Order Photinia and Laurel Screening trees for all-year privacy!

King & Co Ultimate Guide to Fruit Trees: Our favourite varieties, their benefits and other helpful tips.

Fruit trees are an excellent choice for gardeners who want to grow delicious fruit whilst supporting wildlife and adding seasonal beauty to their garden. From the months of November to March, we stock a range of bare root fruit trees that are lifted while dormant and sold without soil around their roots. Once the dormancy period, we pot on any of our left of bare root stock so that they can develop roots before they are planted. This container grown stock is usually available around June once the roots have had time to settle. 

Prunus domestica Rivers' Early Prolific

At King & Co we offer a variety of Apples, Cherries, Pears and Plums. If you want to grow your own fruit and transform your garden, have a look at our guide on some of our best-loved fruit trees… 

Bramley apple fruits

Apple Trees are a popular choice for new and experienced gardens as they are versatile and easy to grow. All the apples we supply are grown on MM106 rootstocks to produce strong trees, that reach a mature height of 5-6m and a mature spread of 4-5m. Some of our favourite varieties include… 

• Bramley: A classic cooking apple, perfect for pies and sauces.

• Cox: Known for its aromatic, sweet-tart flavour.

• James Grieve: Great for eating fresh or cooking, with a tangy flavour.

Cherry Trees are a rewarding addition any garden owing to their delicious fruits, beautiful blossoms and attraction to wildlife. Grown on Colt rootstocks to produce strong, healthy trees that reach mature heights of 5-6m, our favourite cherries are…

• Morello: A tart cherry ideal for cooking and preserves.

• Stella: A sweet, self-fertile variety perfect for snacking.

• Sunburst: Known for its large, juicy, and sweet cherries.

Pear Trees are low maintenance fruit trees with attractive spring blossoms and colourful autumn foliage. Grown on a Quince A rootstock our pear trees will reach a mature height of 5-6m. Our two favourite varieties are…

• Comice: A sweet, juicy pear ideal for desserts and fresh eating.

• Conference: A reliable variety with crisp, aromatic fruit.

Plum Trees are great for those who want to add beauty to their garden whilst enjoy the delicious, versatile fruits that are produced. A must-have for any garden, the Victoria Plum produces sweet, juicy fruit that is perfect for eating fresh, making jams, or baking into desserts. Grown on a St Julien A rootstock, Victoria plum reaches a mature height of 4-6m.

In short, planting Apple, Cherry, Pear and Plum trees is an excellent and rewarding way to enhance your garden while enjoying fresh, home-grown produce. Follow these tips to achieve healthy harvests…

Pollination. Some fruit trees, like cherries and apples, benefit from cross-pollination. Plant compatible varieties nearby to ensure a larger harvest.

Thinning Fruit. Remove some developing fruit to prevent overloading the tree, which can lead to smaller fruit or weakened branches.

Harvest Timing. Apples like Cox and Braeburn are best picked when firm and fragrant, Pears such as Comice and Conference should be harvested slightly underripe and ripened indoors and Victoria plums are ready when they have deep purple skin and feel slightly soft.


During the first year of planting, it is also recommended to remove any fruit from the trees. Doing this will help to promote root development, as it helps the tree to focus its energy on establishing strong roots rather than producing fruit.

Frequently Asked Questions

When can I plant a new tree?

Bare root trees can be planted from November to March. Container grown trees can be planted all year round. Watch our video guide on how to do so.

How often should I water my tree?

As a guide, we recommend giving each tree 5 litres of water every other day during the growing season. The water should be directed at the base of the trunk.
5 Litres is a good starting point to make sure that the ground stays moist, if the soil starts to become saturated or dry adjust the amount as required.

Can you plant my tree for me?

We can offer our planting service if you are local to the nursery. Planting prices are dependent on the size of the pot. Please contact us if you would like a quote.

Read more:

Shopping online

You can buy trees, hedging, shrubs and topiary online by browsing our website.
If you do not see a plant or size that is suitable for you then please call as we stock a wide variety of plants in our tree nursery. It’s worth noting that many other websites sell other people’s stock (i.e. they act as an agent) so you cannot view the products at their own site. At King & Co, all of our advertised plants are available for viewing at our tree nursery in Rayne, near Braintree, situated just over an hours drive out of London.

Our knowledgeable and experienced tree nursery staff are always contactable via phone on 01376 340469 or if you have any questions regarding any of our trees or accessories.

If you cannot see what you require on our website, please complete the enquiry form. We will give it our urgent attention and will get back to you shortly with a solution that meets your needs.

shopping-image

Popular Trees and Hedging Plants at the Tree Nursery…

If you are looking for specific evergreen trees, Photinia, Leylandii hedging, Leylandii trees, instant hedging or shrubs, use the search bar at the top of the page