![z-fruhzwetschep1020878 Plum blossom - Zimmers Frühzwetsche](https://fruitforum.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/z-fruhzwetschep1020878.jpg?w=500&h=375)
Plum blossom - Zimmers Frühzwetsche
Fruit blossom in East Kent is perhaps a little behind Ian Harrison’s experience in Sussex which he documents on our main web-site. At the National Fruit Collections on 1 April about a dozen or so varieties of plums were in full flower out of the 300 plus growing at Brogdale: the very early myrobalans were already going over and Bittern and Mallard were in flower along with the German culinary plum, Zimmers Frühzwetsche in the above picture, but not Denniston’s Superb, which was coming into blossom with Ian.
Using fruit blossom to map the advance of spring could be an exciting project for fruit enthusiasts, Ian suggests. Wild flowers are already employed to construct isophenes – lines joining up data points that map the progress of spring across the country. Primroses, for example, flower a month earlier on the Devon coast than in the Cairngorms and using data based on the average first dates at which a number of common and widespread plants come into flower it has proved possible to calculate that spring advances at about two miles an hour across Britain. Roughly close to a strolling pace writes Richard Mabey in an article ‘Spring’ (1994), reminiscing ‘I used to toy with the fantasy of following the spring on foot, like a guest behind an unrolling carpet.’
Fruit blossom, too, can be used to track the progress of spring and the internet seems an ideal way of gathering in the data.
Readers could you help? Simply let us known when well known fruit varieties come into flower in your garden or area – that is ‘full flower’ when about 90% of the flowers on the tree are open.
Our suggestions for varieties to track are listed below, but do not restrict yourself to these, please send us any data that you have and let us see if we can gather in some information from around Britain. To have ‘real’ value it will need to be carried out over a number of years on the same varieties, but for 2009 can we explore the possibilities?
- Plums: myrobalan or cherry plums are the first to flower; damsons are later and Victoria could be our main variety; but let us know the flowering time of any variety.
- Pears: we suggest Conference, but again whatever you have growing.
- Cherries: the choice of a widely planted variety is more difficult and the cherry is not much grown outside southern England; just send us any data that you have.
- Apples: there are many possible varieties. We suggest from early to late flowering – Discovery, Worcester Pearmain, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Bramley’s Seedling, but any information is welcome.
- Please also include a few details on the tree – age, form (free standing or trained) and site (exposed, sheltered, walls).
‘I think Gilbert White, Erasmus and Charles Darwin would have loved the idea’ Ian comments. ‘It makes a change from folks writing into newspapers and recording the first hearing of a cuckoo or absence of as is now the case. It could be something to look forward to each year adding a new dimension to the fruit growing community, whether people have one tree or many.’
Please join in and let us know the date your fruit trees comes into full flower and of course what part of the country they grow in. It will be fascinating to see by how much they vary.
Fruit Forum
The following blossom reports have arrived with Fruit Forum. Thank you very much indeed for sending these in and we look forward to more dates especially relating to the apples. A general round-up will follow.
SUSSEX
6 April; Oullins Gage in full bloom on my allotment in West Sussex.
8 April: Victoria and Dennistons’ Gage in full bloom.
11 April: Majories Seedling as a cordon in full flower.
12 April: Onward and Black Worcester pears as oblique cordons in full flower, and in advance of these two varieties trained as a vertical column.
12 April: Celeste cherry 50% open but Sunburst only just breaking and similarly Sunburst and Stella fan trained on a south facing wall.
Ian Harrison
KENT
At National Fruit Collections, Brogdale, nr Faversham.
20 March: Burrel’s Red Myrobalan in full flower. The earliest to flower in the Plum Collection; 10% of flowers open 16 March and 90% petal fall on 29 March.
3 April: Denniston’s Superb in full flower; 10% flowers open 1 April.
7 April: Oullin’s Gage in full flower; 10% flowers open on 5 April.
7 April: Pershore Yellow Egg in full flower; 10 % flowers open on 5 April.
8 April: Farleigh Damson in full flower; 10% flowers open on 6 April.
8 April: Victoria in full flower; 10% flowers open on 6 April.
8 April: Czar in full flower; 10% flowers open on 6 April.
Mary Pennell
8 April: Victoria at full bloom, Staplehurst, near Maidstone.
Annette Bardsley
12 April: Czar plum and common damson in full bloom on North Downs between Ashford and Canterbury; also Stella and Governor Wood cherries in a sheltered corner.
Joan Morgan
LONDON
8 April: One Williams and one Conference pear, one Stella cherry and one Czar plum, all planted as maidens, spring 2007 in small garden in south-west London are in full bloom.
R. Tayne
WORCESTERSHIRE
30 March: Here at Pershore College, Heron plum and Myrobalans were at full bloom last week approx 30 March but sadly petal-less now due to the wind and rain since the weekend.
