Forum home› Garden design

Advice on installation of Morello Cherry Tree.

Edward.francisEdward.francis Posts: 118
in Garden design
Good evening everyone,

We’d like to plant an espaliered Morello tree against a north facing fence panel. I’m trying to come up with ideas for a backdrop for it. Currently we have the messy side (back) of the fence facing us and I’d like to install a panel which will provide a nice visual backdrop to the tree as well as being structurally suitable to install fixings for the wire trellis. From what I’ve seen the tree is not very bushy so you can see through it quite well, hence looking for something nice to go behind it. 

Browsing the web I love the look of red cedar panels but I can’t quite believe how much they are. Insane!

I’m really just looking for other peoples opinions on what’s best here and if there are any cheaper alternatives to red cedar panels? Is it worth putting a nice panel behind?

Many thanks,

Ed

Posts

  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,526
    We have a morello in our small orchard. It is situated in an area that has winter sun (when we have it) by late morning. In the summer more sunshine.
    This is the only cherry tree that the birds allow us to harvest as they take virtually all of the fruit from the other cherries.
    Agree that fence panels can be silly prices but not sure that the cherry will be happy in a north position.
    Maybe others will have better information.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,055
    For clarity ... cherries and other stone fruit are not suitable to train as espaliers.  They should fan-trained as described here 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Edward.francisEdward.francis Posts: 118
    @bertrand-mabel My understanding from discussions on here is that cherry is one of the fruit trees that will do OK in the shade. 

    @Dovefromabove Yes, that does seem to be the way to do it. I'll try and follow the guidance and see how it goes.

    Many thanks for your suggestions.

    Ed

  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,210
    Yes, morello cherries (but not sweet cherries) do ok in the shade.  I had one on a north wall in Yorkshire and it fruited - though we never got to use the cherries because the dratted squirrels took a fancy to them...  once the tree gets going it will be pretty well "clothed" with leaves so I don't think the fence behind will bother you much, except perhaps in winter.
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • Butterfly66Butterfly66 Posts: 920
    edited March 2021
    Just be aware that the cedar panels will fade to silver after a couple of years and then look like any other wood. You can stain them but difficult to achieve the same rich colour as they have when new, you also need to really apply the stain from day one 😕
     If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero
    East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
Sign In or Register to comment.