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Home > Archive > UK gardening > June 2006 > Olives grown in Devon?
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Olives grown in Devon?
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| Hello
I have just read an article in today's Telegraph with interest - a farm near
Honiton in Devon has planted some Olive trees and is expecting to produce
olive oil in the future.
http://www.otterfarm.co.uk/olives.htm
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/mai...7/ixuknews.html
As I live only a few miles away from the farm (I am near Broadclyst,
Exeter), I wondered what peoples opinions are of growing more 'exotic' fruit
trees in Britain's southern counties? Has anyone any experience of growing
fruit not commonly found here? I am aware that many plants such as oranges
can be grown as long as they are over-wintered in greenhouses, but I would
love to take advantage of our warming climate and new breeding of plants to
plant something unusual in a permanent location in the garden.
We do get frosts where I live, but rarely colder than about -4C.
Any suggestions or thoughts?
Thanks,
Henry
--
Take out the spam to reply.
henry@henrymassey-cannedham.com
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| Rupert \(W.Yorkshire\) 2006-06-29, 9:25 am |
|
"Henry" <henry@henrymassey-cannedham.com> wrote in message
news:8LKdnbk0jp1UdT3ZRVnyrQ@bt.com...
> Hello
>
> I have just read an article in today's Telegraph with interest - a farm
> near Honiton in Devon has planted some Olive trees and is expecting to
> produce olive oil in the future.
>
> http://www.otterfarm.co.uk/olives.htm
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/mai...7/ixuknews.html
>
> As I live only a few miles away from the farm (I am near Broadclyst,
> Exeter), I wondered what peoples opinions are of growing more 'exotic'
> fruit trees in Britain's southern counties? Has anyone any experience of
> growing fruit not commonly found here? I am aware that many plants such as
> oranges can be grown as long as they are over-wintered in greenhouses, but
> I would love to take advantage of our warming climate and new breeding of
> plants to plant something unusual in a permanent location in the garden.
>
> We do get frosts where I live, but rarely colder than about -4C.
>
> Any suggestions or thoughts?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Henry
>
>
>
>
> --
> Take out the spam to reply.
> henry@henrymassey-cannedham.com
>
>
>
Part of the article says:-"He is also growing almonds, apricots and
persimmon and plans to experiment with exotic paw paw. Nepalese peppers and
unusual spices are also part of his growing programme"
Perhaps you could try a few of these as well.
How about Physalis -Figs-Kiwi fruit.
The list is endless but perhaps you should wait a few decades till it gets a
bit hotter:-)
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| Henry wrote:
> Hello
>
> I have just read an article in today's Telegraph with interest - a
> farm near Honiton in Devon has planted some Olive trees and is
> expecting to produce olive oil in the future.
>
> http://www.otterfarm.co.uk/olives.htm
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/mai...7/ixuknews.html
>
> As I live only a few miles away from the farm (I am near Broadclyst,
> Exeter), I wondered what peoples opinions are of growing more
> 'exotic' fruit trees in Britain's southern counties? Has anyone any
> experience of growing fruit not commonly found here?
The Merton head horticultural honcho has planted olives in sunny sheltered
parts of a number of parks in Merton and apparently get a crop.
I've not seen ant but was at a meeting when he was chatting about them.
pk
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| |||newspam|||@nezumi.demon.co.uk 2006-06-29, 9:25 am |
|
Henry wrote:
> Hello
>
> I have just read an article in today's Telegraph with interest - a farm near
> Honiton in Devon has planted some Olive trees and is expecting to produce
> olive oil in the future.
>
> http://www.otterfarm.co.uk/olives.htm
Sounds suspiciously like a wildy optimistic hobby farmer to me.
