Fruit Trees for Sale UK – Lemon, Fig, Grape Vine and Cherry Trees
Palm and Olive sells mature lemon trees, Brown Turkey fig trees and grape vines hand-picked for UK patios and gardens, with a month-by-month guide to flowering, fruit, watering and feeding for lemon, fig, grape and cherry trees. Every tree is photographed and measured, with free delivery to most of mainland UK.
Fruit trees for sale
- Citrus Lemon Trees – From £49.99 – sizes: 2-3 ft (sold out), 4-5 ft (sold out), 5-6 ft, 8-9 ft
- Ficus 'Brown Turkey' Fig Tree for Sale – £99.99 (currently sold out – ask us about the next delivery)
- Grape Vine Trees for Sale – £224.99 (currently sold out – ask us about the next delivery)
A year with your fruit tree
When each tree flowers, when the fruit ripens, how often to water and when it needs to come indoors – month by month for UK gardens.
Lemon tree (Citrus × limon) through the year
| Month | What you’ll see | Main job | Watering | Feeding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | The first lemons that set last spring are turning yellow. Pick them as they colour fully, and keep the tree in a bright, cool room away from radiators. | Pick ripe lemons | About once a week | Winter citrus feed |
| February | Fragrant flower buds open while last year’s lemons are still hanging – flowers and fruit on the tree together are completely normal for citrus. | Prune: thin crowded branches | About once a week | Winter citrus feed |
| March | Peak blossom and the scent fills the room. Indoors, brush from flower to flower with a soft paintbrush to help the fruit set. | Switch to summer citrus feed | Twice a week | Summer citrus feed |
| April | Petals fall and tiny green lemons set. Some drop off naturally – the tree keeps as many as it can feed. | Let some fruitlets drop | Twice a week | Summer citrus feed |
| May | Start hardening off: stand the tree outside on warm days and bring it back in at night. | Harden off on warm days | Every 2–3 days | Summer citrus feed |
| June | Once nights stay mild (usually from mid-June) move it out to a sunny, sheltered patio for the summer. | Move outside | Every 1–2 days | Summer citrus feed |
| July | The young lemons swell fast in the warmth. Check the pot every day and water with rainwater when the top few centimetres feel dry. | Water daily in hot spells | Check daily | Summer citrus feed |
| August | Lemons are nearly full size but still green – citrus fruit takes nine to twelve months to ripen, so be patient. | Keep feeding | Check daily | Summer citrus feed |
| September | Nights start to cool. Get ready to bring the tree in before they drop towards 5°C. | Plan to bring it in | Every 2–3 days | Summer citrus feed |
| October | Bring it into a bright porch, conservatory or cool room. The first lemons start to turn from green to yellow. | Bring it indoors | Twice a week | Summer citrus feed |
| November | Water less – let the surface of the compost dry between waterings. Leaf drop now usually means cold draughts or too much water. | Switch to winter citrus feed | About once a week | Winter citrus feed |
| December | Ripe lemons for Christmas. Cut them with secateurs, keeping a short piece of stalk – pulling can damage the tree. | Harvest ripe lemons | About once a week | Winter citrus feed |
Brown Turkey fig (Ficus carica ‘Brown Turkey’) through the year
| Month | What you’ll see | Main job | Watering | Feeding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Bare branches – but look closely: the pea-sized figs at the shoot tips are next summer’s crop. Protect them from hard frost with fleece. | Fleece in hard frost | Only if bone dry | None |
| February | Still dormant. Keep potted figs barely moist and never leave the pot standing in water. | Rest – very little to do | Only if bone dry | None |
| March | Buds swell. Prune in spring to remove dead, crossing or frost-damaged wood – wear gloves, as fig sap irritates skin. | Prune in spring | Once a week | None |
| April | Big lobed leaves unfold and the overwintered figs start to grow. | Start high-potash feed (pots) | Twice a week | High-potash, every 2 weeks |
| May | Fast growth. Keep the soil evenly moist – a fig that dries out will drop its fruit. | Keep soil evenly moist | Twice a week | High-potash, every 2 weeks |
| June | Pinch out the tips of new shoots to keep the tree compact and send its energy into the fruit. | Pinch out shoot tips | Check daily | High-potash, every 2 weeks |
| July | The figs swell quickly. Water deeply – pots can need water every day in a heatwave. | Water deeply | Check daily | High-potash, every 2 weeks |
| August | Harvest time! Ripe figs turn brown-purple, feel soft and hang down. Some show a drop of nectar at the base. | Harvest ripe figs | Check daily | Stop once figs ripen |