5 April: Shropshire Prune at full bloom.
6 April: Greengage in full bloom.
8 April: Victoria and Pershore Yellow Egg plums, also Prunus avium (wild cherry) in full bloom.
8 April: Conference and Black Worcester pears in full bloom; Concorde at first open flower.
We have an intensive orchard of Queen Cox comprising trees from both UK and Dutch nurseries and some rows are at pink bud whilst others only green cluster.
John Edgeley
HEREFORDSHIRE
5 April: Damsons in full flower around Ledbury.
7 April: Victoria in full flower, followed by Opal approx 9 April. I guess Marjories Seedling will be this weekend – 11-12 April. The blossom is crazily good after last years cold and wet spring.
Cilla Sobey
OXFORDSHIRE
April 9: Plums Denniston’s Superb and Coe’s Golden drop were in full bloom today in rather exposed Wolvercote in North Oxford.
April 9: Conference was in full bloom and broke bud on April 4. Also in full bloom were pear cordons Sucrée de Montluçon, Devoe, Beurré Gris d’Hiver, Beth, Bishop’s Thumb, Fondante d’Automne and Asian pear Shinsui. Half-standard Beurré Precoce Morettini is already past its best, having shed about half its blossom.
Various trained forms of Santa Claus, Winter Nellis, Glou Morçeau, Comice, Concorde and Pitmaston Duchess have about 25% of flowers open.
Elizabeth Moriarty
CAMBRIDGESHIRE
11 April: Victoria and Purple Pershore Plum both at 90% blossom near Wisbech.
Bob Lever
NORTH WALES
2 April: Cambridge Gage in full flower trained as a fan on a favourable wall in walled garden, Bangor.
3 April Myrobalan plum (Golden Sphere) in full flower as free standing tree in Angelsey
7 April: Louise Bonne de Jersey pear full flower in Angelsey trained on a south facing wall.
Ian Sturrock
YORKSHIRE
8 April: Blackthorn varies from half to full flower around York.
Plum Victoria first flowers open 8 April. Approx 50% open 11 April. Oulin’s Gage. about the same.
Barry Potter
NORTHUMBERLAND
10 April: One of my Victoria plums, growing against a south facing stone wall is in full flower in the North Tyne Valley in West Northumberland. It was meant to be a fan but never got that far, so I suppose it’s a bit of a mixed up tree, about 8 years old.
Peter Samson
More blossom dates have arrived with Fruit Forum- thank you all very much indeed.
KENT
Ten miles east of Brogdale in a sheltered garden on heavy soil 1.5 miles inland from the North Kent coast. All trees grown as standard and, except damsons and one of the myrobalans, at least 40 years old.
11 March: myrobalan just breaking.
29 March: common damson and sloes just breaking.
31 March: Victoria plum just breaking.
10 April: Williams’ pear had seemed ready to burst from white bud for 5-6 days. Then, with rain overnight after a dry period of 2-3 weeks, it went straight to 90% bloom.
13 April: Conference pear just breaking.
14 April: Conference pear 90% bloom. Comice pear just breaking.
15 April: Apples Lord Lambourne and James Grieve just breaking.
It is interesting that, although we are east of Brogdale, our myrobalan is breaking some 5 days before the earliest in the Plum Collection and our Victoria plum is equally in advance.
Heather Hooper
At the National Fruit Collections, Brogdale, Faversham.
10 April: Cambridge Gage full flower; 10% flowers open 8 April.
11 April: Majorie’s Seedling plum in full flower; 10% flowers open 9 April.
11 April: Louise Bonne of Jersey pear in full flower; 10% flowers open 9 April.
12 April: Conference and Beth pear in full flower; 10% flowers open 10 April.
12 April: Lapins cherry in full flower; 10 % open 9 April.
13 April: Early Rivers, Hertford and Merchant cherries in full flower; Early Rivers and Hertford 10% open 10 April; Merchant 10% open 11 April.
Mary Pennell
14 April: my large standard tree of Onward pear in full flower on North Downs between Ashford and Canterbury.
Joan Morgan
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
8 April: Hertford cherry in full flower with Stella a little behind; both grown against fence panels on an exposed south facing slope near Nottingham.
11 April: Victoria, Count Althann’s Gage, Pershore Yellow Egg and Crimson Drop plums in full flower .
11 April: Black Worcester, Vicar of Winkfield and Williams’ pears in full flower, also Conference trained as an espalier and Marguerite Marillat as a cordon, with my Conference cordon a little behind.
14 April: Marguerite Marillat in full flower trained as a pyramid.
Adrian Baggaley
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
13 April: The huge old pear tree in the village orchard at Middleton in the Welland Valley came into full blossom. I’ve no idea what the variety is, but it produces very large Comice-like pears.
