Archive for category Growing fruit

All you need is Redlove

Aug 5

Posted by bodonnell in Growing fruit

Redlove even retains its colour when cooked

Redlove even retains its colour when cooked

It can’t be often that an apple make the news but then Redlove is more than an apple.

Unlike most apples you’ve seen before, Redlove is red to the core. You may have some memories of old varieties of apple that had red flesh but these had a bitter taste while Redlove tastes wonderful; crisp and juicy with a berry nuance. Fruit nurseries have been trying for decades to produce an apple like this and we’re delighted to work with Markus Kolbert from Lubera, the Swiss nursery that has developed Redlove and a fantastic range of other fruit.

Perfect for British gardens, whether in the ground or in a large pot, Redlove is easy to grow; it’s disease resistant with exceptionally high resistance to scab. Its unusual, long-lasting, deep pink spring blossom looks attractive in the garden and it’s also versatile in the kitchen – delicious eaten raw but also ideal for cooking, it even retains its red colour when cooked.

Dark fruits such as red grapes, blueberries and blackberries tend to be higher in antioxidants than other varieties so it’s not surprising that Redloves have around 13 times more antioxidants than a normal apple, putting Redlove on a par with blueberries for antioxidant content. This means Redlove is an ideal way to increase your intake of antioxidants. A Redlove a day will keep the doctor away!

Given all this, it’s probably not surprising that the press has taken so much interest in Redlove. From British institutions such as the Daily Mail and the BBC through to the Tehran Times and America’s Fox News, Redlove is definitely making waves.

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The week of Redlove

Jul 23

Posted by Suttons in Growing fruit

Apple RedloveWow, what a week. Redlove has hit the press with a bang. It’s the fruit sensation that everyone’s talking about – you may have read about it in any of the daily papers (the Daily Mail gave it a great write-up) or on the BBC site.

We’ve been excited about Redlove for ages, waiting patiently to tell everyone about this red-fleshed apple that tastes delicious, and it’s great to see the rest of the world get excited too. Watch out for it on TV over the next few weeks, and why not become one of the first to grow it for yourself?

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Tips on growing Strawberries

Jul 9

Posted by bodonnell in Growing fruit

I love growing strawberries and am always on the lookout for tips as, despite my best efforts, most of mine always get eaten before I can manage to get a decent crop. So I was interested in the post Perfect Strawberries for Wimbledon Week on the Allotment Picking blog, there are a couple of tips that should be worth following.

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A red-fleshed apple that’s like no other

Jun 25

Posted by Suttons in Growing fruit

Apple RedloveLubera is a Swiss nursery owned by Markus Kobelt and his wife Magda. The couple may have developed the company into what it is today, but it is a business that is definitely in Markus’ blood – his great grandfather placed his first advertisement for trees in a newspaper in 1889 and three generations have been involved in it since. His breeding programme has resulted in many exceptional new varieties of raspberries, blackcurrants, currants and apples, among others.

Redlove® is part of this programme; it’s the world’s first delicious red-fleshed apple. Now you may have tried red-fleshed apples before, but they’ve generally been a disappointment when it comes to taste. Redlove® is delightfully different.

• Uniquely coloured – Rosy-red flesh with a beautiful pattern running through it
• Deliciously tasty – Crisp and juicy with a hint of berries
• Even better for you – Higher in antioxidants than other apples
• Disease resistant – Exceptionally high resistance to scab
• Attractive in the garden – Unusual, long-lasting, deep pink spring blossom
• Versatile in the kitchen – Delicious eaten raw but also ideal for cooking (it retains its red colour)

Grown on M9 rootstock, it will produce an easily managed tree up to approximately 2.5m (8′) tall in the garden, smaller if grown in a large container. Though not self-fertile, it’s easily pollinated by other apple trees, even up to 300m away. It’s supplied as a top quality 1 year old, single stem, bare root plant.

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Blueberries have overtaken Strawberries to become the nation’s top selling fruit

May 7

Posted by Suttons in Growing fruit, News from Suttons

You may have all read last week that Blueberries have overtaken Strawberries to become the nations top selling fruit. This provoked a discussion in our household: What is a Blueberry? Where do they come from? Are they native to Britain? Do we know them under a different name? Blueberries are native to North American, so do not grow naturally in Britain, however they are a relative of the European Bilberry and have been grown in Europe since the 1920’s.

Blueberries are one of our ‘superfoods’ as they are an excellent source of vitamin C – just one serving contains about 25% of our daily requirement. They are also a good source of dietary fibre, and an excellent source of manganese, which plays an important role in the development of bones, and in the metabolism of protein, carbohydrate and fat. They also have one of the highest levels of antioxidants of all the fruits and have been shown to lower cholesterol in pigs!