| September | Keep picking ripe figs. A second crop forms on the new shoots, but it rarely ripens outdoors in the UK. | Keep picking | Every 2–3 days | None |
| October | Remove any figs bigger than a pea – they won’t ripen. Leave the pea-sized ones at the tips: they are next year’s crop. | Remove figs bigger than a pea | Once a week | None |
| November | Leaves turn yellow and fall. Move potted figs into an unheated porch, shed or greenhouse for the winter. | Move pots under cover | Once a week | None |
| December | Dormant. Wrap the tree or pot in fleece during hard frosts to protect next year’s tiny figs. | Fleece in hard frost | Only if bone dry | None |
Grape vine (Vitis vinifera) through the year
| Month | What you’ll see | Main job | Watering | Feeding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Dormant. Keep a layer of mulch around the roots, but not touching the stem, to protect them through winter. | Mulch the roots | Not needed | None |
| February | Give a general fertiliser with a little sulphate of potash this month, ready for spring. | Feed with potash | Not needed | General feed and potash |
| March | Buds start to swell. Pull the winter mulch back from the stem so it doesn’t rot. | Pull mulch from the stem | Only in dry spells | None |
| April | Budburst – soft new shoots and the first leaves unfold. Fleece the vine if a late frost is forecast. | Fleece against late frost | Only in dry spells | None |
| May | Shoots grow fast. Tie in the new growth and start a high-potash feed every two weeks. | Start high-potash feed | In dry weather | High-potash, every 2 weeks |
| June | Tiny green flower clusters appear on the new shoots – they become this year’s bunches of grapes. | Tie in new shoots | In dry weather | High-potash, every 2 weeks |
| July | The grapes have set. Pinch back the fruiting shoots and thin crowded bunches. Water thoroughly in dry spells. | Pinch back fruiting shoots | Thoroughly when dry | High-potash, every 2 weeks |
| August | The bunches swell. Keep watering in dry weather – a vine that is too dry at the roots is prone to powdery mildew. | Water in dry spells | Thoroughly when dry | High-potash, every 2 weeks |
| September | Harvest time! The grapes colour up and sweeten from early autumn. Watch out for wasps and birds. | Harvest grapes | In dry weather | Stop as grapes ripen |
| October | Pick the last bunches as the leaves turn yellow. | Pick the last bunches | Rarely | None |
| November | Leaves fall. Winter pruning starts once the vine is fully dormant, in late November and December. | Start winter pruning | Not needed | None |
| December | The main pruning month: cut back while the vine is fully dormant. Pruning after midwinter makes the cuts bleed sap. | Prune before midwinter | Not needed | None |
Cherry tree (Prunus avium) through the year
| Month | What you’ll see | Main job | Watering | Feeding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Dormant. Don’t prune now – winter cuts let in silver leaf disease and bacterial canker. | No pruning in winter | Not needed | None |
| February | Mulch around the base with well-rotted compost and give a general feed. | Mulch and feed | Not needed | General feed and mulch |
| March | Buds fatten and the first flowers open. Cover the blossom with fleece if frost is forecast. | Fleece blossom in frost | Once a week (pots) | General feed |
| April | Full blossom – white flowers cover the branches and the bees get to work pollinating them. | Enjoy the blossom | Twice a week (pots) | None |
| May | Petals fall and tiny green cherries set as the leaves fill out. Keep the soil moist. | Keep the soil moist | Twice a week | None |
| June | The cherries swell and start to blush. Net the tree now, before the birds find them. | Net against birds | Every 2–3 days | None |
| July | Harvest time! Pick cherries with their stalks on when they are fully coloured and sweet. | Harvest cherries | Every 2–3 days | None |
| August | Summer is the safe time to prune a cherry – do any shaping straight after picking. | Summer prune | Twice a week | None |
| September | Keep pots watered in dry spells – the tree is already forming next year’s flower buds. | Water in dry spells | Once a week | None |
| October | The leaves turn orange and red for a final show of autumn colour. | Enjoy the autumn colour | Once a week | None |
| November | Leaves fall. Clear them away to reduce disease next year. | Clear fallen leaves | Not needed | None |
| December | Dormant. Check stakes and ties after winter storms. | Check stakes and ties | Not needed | None |
How to care for a lemon tree in the UK
- Light: As much light as possible all year: a sunny patio in summer and a bright window, porch or conservatory in winter.