Mark Shirley
YORKSHIRE
16 April: Victoria plum and Oullin’s Gage in full flower outside York. Nearby pears that once formed a very large 19th century mixed orchard are at a peak of flowering that started about a week ago.
Barry Potter
16 April: Coastal strip near Brighton, West Sussex.
March became a drought month, by the Met’ Office’s strict definition – 14 days continuous without rain. The soil where exposed cracked open. April began as a drought with only patchy light showers during the second week. This whole period was marked by an absence of coastal south-westerly winds, with days at a time without even a breeze, above average temperatures by day and night and no frosts.
Last year the cold continuous coastal winds cut a great swathe through many varieties of pear and almost all the plums and gages.
So far we have a very good set of pears and plum. The earliest to flower, Thompson’s, Louise Bonne of Jersey, Chaumontel all bearing fruitlets, while the last pears to flower have now reached 90%. Among them are Invincible (Delwinor), Concorde, and Fondante d’Automne. Fondant d’Automne seems to share a characteristic with Concorde in that it is a very shy grower, even when cosseted, but a heavy cropper for all that. Its blossom is particularly worth waiting for as it carries purple blotches which show through on the inside of the petal as well, after the flowers open. Given space I would grow it in a form and with the space make the most of the flowers.
Of the plums, the last of mine to flower, Count Althann’s Gage, has reached 90%.
On my neighbour’s allotment Sunburst and Stella cherries, fan trained on south-facing walls have reached over 90%. While Morello on a north facing wall is at 20%.
My own cherries are vertical columns, in the open – Celeste is at 90%, Sunburst at 60% and Lapins or Cherokee is just now breaking into flower.
Brown Turkey figs free growing and root restricted in the open have produced fruitlets that are beginning to swell, while White Marseilles is a little behind.
Among the apples on a neighbouring allotment, Meridian trained as an espalier is 90% in flower. Red Falstaff and Egremont Russet have reached 60% , followed by St Edmund’s Pippin at 50%. On several allotments Cox’s Orange Pippin opened its first flowers during a warm day yesterday when temperatures reached 18C by mid-afternoon.
My own apples are behind these with Adam’s Pearmain and Egremont Russet and Cornish Aromatic just breaking into flower, followed closely by the crab, John Downie.
Quince, Vranja, which a week ago barely had a bud to be seen among the leaves is now covered in swollen pink buds and breaking into flower.
I counted five species of wild bees on the allotments this morning as well as neighbours’ hive bees during their rounds. Together with numerous lady birds, hover flies and three species of butterfly – Brimstone, Speckled Wood and Peacock this augers well for a fruitful spring. The colonies of Red Mason bees, nearly a thousand strong, which I had built up in previous years were all but wiped out by the cold winds and rain in May 2007 and again last year. Over the next week it will become clear whether or not any have survived from last year’s all too brief breeding season in April. Living by the South Downs you cannot forget the weather lore of the old shepherds – ‘the cold strengthens as the light lengthens.’
Our native bumble bees, active throughout the winter months here, seem to have the edge over domesticated bees and the Masons when it comes to survival and the ability to work in cold weather. The Buff Tailed, Red Tailed and Common Carder among them have all been audible and visible these last weeks, before the hive bees stir and after they have gone to bed. The future must lie with more thoughtful provision for their needs.
The latest batch of blossom dates: thank you all so much!
KENT
10 miles east of Brogdale, 1.5 miles inland.
Pears
18 April: Williams – 50% petal fall; Conference and Comice – full bloom.
Apples
18 April: James Grieve and Lord Lambourne – 50% open; Allens Everlasting (I think!) – 10% open; Bramley’s Seedling – just breaking.
Heather Hooper
National Fruit Collections, Brogdale, Faversham
Plums have now all virtually finished flowering (April 20) and many pears are past their best. Cherries are looking really good at the moment with most of them in full bloom. Apples are just starting, with many at pink bud – no doubt the weather this week will bring them on fairly rapidly.
Pears
11 April: Louise Bonne of Jersey in full flower; 10% open 9 April; 90% petal fall 19 April.
12 April: Conference pear in full flower; 10% open 10 April; 90% petal fall 20 April.
15 April: Doyenné du Comice in full flower; 10% open 14 April.
15 April: Concorde in full flower; 10% open on 13 April.
Apples
13 April: Red Astrachan in full flower; 10% open 10 April; and one of the first, along with Starke’s Early to open in the Collection.
19 April: Meridian and Egremont Russet in full flower; 10% flowers open 16 April.
Mary Pennell
OXFORDSHIRE
Apples
12 April: Irish Peach full bloom (first bud opened April 4)
19 April: St Edmund’s Pippin, Howgate Wonder and Sunset all 100% open.
19 April: Pitmaston Pineapple, Red James Grieve, Sturmer Pippin all 75% open.
19 April: Early Victoria, Mother and Pixie all 50% open.
19 April: Egremont Russet,Tydeman’s Early Worcester, Worcester Pearmain all 25% open.
19 April: Rosemary Russet, Roter Ananas, Reinette Rouge Etoilée all tight pink bud and
Cox’s Orange Pippin and Red Ellison’s.
