Can you fill an allotent with
AUTUMN APPLES
fruit trees?
Tim Foster author of a new organic guide to growing fruit ‘Fruit for Life’ puts some of his theories to the test - on his allotment Allotment occupation was definitely an issue not all that long ago. It still is, but in a different way. Then, the issue was all of the unused plots and what to do with them. Some councils covered them – they invested in large sheets of black polythene until some sites looked like a patchy oil slick. Which wasn’t that far from the truth really. Another approach was to encourage neighbouring plotholders to stop complaining about the weeds and slugs by taking on extra plots. So I did. Another one and a half to be precise. Brilliant. I became a peasant baron ruling over my new kingdom. The tiniest fly in the ointment was time, specifically the lack of it. Although I was doing bits of teaching (of gardening) in a number of different places, it added up to a full time job. What was required was some creative, lateral thinking. In the absence of that I planted fruit and here was the test of Theory number 1: Growing fruit is less work (and therefore takes less time). The answer is an unqualified resounding positive – later on. Initially, of course, the plot has to be ‘dealt with’ but even here, where a fine tilth is not required; we can take some short cuts. The short cuts I took were with shears and a slasher to reduce the existing vegetation. This was followed by a version of lasagne gardening – layers of organic matter and cardboard over as much of the area and repeated as many times as possible. The fruit plants were gently inserted through the mulch. And, lo, all of that was a lot of work. But thereafter the maintenance – pruning, feeding, training, even picking – was pretty minimal certainly compared to the annual rigmarole of growing, say, a bed of leeks. A reasonable response to that comparison might be ‘You idiot, they are completely different products’, to which I’d reply that they are different but I was already growing enough leeks. But - Fruit Theory number 2: You can get by with just fruit. There are some folk who reckon a diet should be all fruit, fruitarians no less. I’m guessing that, for such a diet to 12
work well, it would involve plenty of tropical and non-home grown fruit. As an advocate (I almost wrote ‘avocado’ there) of a plant-based diet I reckon that, like many things, it works best in balance: lots of fresh, ripe fruit but also a complete range of greens, pulses, alliums, etc. Fruit Theory number 3: (almost the opposite of number 2): Fruit isn’t good for you – too much sugar. The kinds of fruit we grow are basically enlarged (bred) versions of a plant’s seed distribution system: many are flavoured ,usually sweet, to entice creatures to snaffle ‘em and spread the seed in the process. But does a plant need much more than sugar and colouring to make this work? The likely answer is ‘no’, though most fruits have additions, probably accidental or incidental, that make them exceptionally good for us. The vitamin C in blackcurrants and kiwis or the antioxidants in blueberries. There are exceptions. Apple ‘Pink Lady’, for example, is about as good for you as a sock-full of wet sand on the back of the head. And, alas, fruit juices from concentrates are not that terrific. Fruit Theory number 4: You can fill a plot with fruit and it still counts as an allotment. Apart from the rules stating that a certain percentage should be ‘cultivated’ and permanent plants might not be allowed as part of that, some councils and associations require notification of fruit planting. Any trees have to be on the most dwarfing rootstocks. I think I got away with it – the association was so pleased someone had taken on the overgrown plots they forgot to check what I was doing on them. In the end, most of the plants (including 35 varieties of apple) are below head height and there is very little encroaching or shading of neighbours’ plots. Trees and bushes are trained and pruned regularly and other non-fruit plants (flowers, comfrey, perennial vegetables) have sneaked into gaps making it a joyful, varied, wildlife-friendly, productive plot. Which brings us back to the new issue with allotment occupation and those of us with multiple plots. They want them back. Tim Foster teaches organic gardening and RHS courses at the University of Bristol Botanic Garden. ‘Fruit for Life’ is published by Eco-logic books. RRP is £16.99 but is offered direct from the publisher at www.eco-logicbooks.com for £12.99
Country Gardener