- Temperature: Lemons cope down to about 5°C. Bring them in as soon as autumn nights start to dip and keep them away from radiators and draughts.
- Watering: Use rainwater. Keep the compost just moist in summer and let the surface dry a little in winter. Never leave the pot standing in water.
- Feeding: Summer citrus feed from late March to October, then winter citrus feed from November to mid-March.
How to care for a Brown Turkey fig tree
- Position: Full sun against a warm, sheltered wall or fence. Restricting the roots – in a pot or a lined pit – gives more fruit and less leaf.
- Watering: Keep the soil evenly moist from spring to late summer; check pots daily in hot weather. A dry fig drops its fruit.
- Feeding: In pots, give a high-potash liquid feed every two weeks through the growing season, until the figs start to ripen.
- Pruning: Prune in spring and pinch out new shoot tips in early summer. Wear gloves – the sap irritates skin.
How to care for a grape vine
- Position: A sheltered, south or south-west facing spot in full sun – ideal against a warm wall or fence, or as a standard in a large pot.
- Watering: Water thoroughly in dry spring and summer weather. Vines are fairly drought tolerant, but dry roots invite powdery mildew.
- Feeding: A general feed with sulphate of potash in February, then a high-potash feed every two weeks until the grapes start to ripen.
- Pruning: Prune in late November and December while fully dormant – later cuts bleed sap. Pinch back fruiting shoots in summer.
How to care for a cherry tree
- Position: Full sun with shelter from cold winds. Compact trees on dwarfing rootstocks suit large pots and small gardens.
- Frost: The early blossom is easily damaged – cover it with fleece on frosty nights in March and April.
- Watering: Keep the soil moist in spring and while the cherries swell; check pots every few days in summer.
- Pruning: Only prune in spring and summer, never in winter, to avoid silver leaf disease and canker. Net the fruit against birds.
Grow them with olive trees, terracotta pots, topiary and hedging or acer trees.
Fruit tree FAQs
Can lemon trees grow outside in the UK?
Only in summer. Lemon trees need at least about 5°C, so in the UK grow them in a large pot: outside on a sunny, sheltered patio from around mid-June to September, and in a bright, cool room, porch or conservatory for the rest of the year.
When should I bring my lemon tree inside?
As soon as night temperatures start to dip in autumn – usually late September or October – and before they fall towards 5°C. Move it back out once nights stay mild, normally from mid-June, hardening it off on warm days first.
How often should I water a lemon tree in a pot?
In summer, check it daily and water with rainwater when the top few centimetres of compost feel dry – often every one to three days in hot weather. In winter water much less, about once a week, letting the surface dry between waterings. Never leave the pot standing in water.
Why is my lemon tree dropping leaves?
The most common causes are cold draughts, sudden temperature changes, dry air near a radiator or too much water in winter. Move it to a bright, cool, steady spot, water less and use a winter citrus feed.
When do Brown Turkey figs ripen in the UK?
The main crop ripens outdoors at the end of summer, usually August and September. Ripe figs turn brown-purple, feel soft and hang down from the branch.
Is the Brown Turkey fig hardy in the UK?
Yes – Brown Turkey is one of the most reliable figs for UK gardens and holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Grow it in a sunny, sheltered spot and protect young trees, pots and the tiny overwintering figs with fleece in hard frost.
Which figs should I remove in autumn?
At the end of summer remove any green figs bigger than a pea – they won’t ripen before winter. Leave the pea-sized figs at the shoot tips: they overwinter and become next year’s crop.
When do grapes ripen in the UK?
Grapes grown outdoors in the UK ripen from early autumn, usually September and October, depending on the variety and the summer. They are ready when they have fully coloured and taste sweet.
When should I prune a grape vine?
The main pruning is in late November and December, when the vine is fully dormant. Pruning after midwinter, when the sap starts rising, makes the cuts bleed sap. In summer, pinch back the fruiting shoots.
When do cherries ripen in the UK?
Most sweet cherries ripen in early to midsummer, usually late June and July. Net the tree as the fruit starts to colour, or the birds will take them first.
When should I prune a cherry tree?
Only in spring and summer – ideally straight after picking. Never prune cherries in winter, as the cuts let in silver leaf disease and bacterial canker.
Do you deliver fruit trees across the UK?
Yes. Delivery is free to most of mainland UK. If a size shows as sold out, message us on WhatsApp on 07481 102135 and we’ll tell you when the next trees arrive.
Questions? Call or WhatsApp Palm and Olive on 07481 102135 or email info@palmandolive.co.uk.