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/mai...7/ixuknews.html
>
> As I live only a few miles away from the farm (I am near Broadclyst,
> Exeter), I wondered what peoples opinions are of growing more 'exotic' fruit
Under glass you could grow some more tender things. Ginger is fun for
the fresh new shoots. Nashi (asian) pears are possible as far north as
Yorkshire (I have one) - took it a while to come into fruiting well
though. I also have a ginko tree (from seed) - but I am hoping it will
not set fruit... they are notoriously smelly. Most grafted cultivars
are male for this reason.
Mulberries are fun if you have the space as the tree left to grow
becomes a handsome gnarled large specimen with age.
Of the tender mediteranean plants nectarines, figs and pomegranites are
worth a try if you can give them a suitably warm S facing wall to grow
up. Big problem in the UK is that the sun doesn't get high for long
enough to ripen most of them properly. I expect that is where this
olive tree scheme will come unstuck. I can grow (as in keep alive
slowly getting bigger) olive trees outdoors even in N yorkshire but
there is no realistic chance of any kind of crop actually ripening. The
closest was two years ago when they got to the size of small peas
before aborting when winter came.
> love to take advantage of our warming climate and new breeding of plants to
> plant something unusual in a permanent location in the garden.
>
> We do get frosts where I live, but rarely colder than about -4C.
More important than the frost is can you improve drainage and keep the
roots dry in winter. Many of the tender continental plants are actually
cold hardy provided that they are kept dry enough. Hard to do in a damp
foggy maritime climate.
Regards,
Martin Brown
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| "Rupert (W.Yorkshire)" <reply@newsgroups.com> writes
>
>The list is endless but perhaps you should wait a few decades till it gets a
>bit hotter:-)
>
>
Or colder, depending on what happens to the Gulf Stream
--
Kay
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| Janet Baraclough 2006-06-29, 9:25 am |
| The message <stN8bYDltRoEFwds@scarboro.demon.co.uk>
from K <k@scarboro.demon.co.uk> contains these words:
> "Rupert (W.Yorkshire)" <reply@newsgroups.com> writes
> Or colder, depending on what happens to the Gulf Stream
Children, children!
The sensible thing to do would be to plant the Devon olive grove
right away. In a few decades, the trees will be a good size. If things
are hotting up he'll get a good crop and be able to run a car (unlike
the rest of us). If the gulf stream reverses, he'll have a good supply
of firewood to fend off hypothermia.
Almost 4 years ago, I won an olive tree in a pot, a raffle. Assuming
it would die, I put it outside in the garden to die in peace, but it's
still alive and kicking and deserves a (considerably) bigger pot.
Meanwhile, I'm wondering how to make gin.
Janet
--
Isle of Arran Open Gardens weekend 21,22,23 July 2006
5 UKP three-day adult ticket (funds go to island charities) buys entry
to 26 private gardens
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| Nick Maclaren 2006-06-29, 9:25 am |
|
In article <313030303930323944A1794905@zetnet.co.uk>,
Janet Baraclough <janet.and.john@zetnet.co.uk> writes:
|> > >
|> > >The list is endless but perhaps you should wait a few decades till it
|> > >gets a bit hotter:-)
|> > >
|> > Or colder, depending on what happens to the Gulf Stream
|>
|> Children, children!
If the North Atlantic Drift reverses, there won't BE any children in
the UK :-(
Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
| |
| Nick Maclaren 2006-06-29, 9:25 am |
|
In article <1151397772.215362.128320@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com>,
|||newspam|||@nezumi.demon.co.uk writes:
|>
|> Mulberries are fun if you have the space as the tree left to grow
|> becomes a handsome gnarled large specimen with age.
But they are also fully hardy in the south!
|> Of the tender mediteranean plants nectarines, figs and pomegranites are
|> worth a try if you can give them a suitably warm S facing wall to grow
|> up. Big problem in the UK is that the sun doesn't get high for long
|> enough to ripen most of them properly. ...