Elizabeth Moriarty
BANGOR, NORTH WALES
Plums
10 April: Old Green Gage in full flower as a fan on a south facing wall ; Denniston’s plum in full flower as a free standing tree.
11 April: Victoria in full flower as free standing tree.
12 April : Opal in full flower as free standing tree.
13 April: Cambridge Gage in full flower as free standing tree.
14 April: Marjorie’s Seedling in full flower as a free standing tree in a walled garden.
15 April: Pershore Yellow Egg, Denbigh plum and wild sloes in full flower as free standing trees.
17 April: Farleigh damson in full flower as a free standing tree and Majorie’s Seedling as a tree in a walled garden.
Cherries
17 April: Van as a free standing tree in full flower
18 April: Stella trained as a fan on a south facing wall in full flower.
Pears
12 April: Merton Pride in full flower trained as a cordon on a south facing wall.
15 April: Beth and Conference in full flower as free standing trees and Beurré Hardy planted against a crinkle crankle south facing wall.
17 April: Jargonelle in full flower as a free standing tree.
18 April: Louise Bonne of Jersey in full flower as a free standing tree.
19 April: Concorde in full flower as a free standing tree in a walled garden.
Apples
19 April: Discovery and Bardsey Apple in full flower trained as cordons against a south facing wall.
Jo and Ian Sturrock
Some more blossom dates; thank you very much indeed.
YORKSHIRE
In bloom in Sheffield.
12th April: Warwickshire Drooper, Merryweather Damson, Shropshire Prune,Victoria plum and Cambridge Gage.
23 April: Mirabelle de Nancy and Majorie’s Seedling plums,
Beurré Hardy pear,
Crab apple Pink Glow, Beeley Pippin, Beauty of Bath, James Grieve apples.
Julian Brandram
In North Yorkshire.
21 April: Conference and Concorde both approaching full bloom and should be there by Saturday, 25 April.
Apples at advanced pink bud and pretty equal across the varieties. Meridian looks likely to be the winner.
Peter Blackburne-Maze
HEREFORDSHIRE
20 April: Jazz in full bloom and Jonogored near Ledbury.
24 April: Cox’s Orange Pippin coming into full bloom with Bramley’s Seedling following close behind. A wonderful pollination year and we have many bumble bees but I fear the bees are mostly on our neighbour’s oil seed rape though I do see some working. Plum blossom was outrageous! I dread the thinning bill.
Cilla Sobey
21 April 2009 . Coastal strip near Brighton.
No rain since 11 April. Even then only 4 mm/0.2 ins fell in the heaviest shower according to my rain gauge. The extraordinary dry, mild spring weather looks set to continue at last until the weekend when we will be back in drought again. Not the least remarked on aspect of this weather is the absence of coastal winds; the tenderest of plant foliage looking very healthy.
Plums, gages, pears have been setting exceptional crops. So much so that people living near allotments have been standing on boundary paths enjoying the sight and heavy musky scents of the blossom for the Easter holidays. Some are on waiting lists hoping to get an allotment soon. All the councils along the coastal strip, Brighton and Hove, Adur, Worthing, have had waiting lists for several years now.
It is at this time of year especially you became aware of the steadily growing trend for growing tree fruits on allotments as the blossom stands out even from a distance when you travel on the top of a bus, or by train. There are now even allotments given over wholly to the growing of tree fruits and grapes. Geoffrey Smith was a gardener, who helped bring about this trend. Sadly he passed away on 27 February, aged 80. His television broadcasts in the 1970s marked the beginning of a new less formal institutional approach to gardening and allotmenting. Unlike his predecessor Percy Thrower, Geoffrey Smith’s programmes benefited from colour. Did ever a gardener look so happy or more at home behind a wheelbarrow. For many who remember him, through radio broadcasts, the printed work, television, I suspect the best of him is encapsulated in the moment when he picked a ripened peach and sank his teeth into it, in front of camera. The world of gardening is shorter by a head. Let’s order an extra bare-root tree from the nursery and plant it in his memory.
21 April:
Cherries
Lapins (Cherokee) grown as a vertical column on my plot has reached 80% in flower, while Sunburst and Celeste have begun petal fall. On other allotments two free standing Morello have reached 90%, as has a fan trained Morello on a north facing wall.
Apples
Across the site St Edmund’s Pippin, Red Falstaff, Egremont Russet (all oblique cordons) at 95% flower. Cox’s Orange Pippin (cordons and bushes) over 60%.
On my plot Egremont Russet (free standing bush) is at 80%, while another next to it, is at 20%. A third has no blossom at all; it did over crop last year.
