going back to the old French variety Nain vert (synonym Poire à bois monstrueux) in 1839, found by M.de Nerbonne in France.
In two different breeding steps in the second half of the last century, Dr Frank Alston combined the quality of Conference, Comice and Packham's Triumph with the compact habit of Nain Vert.
1-year-old dwarf tree £24.90, see link below:
Picture; Lubera
Autumn-fruiting raspberry that's compact and thornless
FRUIT specialist Lubera has bred thornless Little Red Princess, the world's first compact autumn-fruiting raspberry.
Berries can be grown and harvested simply and without problems in small spaces, in the garden, on a balcony or terrace. It has a strong branching habit, and each side shoot has buds.
Little Red Princess grows from 60-100cm high and bears fruit on one-year-old shoots in August to September/early October. Fruits are medium large, conical, bright red, with excellent flavour.
Due to being a primocane, it can be pruned down to the ground and will have fruit on the branches beginning the middle of August this year if planted in April.
Pruning is simple - cut back old canes to 10cm in February.
Order for delivery in February/March. Prices start from £7.90 for a 1.3 litre potted well rooted plant, www.lubera.co.uk.
Picture; Lubera
Blueberry that performs well in the north of the UK
AT last - a blueberry for cold northern gardens.
Mail order soft fruit supplier DT Brown has introduced North Country, which is exceptionally hardy and tolerates very low temperatures with no affect on its cropping ability.
North Country has dark blue, medium-sized berries with a superb flavour close to that of wild types.
The plants have a mature height and width of 2-3ft (60-90cm), so they're suitable for containers. They are ornamental, with white flowers in spring and dark green foliage which turns scarlet in autumn.
Blueberry North Country is a low-maintenance, self-fertile, early to mid-season variety, bearing a good crop of berries from late June to early July.
It does best in full sun and in free-draining acidic soil; when container-grown it requires ericaceous compost.
A two-litre potted plant costs £14.95, or there's a buy two, get one free offer.
DT Brown is also offering free trial spring onion seeds with its 206-page Fruit and Vegetables Catalogue 2016.
New and exclusive, the as-yet unnamed variety is offered under the breeder's code TSX 8516. A free packet will be sent with every seed order placed from January to June.
To request a copy of the fruit and vegetables catalogue 2016, write to DT Brown, Western Avenue, Matrix Park, Chorley, Lancashire PR7 7NB, telephone 0845 3710532, or go online www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk.
Pictures; DT Brown
Giving the Greenlight to a delicious new apple variety
A NEW yellowy-green fruit has been unveiled by Lubera to give gardeners another choice to rival Golden Delicious or Granny Smith.
After almost 20 years, the Malini Greenlight columnar apple is now on sale. It's green and light, decorative and has a zingy combination of juicy, sour and sweet.
Medium sized and a little bit flat, this beauty is green and slightly yellow when ripe. Scab resistant, it is firm and crunchy in texture.
The harvest from this upright, columnar tree is early October and the fruits can be stored.
A one-year old columnar tree in a five-litre pot is £17.40, for more details log on to www.lubera.co.uk.
Picture; Lubera
Flowers AND fruit - welcome to the new Fuchsia Berry
THOMPSON & Morgan has launched another dual-purpose plant - the Fuchsia Berry.
The breeding team were asked to improve the flavour of Fuchsia berries to widen their appeal, as existing strains are low yielding and bitter.
Fruits have a flavour somewhere between a fig and a kiwi. They can be eaten fresh or made into jam, to be enjoyed out of season.
The Fuchsia Berry allows gardeners to keep things ornamental while at the same time producing a worthwhile crop from a hanging basket or patio/ balcony container.
Each plant will produce about 300 juicy berries and unlike other varieties will keep on flowering even when producing fruit – right up to the first frost.
The plants are the perfect addition to garden displays but the heavy fruit yields make the Fuchsia Berry a worthwhile addition to allotments too.
Though frost tender, as with many other Fuchsias, the Fuchsia Berry can be kept through winter if protected in a sheltered spot or in a greenhouse. Height 90cm (36"). Spread: 45cm (18").
Five Postiplug plants £9.99, 10 for £17.99. from www.thompson-morgan.com.
Pictures; Thompson & Morgan