Greengage ‘Oullin’s gage’

We’ve grown ‘Oullin’s Gage’ for years on our Thurning ground; it’s an old French variety that reliably produces a good crop. The fruit is large for a gage, with golden-yellow skin and sweet, pale lemon-green flesh inside. It’s a dual-purpose tree, so the fruit is excellent eaten fresh straight from the branch in August, but it also cooks and freezes very well.

This is a deciduous tree with an average to vigorous growth rate. It will do best in a sunny, sheltered position in moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil. Depending on the rootstock, it can reach a height of 3.6 to 4.6 metres, but can be kept smaller with pruning. It’s fully hardy for UK winters.

For care, prune lightly in summer to keep a good shape and remove any damaged branches; this also reduces the risk of silver leaf disease. ‘Oullin’s Gage’ is self-fertile, so you don’t need another tree for it to produce fruit, making it a great option if you only have space for one fruit tree in the garden.