Willingham Greengage Trees

Willingham Gage Trees

A traditional English greengage, Willingham is one of the most popular varieties in the UK. Its fruits are deliciously sweet, with the flavour of melon, ripening from early to late August, and best eaten fresh off the tree, although they will keep for a few days (if you can leave them that long!). They're also delicious made into jam or compote. The white blossom appears in spring.

We have more plums & gages, or browse all of our fruit trees.

Features:

• Size: up to 3.5m (11ft) eventually, although often smaller
• Use: eating, fresh, or in jams
• Colour: green
• Taste: Sweet, melon-like
• Pollination: Mostly Self-fertile
• Pollination Group 3
• Picking: Mid-August

Growing Willingham Gages

Willingham is in pollination group 3 and partially self-fertile, which means it will crop more heavily and more reliably if there is a different variety of plum or greengage nearby for cross-pollination, which is rarely a problem as it will pollinate with all kinds of nearby plums and damson. If in doubt, plant with another greengage, such as Reine Claude de Bavay. Greengages like a little richness to the soil, so dig in plenty of manure before planting.

Did You Know?

Experts believe Willingham is probably a 19th century seedling of Old Green Gage, and therefore a cousin of Cambridge Gage, hence the outstanding flavour. It's found wild in the hedgerows around Willingham in Cambridgeshire.

Lift the turf (if any) in a circle of about 100 cms (3ft) diameter. Soak the tree roots in water for about an hour before planting.

Dig a square hole that is about 20 cms comfortably wider in both directions than the tree's roots but only a little (maybe) 5 cm deeper. Do not plant less than 30 cms from any wall.

Hammer in a tree stake off centre in the direction of the prevailing wind if the tree needs support (so the wind blows the tree away from the stake).

Loosen the soil in the bottom of the hole and add or take away until, when the tree roots are on it, the soil mark on the trunk is at the level of the ground outside the hole. Keep the graft (if there is one) at least 5 cms higher than the surrounding soil. Tie the tree to the stake and position ready for planting. Wet the roots again, sprinkle Rootgrow on them and return the soil from the hole, firming it down every few centimetres.

Water well, mulch the circle in the grass and water weekly thereafter through the first summer. Use a tree guard if you have "vermin"