Devonshire Quarrenden, Ellison’s Orange, also have no blossom.
Sturmer Pippin as a vertical column at 40% while another as an oblique cordon is only at pink bud.
Adam’s Pearmain (espalier) at 60%, Pitmaston Russet Nonpareil (dwarf pyramid) at 60%, Rosemary Russet (cordon) at 50%, Bramley’s Seedling (open centre bush) 20%, Cornish Aromatic (oblique cordon) 75% (this not only stored well until the end of March, it has fine flavour despite of the lack of quality sunshine in 2008!).
James Grieve and Ashmead’s Kernel (oblique cordons) pink bud, just breaking.
Discovery (vertical column) at 40%. On a neighbour’s allotment Discovery (open-centre bush) also at 40%.
The blossom this year stimulated discussion among allotments holders yet to commit to planting trees, but who have benefited from fruit tastings. And so a small party will be making regular trips to see the collections at West Dean Gardens, near Chichester in West Sussex. There should be such collections in every county where the would-be -fruit-grower can follow the progress of fruits, including local varieties through the yearly cycle. Now that West Dean is open all the year round, the cycle from dormancy – winter pruning-bud growth- blossoming to fruiting can be followed and reflected on together with forms and methods of training. The beginner can begin to understand how much space an individual tree needs according to the form and position it is grown in. The relative merits of planting in the open or against a wall or fence becomes clear. Also the merits of growing fruits, even soft fruits against a north facing wall in order to delay cropping and extend the period of harvest.
Such gardens are invaluable resources for the convinced amateur gardener as well as providing opportunities for comparison – butterflies, spotted wood and comma are drawn to gooseberries here as they are in my allotment.
April 21
Cherries at West Dean
Merton Glory and Merton Bigarreau fan-trained on west facing wall finished their last flush of flowers and at petal fall. Stella and Lapins (fan-trained) south facing wall, just entering their last flush
Apples at West Dean
Free standing trees within walled garden – Tydeman’s Late Orange, Margil, Red Devil, Greensleeves, Falstaff, Fiesta all over 80% flower.
Oblique cordons on east facing wall – Adam’s Pearmain, Brownlees Russet, Beauty of Bath, Red Devil, Discovery all at 90% flower.
Espaliers on open fences – Lord Lambourne, Brownlees Russet, Sturmer Pippin, Ribston Pippin at 80% plus.
West Dean maintains a collection of apples of particular local interest –
Nutmeg Pippin, Egremont Russet (free standard trees within walled garden) at 90% blossom.
Marieda, 70%, Dr Hogg and Crawley Beauty at 50%.
This helps to demonstrate the potential for spreading cropping from within a selection of local varieties. Hawkridge, another old variety from East Sussex, according to Hogg, was outstanding as a show of blossom at near 100%.
For outstanding quality of individual blossom an Arthur Turner, trained against a north facing wall had petals larger than I ever remember. Perhaps they benefited from the shade. Arthur Turner was awarded a merit for blossom by the RHS in 1945.
By late afternoon the walled gardens were alive with the shrilling of house martins, swallows and swifts, hoovering up the insects in the still warm air. But the sheer volume of brick and flint walls in West Dean also produce as a by-product another benefit to birds. Absorbing the sun’s heat in the Lavant Valley the the walls generate a warm thermal air current rising above the village where you could hear and see a pair of red kites spiralling upwards on the thermal. Together with the common buzzard, red kites are now recolonising the South Downs.
Each year that passes now sees new vineyards planted along the South Downs in West and East Sussex. They are just breaking into leaf. It cannot be long before someone rediscovers the potential for growing commercial scale crops of figs outdoors! My own figs growing outdoors, Brown Turkey and White Marseilles have begun fruitlet swell and put out leaves. The gooseberries will all need heavy thinning in the second half of May!
Another set of blossoms – thank you all so much.
KENT
National Fruit Collections, Brogdale Faversham
The plums and pears have all gone over – 27 April – and so now have many of the cherries. Most of the apple varieties, with the exception of the very late ones, are now in flower with some beginning to go over. The quinces are just on the verge of being at full flower.
Apples
13 April: Red Astrachan full flower; 10% flower 10 April; 90% petal fall 24 April.
19 April: Egremont Russet and Meridian full flower; 10% open 16 April; 90% petal fall 28 April.
20 April: Discovery full flower; 10 % flower 18 April.
21 April: St Edmund’s Pippin full flower; 10% flower 19 April.
22 April: Falstaff and Gala full flower; 10% flower 20 April.
22 April: James Grieve full flower; 10% flower 19 April.
23 April: Bramley’s Seedling, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Jonagold and Worcester Pearmain full flower; 10 % flower 21 April.