Yup, but replace pomegranates by apricots. Pomegranates need a LOT of
heat to ripen. As you say, the winter problem is the wet - apricots,
vines, pomegranates and figs all can take pretty hard frost, but hate
being waterlogged and like a much hotter, sunnier summer than we ever
get. Apricots grow in some countries with winters that make anywhere
in the UK look mild.
Feijoa seems very hardy as a pot plant, and has evergreen, greyish
leaves. I have got a couple of flowers and hope for more - and the
flowers are edible and good (!!!), even if it doesn't fruit! Loquat
is another such plant, but the flowers aren't edible.
Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
| |
| Janet Baraclough 2006-06-29, 9:25 am |
| The message <e7s0i8$ik1$1@gemini.csx.cam.ac.uk>
from nmm1@cus.cam.ac.uk (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:
> If the North Atlantic Drift reverses, there won't BE any children in
> the UK :-(
Why? The Inuit have children. Course, down there in Cambridge, you'll
have a very long snow-shoe hike to drill your fishing hole.
Janet
--
Isle of Arran Open Gardens weekend 21,22,23 July 2006
5 UKP three-day adult ticket (funds go to island charities) buys entry
to 26 private gardens
| |
| Nick Maclaren 2006-06-29, 9:25 am |
|
In article <313030303930323944A1B15C92@zetnet.co.uk>,
Janet Baraclough <janet.and.john@zetnet.co.uk> writes:
|> The message <e7s0i8$ik1$1@gemini.csx.cam.ac.uk>
|> from nmm1@cus.cam.ac.uk (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:
|>
|> > If the North Atlantic Drift reverses, there won't BE any children in
|> > the UK :-(
|>
|> Why? The Inuit have children. Course, down there in Cambridge, you'll
|> have a very long snow-shoe hike to drill your fishing hole.
Nah. Here, it will be all reindeer herding.
The problem isn't that at population would be sustainable - say, a
UK population of 10-20,000 - but that getting there from here would
be traumatic.
Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
| |
| Charlie Pridham 2006-06-29, 9:25 am |
|
<|||newspam|||@nezumi.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1151397772.215362.128320@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com...
>
> Henry wrote:
near[color=darkred]
produce[color=darkred]
>
> Sounds suspiciously like a wildy optimistic hobby farmer to me.
>
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/mai...7/ixuknews.html[color=darkred]
fruit[color=darkred]
>
> Under glass you could grow some more tender things. Ginger is fun for
> the fresh new shoots. Nashi (asian) pears are possible as far north as
> Yorkshire (I have one) - took it a while to come into fruiting well
> though. I also have a ginko tree (from seed) - but I am hoping it will
> not set fruit... they are notoriously smelly. Most grafted cultivars
> are male for this reason.
>
> Mulberries are fun if you have the space as the tree left to grow
> becomes a handsome gnarled large specimen with age.
>
> Of the tender mediteranean plants nectarines, figs and pomegranites are
> worth a try if you can give them a suitably warm S facing wall to grow
> up. Big problem in the UK is that the sun doesn't get high for long
> enough to ripen most of them properly. I expect that is where this
> olive tree scheme will come unstuck. I can grow (as in keep alive
> slowly getting bigger) olive trees outdoors even in N yorkshire but
> there is no realistic chance of any kind of crop actually ripening. The
> closest was two years ago when they got to the size of small peas
> before aborting when winter came.
>
plants to[color=darkred]
>
> More important than the frost is can you improve drainage and keep the
> roots dry in winter. Many of the tender continental plants are actually
> cold hardy provided that they are kept dry enough. Hard to do in a damp
> foggy maritime climate.
>
> Regards,
> Martin Brown
Friend has an Greek Olive cultivar she was given and it regularly crops and
ripens out in the middle of her lawn, but the thought of having to process
them means they always go unharvested!
Plenty of people get good fig crops, and its quite amazing what you can do
with a south wall, whether its commercial or not I would not know, I thought
the Tea from Tregothnan was a non starter till I saw how much they charge
for it!
--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)
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