But perhaps one of the biggest reasons why they have grown so popular is because they taste so good and are so versatile. Make them into Jam, put them in cakes or muffins, add a handful to your breakfast cereal or just eat them raw – every way is equally delicious.

Blueberries are very easy to grow. Just select a sunny sheltered site, fill a pot with ericaceous (acidic) soil and water well from the spring onwards. The blueberries will be ready to pick when they are a deep blue colour and fall easily away from the bush.

The two other fruits in the Suttons healthy berries collection are the more unusual Goji and Honeyberry.

Goji Berries, a native of China are nutritionally rich, containing beta-carotene, Vitamins C, B1, B2 and other vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and amino acids and the dried berries can be eaten raw or cooked. Their taste is somewhat similar to that of raisins.

The Siberian Honeyberry is member of the honeysuckle family. With a very similar in taste to Blueberries (though perhaps even sweeter) with the same high levels of antioxidants.

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Bargain fruit trees – just £10 each

Oct 23

Posted by Suttons in Growing fruit, Special offers

Bargain fruit treesAutumn is the best time for planting fruit trees: the soil is both warm and moist, – the perfect environment for a young tree, allowing it to become established in its new home very quickly. When next spring comes around your fruit tree will be strong and secure, producing outstanding blossoms with delicious fruit following later in the year. No matter what size your garden, there’s always a space for a tree and many fruit trees can be grown in containers. It’s also a unique way to send someone special a memorable Christmas gift which will give years of pleasure if not giving immediately.

That’s why we’ve added this range of bargain fruit trees for just £10 each. Choose from Eating Apple Jonagold, Plum President, Cherry Sasha, Pear Burre Hardy and Cooking Apple Howgate Wonder.

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Grow your Own Nuttery

Oct 19

Posted by Suttons in Growing fruit

Go nuts with this fantastic collection of nut trees – not only providing you with your own nuts but these trees will give superb colour in your garden too. Great value at only £39.95 – don’t delay place your order now!
In this collection we offer the following specially selected trees – Sweet Almond Mandaline – first the beautiful delicate pink blossom in mid-April, followed by the soft shelled nuts that fall from the tree in the autumn – they’re easier to crack than most! This tree is truly adapted to our British climate and is self fertile. Eventual height 3-3.5m (10-12′); Kent Cobnut – this compact tree willl produce wonderful yellow catkins in spring followed by the superb flavoured nuts in the autumn. Try eating them when they are green, when they are so sweet and succulent. A superb performer in our climate with the finest flavour of all the varieties we have sampled. Eventual height 3-3.5m (10-12′); Red Filbert – this is one of the most versatile of trees with its stunning rich copper foliage, deep purple catkins and purple fruit plus the most flavoursome nuts! The Red Filbert deserves pride of place in your garden and if you have room it will make a very attractive productive hedge. Eventual height 3-3.5m (10-12′).

Grow your own nutteryIf you’ve ever fancied growing your own nuts then this new collection is for you, not only providing you with your own nuts but these trees will give superb colour in your garden too. With three specially selected trees – Sweet Almond Mandaline – first the beautiful delicate pink blossom in mid-April, followed by the soft shelled nuts that fall from the tree in the autumn – they’re easier to crack than most! This tree is truly adapted to our British climate and is self fertile. Kent Cobnut – this compact tree willl produce wonderful yellow catkins in spring followed by the superb flavoured nuts in the autumn. Try eating them when they are green, when they are so sweet and succulent. A superb performer in our climate with the finest flavour of all the varieties we have sampled. Red Filbert – this is one of the most versatile of trees with its stunning rich copper foliage, deep purple catkins and purple fruit plus the most flavoursome nuts! The Red Filbert deserves pride of place in your garden and if you have room it will make a very attractive productive hedge.

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Grow 3 varieties on 1 apple tree!

Oct 9

Posted by Suttons in Growing fruit, Special offers

Incredible – you can now grow three different varieties of apple or pear on 1 tree that’s small enough to fit on your patio! Three specially selected fruit varieties have been hand grafted to a compact rootstock and then grown on in a specialist nursery to create the highest quality multi cropping trees.

Called Family Trees, these plants will thrive in the smallest of gardens and even in a large container on your patio – and the three fruits mean a bigger and longer harvest. You can enjoy the full beauty of apple blossoms in spring before the rewards of a bumper harvest without a large garden or orchard.