26 April: Blenheim Orange full flower; 10% flower 23 April.
26 April Fiesta/Red Pippin full flower; 10% flower 24 April.
Mary Pennell
Canterbury, sheltered garden at the top of a hill on well draining clay soil. All trees summer pruned some with several varieties grafted.
18 April only the earliest flowering – Fall Russet – in full bloom. Brownlees Russet 50%. Falstaff and Tydeman’s Late Orange 30%. Merton russet 10%.
22 April more than 90% flower – Fall Russet, Merton Russet, Brownlees Russet, Tydeman’s Late Orange, Falstaff.
50% open – Mollies Delicious. 30% open – Dorée de Tournai, James Grieve.
Less than 10% open – Princes Marijka, Splendour, Merton Beauty. Still in pink bud – Kent, Ashmead’s Kernel, Orleans Reinette.
25 April more than 95% flower – Fall russet, Merton Russet, Brownlees Russet, Tydeman’s Late Orange, Falstaff, Mollies Delicious, Dorée de Tournai, James Grieve, Princes Marijka.
50% open -Kent, Ashmead’s Kernel, Orleans Reinette.
28 April after rain- more than 90% flower – Kent, Ashmead’s Kernel, Orleans Reinette. More than 50% petals dropped on Fall Russet, Tydeman’s Late Orange, Merton Russet.
Derek Rye
North Downs between Ashford and Canterbury on a south facing slope.
17 April: Irish Peach full flower
19 April: Ribston Pippin full flower
22 April: Discovery full flower.
25 April: King of Pippins, Merton Russe full flower.
29 April: Bramley’s Seedling full flower.
Joan Morgan
Staplehurst
26 April: Bramley’s Seedling in full flower and Cox’s Orange Pippin on higher ground.
Annette Bardsley.
The Bardsey Island Apple is the name given to the apple tree that grows on the Island of Bardsey off the tip of the Llyn Peninsular in North Wales. Some years ago I propagated it and now Bardsey apples are widely distributed enabling me to collect the following blossom dates.
Bardsey Island Apple was in flower :
16 April: Winchester.
17 April; Harlech, 150ft above sea-level.
19 April: Nottingham.
19 April: Cambridge.
19 April: Edinburgh, 300ft (against fence).
19 April: Porthmadog.
20 April: Dorset, 60ft.
22 April: Llanberis, 450ft.
23 April: Newport, Pembrokeshire, 800ft.
20 April: 50% in flower at Capparoe, Ireland, 150ft.
Ian Sturrock
More blossom data – thank you very much indeed.
YORKSHIRE
In our garden between York and the sea on 27 April the blossom was at the following stages.
Winter Gem at advanced pink bud.
Ellison’s Orange, Fortune, Greensleeves, Lane’s Prince Albert, Meridian, Red Falstaff and Worcester Pearmain in full flower.
Bramley’s Seedling, Catshead, Elstar, Kidd’s Orange Red, Self-fertile Cox, Winter Gem not quite in full flower.
Red Windsor, Grandpa Buxton, Discovery past full flower, petals starting browning.
Peter Blackburne-Maze
SUFFOLK
On exposed slopes to north and west. Plums on Pixie rootstock and pears on quince C except for species pears; all trees 13-25 years old.
Plums
9 April: White bullace, hedgerow trees, in full flower; first flowers 30 March.
12 April: Rivers Early plum and Cambridge Gage in full flower; first flowers 6 April.
Pears
10 April: ‘Pyrus nivalis’ in full flower; first flowers 2 April.
12 April: ‘Pyrus salicifolia’ and ‘Pyrus sp. Mosel’ in full flower; first flowers 4 April, 5 April respectively.
12 April: Santa Maria, Joséphine de Malines,Williams’ Bon Chrétien in full flower; first flowers 8 April.
14 April: Red Beurré Hardy in full flower; first flowers 7 April.
14 April: Rocha in full flower; first flowers 10 April.
16 April: Yellow Huffcap perrry pear in full flower.
17 April: Doyenné du Comice, Brandy perry pear in full flower; first flowers 14 April.
18 April: Oldfield perry pear in full flower.
Alan Rowe
NORTHUMBERLAND
Apples North Tynedale now also coming into flower.
1 May: Bismarck, White Melrose and James Grieve in full flower.
Peter Samson
More data; thank you very much.
KENT
This year the good weather has brought all the blossom close together right across Kent. In less good weather one would see larger differences.
The following dates are for full flower of trees in commercial orchards in Kent.
Plums
7 April: Victoria.
9 April: Jubileum and Opal.
14 April Majorie’s Seedling.
Cherries
14 April: Summer Sun, Sweetheart and Sunburst.
21 April: Colney.
Pears
12 April: Conference.
14 April: Concorde.
16 April: Doyenné du Comice.
Apples
21 April: Egremont Russet.
22 April: Early Windsor, Discovery, Breaburn.
25 April: Cox’s Orange Pippin and Bramley.
27 April: Gala.
In Dublin on 1 May, Bramley’s Seedling still at pink bud to early bloom; there has been quite a lot of frost in Dublin. Northern Ireland will be later.
