Frank P Matthews
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A tree that has been grown in the field and then lifted out of the ground when dormant. Available from November to March. The roots are more open and the direct contact with the soil encourages them to settle in and establish more readily.
These are 2yr old trees that have been grown 1yr in the field and the second in a pot. Container trees can be planted at any time of the year but establish best when planted during the autumn and need to be watered well during the first summer.
Gages are small plums that have a more delicate constitution but with superior flavour and sugar content. Gage trees are often shy to crop but will have the occasional good year where patience will be rewarded.
We grow a combination of green, yellow and red fruiting forms which are available on semi-dwarf to semi-vigorous rootstocks. Fruits are sweet, soft and juicy! Great for cooking into jams, or can be eaten straight from the tree. The most popular garden varieties of gage trees are self-fertile. Can be grown in a container.
They do not require much pruning. A light prune in the summer just after fruiting is required for mature gages to encourage fruiting. For tree shaping, prune in the spring time just after the tree has come into leaf.
Gage
Small, yellowish-green, juicy fruit, reliable. Good cropper and self-fertile. Prefers a sheltered, warm site.
An unusual gage, sweet golden melting flesh, large with attractive red check. A regular and heavy cropper.
Large, yellow gage, oval-shaped with a long neck. Good quality for fresh eating or preserving.
The most reliable cropping gage. Transparent sweet flesh with red flushed skin. Reliable and high yields.
Medium, round, yellow gage: sweet, hardy choice for open areas and the north. A very good quality gage.
One of the sweetest and tastiest of gages and less prone to cracking. Round, small to medium sized.
Selected by the RHS for its excellent old fashioned flavour and more reliable crops. Partially self-fertile.
Large golden yellow fruit of gage-like flavour. Pick early for cooking. Good for bottling & freezing.
A self-fertile greengage, turns slighty yellow when ripening. Mildly flavoured fruits can be eaten fresh or cooked.
This is an unusual 'purple' gage of excellent dessert flavour, round medium fruit, clingstone.
One of the finest eating qualities. Selected by the RHS for good cropping and excellent quality. Self-fertile.
Very reliable cropper and if allowed to ripen on the tree is well flavoured. Great for eating and cooking. Self-fertile.