#fantrained

Plant of the Day

Monday 17 April 2023

The early, self fertile flowers of Prunus persica var. nectarina 'Humboldt' (nectarine 'Humboldt') will produce fruit with a golden flesh that has a rich flavour. This cultivar is considered a heavy cropper. The tree is being fan trained in the protected environment of a glasshouse so if there are no bees evident the flowers are best pollinated with a paintbrush.

Plant of the Day

Monday 26 June 2023

The cultivar Prunus persica 'Peregrine' (peach) is best grown under cover or outside in a sheltered position. Here it is being fan-trained on a south facing wall and to control vigour will be on a ‘St. Julien A’ rootstock. This peach has a white-flesh with an excellent flavour.

Plant of the Day

Saturday 16 April 2022

The vigorous, deciduous shrub Chaenomeles speciosa 'Moerloosei' (Japanese quince, flowering quince) is ideal for fan training on a fence and the bare twigs are smothered in flowers before the glossy, dark green leaves appear. This is a later flowering cultivar with white flowers flushed with dark pink, from March to May. The flowers are often followed by aromatic, greenish-yellow fruit that can be eaten when cooked.

Plant of the Day

Saturday 26 February 2022

In the walled garden at Wimpole, Cambridge, UK, a number of Ficus carica (edible fig) cultivars have been fan pruned. In early summer half the growing tips on the main frame of the fan are pinched out to encourage growth lower down. The new shoots are tied in as they appear. In late winter any dead or crossing stems are removed to keep the framework of the tree open.

Plant of the Day

Thursday 10 February 2022

This Lonicera elisae (Elisa's honeysuckle, winter flowering honeysuckle) has been trained against a fence with the flowers produced on last years twiggy growth. The fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers are cream, flushed with pink, and appear from mid-winter to early spring and are followed by red berries. The emerging spring foliage is dark purple, turning green in the summer.

Plant of the Day

Friday 17 December 2021

On the outer wall of this garden the fruit trees are trained using traditional wooden lathes and fabric ties . The majority of these trees appeared to be Prunus cultivars (edible cherry) including one which was being trained into a corner location at The Newt, Somerset, UK.

Plant of the Day

Saturday 29 January 2022

Growing against this sunny wall as a fan trained tree was Prunus armeniaca ‘Early Moorpark’ (apricot) providing blossom in early spring, golden fruit in summer and a place for a bird to nest. This self-fertile English variety was raised in South Hertfordshire, UK, in about 1760. Apricot trees are usually grafted or budded onto a rootstock if grown in this way to control growth.

Plant of the Day

Wednesday 14 April 2021

This Viburnum × burkwoodii 'Mohawk' (arrowwood) has been fan trained on horizontal wires to this fence. This is a compact, semi-evergreen or deciduous shrub with glossy green leaves producing orange and red tints in autumn. The white, fragrant flowers open from red buds.