Graham Waters
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
Pears
13 April: Beth, 90% out, as bush on quince A.
Cherries
18 April: Stella, 100%out, as bush on colt.
Apples
22 April: Meridian, 90% out as pyramid on M26; Katy, 100% out, as cordon on M9; Red Alkmene, 90% out, as pyramid on M26; Red Devil, 100% out, as spindle on M9.
24 April: Cox’s Orange Pippin, 90% out, on M9; Duchess of Oldenburg, 100% out, as pyramid on M26; Limelight, 90% out, as bush on M26; Sunset, 90% out, small pyramid on M26.
30 April: Holstein, 90% out, on M26; Ingrid Marie, 90% out, on M9.
Adrian Baggaley
Leeds, Yorkshire, in full flower on the following dates.
Plums
9 April: Shropshire Damson and Victoria Plum.
Pears –
11 April: Roosevelt.
13 April: Fondant d’Automne.
24 April: Doyenné du Comice.
Apples
17 April: Egremont Russet.
19 April: Scrumptious.
22 April: Epicure and Limelight.
23 April: Lord Derby and Bardsey Island Apple.
24 April: Clarkes Royal and Court of Wick.
25 April: White Melrose, Norfolk Royal Russet, Ingrid Marie and Lord Lambourne.
27 April: Laxton Superb.
28 April: William Crump.
30 April: Herefordshire Russet and Howgate Wonder.
All upright cordons on MM106 apart from White Melrose, 5yrs old, also MM106, but growing as a bush.
Some more blossom dates; thank you very much.
KENT
National Fruit Collections, Brogdale, Faversham
Crawley Beauty is at full flower today – 11 May – and was at 10% on 7th May. Feuillemorte is still to flower – some buds are only just beginning to show pink. Apart from one or two late cider varieties, virtually everything else is now over.
Mary Pennell
NORTH WALES
Blossom dates for full flower in Bangor, North Wales.
29 April: St. Edmund’s Pippin, Katy, Discovery.
1 May: Merton Worcester, Egremont Russet, Claygate Pearmain, Golden Knob, Laxton’s Fortune, Brownlees Russet, Sunset, Bardsey in a cold spot.
4 May: Ellison’s Orange, Ross Nonpareil, Kidd’s Orange Red, St. Cecilia, Margil,
Cornish Pine, Greasy Pippin, Winston, Baker’s Delicious, Dredge’s Fame, D’Arcy Spice.
6 May: Belle de Boskoop, Tom Putt, Lord Lambourne, James Grieve, Pig Aderyn,
Finkenwerder Prinz, Saturn.
7 May: Charles Ross, Lucombe’s Pine , Ard Cairn Russet, Red Devil, Ashmead’s Kernel,
Catshead.
8 May:Bramley’s Seedling.
Ian Sturrock
More dates for the Bardsey Island Apple
16 April: Conwy, North Wales.
17 April: Oswestry, Shropshire, in a pot.
18 April: Southsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire.
19. April: Birmingham, as free standing tree.
20 April: Sheffield, 300ft above sea level.
20April: Hampshire, as espalier on fence, 250ft.
20 April: Petersfield, Hampshire, free standing tree.
21 April: East London.
21 April: Kyjov, Czech Republic.
22 April: Bangor, 100ft, free standing tree.
23 April: Angelsey.
23 April: Leeds, Yorkshire.
23 April: Dorset.
23 April: Denbigh 560 ft.
24 April: Anglesey, free standing tree.
24 April: Epsom Surrey 270 ft.
24 April: Eglwys Bach, Conwy, North Wales, 70 ft.
24 April: Bethesda. North Wales, 500ft, free standing tree.
26 April: Llanberis, 400ft, free standing tree.
26 April: Anglesey, free standing tree.
30 April: Ampleforth Yorkshire, 180ft, free standing tree.
1 May: Caernarfon, North Wales, free standing tree.
2 May: mid-Wales.
5 May: Mull of Kintyre, Scotland, free standing tree.
KENT – 10 miles east of Brogdale, 1.5 miles inland
10 May: Quince Lescovacz (3-year old tree) in full bloom but, as a tip-bearer that was pruned hard in January, it has only one flower and this could equally be 10% or 90% bloom.
Blossom in York
The request for blossom dates has made me look at the blossoming process more closely than I have ever done before.
Of particular interest, apple Sunset on M9 was in full blossom nearly a week before the same variety, which had been framework grafted (using graftwood from the M9 tree) onto an old Newton Wonder, which in turn was almost certainly growing on a seedling rootstock. Interestingly, there is also a noticeable difference in fruit flavour between the two, the M9 tree produces fruit with a more complex and intense flavour that I certainly prefer. Rootstocks affect more than tree size.
