Start with the rootstock, not the variety

The single biggest mistake people make when planting fruit in a small garden is choosing a tree by the name on the label. Variety decides flavour, but the rootstock decides how big the tree ultimately becomes, how soon it crops, and whether it sulks or thrives in your soil. Get the rootstock right and even a courtyard or a half-plot can produce a serious amount of fruit.

• M27 — extremely dwarfing, roughly 1.5–2m. Excellent for containers and tiny plots, but needs permanently staking and rich, well-drained soil.
• M9 — dwarfing, about 2.5–3m. The workhorse for small gardens: crops young, crops heavily, and stays within reach.
• M26 — semi-dwarfing, about 3–3.5m. More tolerant of poorer ground and slightly less fussy about drought.
• MM106 — semi-vigorous, 4m and up. Only worth it on a bigger plot or where trees will stand in grass.
• Pears — ask for Quince C for a compact tree, Quince A where growth is slower.
• Plums, gages and damsons — Pixy for the smallest gardens, St Julien A for something with a bit more presence.
• Cherries — Gisela 5 or Colt, both of which keep sweet cherries manageable.

For trained forms, cordons on M9 or M27 can be set just 60–75cm apart along a fence, which is how many people squeeze a dozen varieties into a space that would take three ordinary trees.

Pollination partners matter more than you think

Most apples and pears are not self-fertile, and a tree that flowers alone will simply drop its blossom and give you nothing. Varieties are grouped by flowering time into pollination groups one to six. Choose trees in the same group, or in adjacent groups, so their blossom overlaps.

There is a further trap: triploids such as Bramley's Seedling, Ribston Pippin and Jonagold produce little or no viable pollen. They still need a partner, and that partner needs a partner of its own. If space is tight, look for reliable self-fertile varieties instead: Katy and Falstaff among the apples, Victoria among the plums, Stella among the cherries, and Morello for a shaded north wall.

Compact apples worth considering include Scrumptious, Red Devil and Sunbrite, all of which crop well on dwarfing stock. Pears are trickier — Conference is only partially self-fertile, so plant Concorde or Beth alongside it. A crab apple such as John Downie makes a generous universal pollinator and earns its keep in jelly.

Choose the site and space the trees properly

Fruit wants sun, shelter and free-draining ground. Avoid frost pockets at the bottom of a slope, where cold air settles, and think hard before planting in the shade of a hedge or fence — you will get leaves and little else. A south or west-facing wall is ideal for trained trees, and a windbreak that filters rather than blocks wind will save you a lot of broken branches.

Allow enough room:

• M27 apples: 1.8–2.5m between trees.
• M9 apples: 3–3.5m.
• M26 apples: 3.5–4m.
• Pears on Quince C: 3–3.5m.
• Plums on Pixy: 3–3.5m.

If that sounds like a lot for a modest garden, remember that a properly staked, well-fed dwarf tree will out-crop three cramped, struggling ones.

Planting: wide holes, correct depth, firm staking

Bare-root trees go in from November to early March while fully dormant; pot-grown trees can be planted whenever the soil is workable, though autumn is still best. Never plant into frozen or waterlogged ground.

Dig a hole two to three times the width of the spread roots, but no deeper than the nursery soil mark on the trunk. Fork the base and the sides to break up compaction, then backfill with a mix of garden soil and well-rotted compost. Do not put concentrated fertiliser or fresh manure in the planting hole — it burns new roots.

Set the tree on a slight mound so the roots sit naturally, and check that the graft union stays 10–15cm above soil level. This is critical; burying it encourages the variety to root and you lose all the dwarfing benefit. Firm the soil in layers with your heel, then water with 15 litres even if rain is forecast.

Drive a stake 45–60cm into the ground on the windward side, roughly west or south-west, keeping it 8–10cm clear of the trunk. Tie with a rubber tree tie in a figure of eight so the trunk cannot rub. Finally, mulch a 30cm ring to 5–8cm deep, keeping the mulch well clear of the bark.

The first three years: water, mulch, train

Young trees need watering more than established ones. Give 15–20 litres once a week through dry spells in the first two growing seasons, and keep grass and weeds at least 60cm away from the trunk. A mulch topped up each spring does most of the feeding for you.

Resist the urge to pamper with nitrogen. Too much produces soft, sappy growth and very little fruit. Build a framework of five or six well-spaced branches and remove anything crossing or crowding the centre. For cordons and espaliers, summer pruning in mid-August keeps growth in check far better than winter cutting.

Thin heavy crops in late June or July, leaving one or two fruits per cluster about 10–15cm apart. The fruit will be larger, the tree less exhausted, and next year's crop more reliable. Expect your first proper harvest from an M9 apple in two to three years, and a full crop by year six — well worth the wait.