Am i too high for fruit trees?

Hi


I read a book about where it said that if you are over 175m above sea level fruit trees won't work.

As we are 194m above sea level and I've just planted 25 orchard trees have I wasted my time?

We are in Cotswolds so fairly south and its not a rough weather setting. It doesn't feel high up so I'm not sure. Just spooked by Mary rose 1000 gardening tips.

Thoughts appreciated.

 

You could plant them at the bottom of a well!

Sorry 'bout that. Cheers, Tony.

 

Have the neighbours got fruit trees? If not, there's probably a good reason...
Some withstand cold better than others, so cooking apples and later flowering varieties of eating apple, pear and plum would be the varieties to go for. The other option, if the trees aren't yet very tall, would be to plant a fast-growing, hardy shelter belt around the orchard.

 

We are 550 metres above sea level, and there are fruit trees galore around here!

 

I know a lot of research and development goes into modern plant breeding, but I wasn't aware that they'd bred altimeters and GPS systems into them now.

175 meters in proper measures is about 580ft. My land is about 800ft above sea level, and the trees I've put there (the ones protected from the rabbits and deer) are coming along nicely. There's also various wild fruit trees up there, including damsons, that consistently do ok.

I've been on much higher ground than mine and seen fruit trees growing. I guess the main issue is that on higher ground, they are more likely to be very exposed in winter. High, exposed ground might be a problem.

 

We're at almost 1000ft on open moorland and fruit trees survive but are very poor.

 

fruit trees can withstand quite a lot of cold. Some varieties more than others but I don't suppose you will. want to grow oranges...

 

Plums, Apples, Pears and quince are grown in Yorkshire on steep hillsides which are about your height above sea level. They are also making wine from this too, as what was on Coutryfile. They also grow Rhubarb for wine too.