An unknown Biggereau cherry, imported as graft wood from Paris because it was available, flowered nearly two weeks after nearby, also unknown yellow cherries, with hardly any overlap. In an area where fruiting cherries are not much grown, no wonder it rarely sets much fruit. An illustration of the importance of coincident or overlapping pollinators.
And earliness of flowering is no indicator of earliness of fruit ripening. Apples Grenadier, Bramley and Newton Wonder flowered within a few days of each other but have quite widely spaced seasons of use.
Tip, take your digital camera to the orchard. The photos and file dates in its memory will provide information after your memory has failed.
Thanks Fruit Forum for an exercise interesting beyond its original purpose.
Dates in full flower 2009:
Apple
26 April: Sunset (M9)
2 May: Sunset (Seedling)
5 May: Grenadier
7 May: Bramley’s Seedling
8 May:Newton Wonder
9 May: Lane’s Prince Albert
15 May: Lord Hindlip
Cherry
16 April: Yellow
28 April: Biggereau
Pear
17 April: Doyenné du Comice
Plum
16 April: Victoria
16 April Oullin’s Gage
Kent: National Fruit Collections, Brogdale, near Faversham.
The last variety to flower in the Apple Collection – Feuillemorte – reached reached 10% open on 17th May and full flower on 20 May.
SUFFOLK
On exposed slopes to north and west. Only three trees remain from the original 1930s plantings. I began reworking our own plantings of apples from MM106 onto M26 and M9 some years ago, but I do not expect to complete this operation. Those which remain on MM106 except for Irish Peach which is a tip bearer and cyder apples, which are not pruned, are ‘Saga’ pruned; that is to say, pollarded to four or five branches. All water wood is removed and the trees summer pruned only. The resultant trees are not beautiful to behold, but are convenient for Saga persons! Tree ages range from less than 12 years to 25 years old except for those noted.
20 April Genet Moyle in full flower; first flower, 15 April.
20 April Red Alkmene in full flower; first flower, 16 April; Alkmene, first flower 17 April.
21 April: Irish Peach, Malus Tchonowski, Malus Red Siberian in full flower; first flower, 16 April.
21 April: Ribston Pippin, St Edmund’s Pippin in full flower; first flower, 17 April.
22 April: Pineapple Russet in full flower; first flower, 18 April.
22 April: James Grieve in full flower; first flower 19 April.
24 April: Suntan, Sunset in full flower; first flower 18 April.
29 April: Mannington Pearmain in full flower; first flower 24 April.
24 April: Norfolk Russet in full flower; first flower 19 April.
25 April: Cornish Aromatic in full flower; first flower, 21 April.
25 April: Rosemary Russet, Peasgood Nonsuch in full flower; first flower, 22 April.
29 April: Golden Noble in full flower; first flower, 21 April.
29 April: Mr Gladstone in full flower; first flower 24 April; tree over 60 years old.
1 May: Bramley’s Seedling in full flower; first flower, 22 April.
1 May: Yarlington Mill, Old Blake, Bramley’s Seedling (over 60 yrs old) in full flower; first flower 26 April.
2 May: Lane’s Prince Albert in full flower; first flower, 23 April.
2 May: Worcester Pearmain in full flower; first flower 25 April; tree over 60 years old.
3 May: Dabinett in full flower; first flower, 29 April.
7 May: Lizzie in full flower; first flower, 4 May.
1 May: Vranja quince in full flower; first flower 22 April.
16 May: Nottingham medlar in full flower; first flower 12 May.
NORTH HAMPSHIRE
All fruit trees are grown as pyramids or bush in the open.
3 March: first blossom on myrobalan plums (early cultivar only), remaining myrobalans blossoming approximately two weeks later.
30 March: first blossom on apricot Alfred.
31 March: first blossom on plum Early Laxton and damson Shropshire Prune.
6 April: first blossom on pear Jargonelle.
13 April: first blossom on apple Idred.
16 May: last remaining apple blossom on Elstar, Pixy, Crawley Beauty. Suntan, Blenheim Orange, Heusgen’s Golden Reinette, Broadholme Beauty, Sweet Society and Winston.
23 May: last remaining apple blossom on Pixy, Edward VII and Crawley Beauty.
A few more full flower dates from the Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth, mid- Wales at 300ft.
8 May: Merton Joy
14 May: Claygate Pearmain
14 May: Bramley’s Seedling
17 May: Wagener
17 May: Easter Orange
At National Fruit Collections, Brogdale, Kent, Feuillemorte reached 90% petal fall on 30th May. This completes the recording of flowering at Brogdale for this year. We now hope that there are some good crops to follow. Certainly the plums and cherries are looking promising.