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Blackberries – just ripe for the picking

Sep 25

Posted by Bea in Growing fruit, Recipes

It’s that time of year again when a cold can catch you unawares and all hell breaks loose with coughs and sneezes, runny noses – all the usual suspects. So is it a coincidence or the very clever way that nature seasonably produces its wares, that the delicious  and highly nutritional blackberry is in abundance on hedgerows and many gardens? The medicinal values of the virtuous blackberry have been  widely used for hundreds of years, and for cold and flu sufferers the blackberry is straight out of natures medicine cabinet - it is rich in astringent tannins which help to dry up secretions and protect mucous membranes throughout the body from irritation, inflamation and infection.

Take a look at this superb recipe – just the job to alleviate  your symptoms:

Blackberry Cordial

900g (2lb) Blackberries , or enough to yield 570ml(1pint) blackberry juice

6 tablespoons  of Honey (local if possible)

10 cloves

5 slices fresh ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

7 tablespoons brandy or dark rum

Juice the blackberries (this can be done through a sieve) Place in a pan with the honey, ginger and cinnamon and bring to the boil over a low heat, keep stirring until the honey has dissolved. Simmer for 5 minutes then leave to cool. When cold, add the brandy or rum and pour into a sterilised bottle and seal.

Obviously not one for the children, but this could also be used as a tasty sauce for pouring over stewed apples, ice cream etc.

Blackberries are generally planted between November and March, prefering partial shade  and slightly acid soil. New from Suttons is the Ouachita Super Sweet a  thornless variety that tastes  superb and produces an abundance of large fruit. Well worth a try.

If you haven’t been wild blackberry picking already why not have a go this weekend? What better than picking blackberries warm off the bush – delicious, and give yourself a treat by making  a blackberry and apple crumble.

My recipe for blackberry & apple crumble.

Blackberries

Cooking apples x 2  (Bramleys are best)

juice of half a lemon

approx 3 desert spoons of dark brown sugar.

For topping:

3 oz Butter (cold from fridge, do not use margerine)

6 oz plain flour white or wholemeal

3 desert spoons dark brown sugar

handful of porridge oats.

Select what size dish you want to make your crumble in. (we are not doing exact measurements here so adjust ingredients accordingly – it’s that easy!)

Fill your dish almost to the top with blackberries and slices of cooking apple (no need to pre -cook) and squeeze over some lemon juice. Sprinkle with sugar.

Make the topping:

Cut up the butter into cubes and rub into the flour. Add the sugar, mix together then sprinkle over the fruit (try and make sure that all the fruit is covered). Top the crumble with the porridge oats then cook for approximately 25 – 30 minutes. I have a fan oven that I set at 180 c.

Enjoy with some delicious  creamy custard.blackberry resized

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About that Plum Tree ….

Sep 8

Posted by Bea in Growing fruit

Organic fertiliserNow that I have pruned back my plum tree I’ve turned my thoughts on how best to encourage a bumper crop for next year. In the course of my research I discovered that should I get a bumper crop I will have before me a natural and delicious homegrown ANTI AGEING pot of gold! Throw away the wrinkle cream and eat plums and their dried version prunes instead – the benefits are amazing, you will be drenched with vitamins B, C and E, and in Minerals – Iron, Calcium and Phosphorus, Magnesium, Sodium and Manganese, all important, but Vitamins C & E are known to have an antioxidant action which helps to protect the body against free radicals which in turn will help prevent degenerative diseases and also helps to slow down the ageing process ( me thinks I feel an orchard coming on!) One of my hobbies is running and working out at the gym, all good stuff but in order to give my muscles the energy they require to prevent me flagging, prunes would be the ideal high energy low weight food that could be carried and eaten when needed – usually before and during training. This would also apply to athletes, cyclists etc. So how do I go about encouraging this amazing tree to produce this crock of gold for next year? It’s not as difficult as you may think – read on Mc Duff!

By this time you should have pruned back your plum tree to encourage it to  channel all it’s energy into making stocky growth in order for it to be able to bear all the weight of a lot of fruit (Brownie point 1) In October it will need a feed of bone meal which breaks down during the winter months and by spring will be a valuable source of root promoting phospahtes. (All other Brownie points here on in will be allocated accordingly) In Spring and late Summer it will benefit greatly by a dose of general purpose compost (Suttons General Purpose Pelleted Organic Fertiliser would be ideal) or fish blood and bone. When the first flowers appear  – usually March or April – remove half the blossom, and leave the remaining flowers to set fruit.  This time next year I could be oh so young! (They also say that laughter is the best medicine….!)

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