The Poultry Keeper

Gourami · Joined: 21 Sep 2008 Posts: 52

Hi Guys
a couple of months ago I built a pergola over the patio and fancy planting fruit trees at each upright so that hopefully the trees will one day become a living pergola that produces a crop. Has anyone else done something similar and do you have any suggestions as to what to plant. There is already a young grape on one corner, and one of the other three uprights would need to be a containerized plant as there is no soil near it but a very large wooden planter.

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1443 Location: Leicestershire

Put a fig in the container.

Itsybitsy

Lisleoise · Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 8:39 am Post subject:

I would imagine that you need a trailing type of plant rather than a 'tree' as such. Kiwi would work, you have to get one male plant and 1+ female plant although I now believe that there is a self-fertilizing variety available. Passion fruit would look nice s you get the lovely flowers before the fruit. You will need to think about your climate to make a decision though - where in the UK are you? You could grow stuff in Cornwall that would not be possible in the North.

We moved our grape vine away from our 'pergola' (not quite a pergola but same difference!) because of the amount of 'bits' it dropped during flowering/fertlization and then when the fruits were ripening the amount of wasps it attracts - something to think about.

CP · Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 9:55 am Post subject:

You can use trees. The technique is called 'pleaching'. Never done it myself but have seen it on TV.
Here's a few websites for inspiration! Wink

http://www.englishcottagegardening.com/pleachng/pleach1.htm
http://www.orchardsedge.com/article.jsp?article=pleaching.jsp
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-pleaching.htm

Gourami · Joined: 21 Sep 2008 Posts: 52

pleached fruit trees it is then Smile

Thanks

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2240 Location: North Cornwall

I did it with a conference pear tree in my last house. It started out a ballerina tree i think they are called, anyway it was a young single stemmed tree. I trained it up about 6ft and across a thick rope about 8ft, it then went off to left and right. The left side went over an arch and the right side went over some more rope. I pruned everything back each year to the main branches going over the supports and tied the leaders in as they grew. I dont think I pruned the leaders. It would work just as well over a pergola. Pruning the growths back made the little fruiting spurs that will give you lots of fruit.

Gourami · Joined: 21 Sep 2008 Posts: 52

my plan is a plum a pear and possibly a nut of some sort, this thing is about 12ft square so should be ok. Theres already a small grape vine planted.