Repotting guide

When & how to repot Medlar 'Nottingham' (Mespilus germanica 'Nottingham')

Also called Nottingham medlar.

More about medlar 'nottingham'

About Medlar 'Nottingham'

Mespilus germanica 'Nottingham' · also called Nottingham medlar · edible

'Nottingham' is the classic culinary medlar — a small, gnarled, ornamental deciduous tree bearing russet-brown apple-rose fruit that must be bletted (softened by frost or storage) before eating, giving a spiced, applesauce-like pulp. Self-fertile and hardy to around minus 20 Celsius, it thrives in full sun on moist, well-drained soil and tolerates British conditions superbly.

Mature size: Typically 3 to 6 m tall and wide; usually a broad, low-domed small tree, easily kept compact and well suited to smaller gardens.

Watch for — Leaf blight and brown spot: Damp summers can bring fungal leaf spotting and occasional blossom blight. Improve airflow, clear fallen leaves and avoid overhead wetting.

How to tell medlar 'nottingham' needs repotting

Repotting on a calendar is less reliable than reading the plant. For medlar 'nottingham', watch for these signs:

Roots circling the bottom of the module or pot, or poking out of the drainage holes.
The seedling dries out within a day and growth has visibly stalled.
Roots are white and matted in a tight spiral when you tip the plant out.
It has outgrown its current container for the stage of the season — pot medlar 'nottingham' on before it becomes hard root-bound.

For the underlying biology of a pot-bound root system and why it stalls a plant, see our guide to spotting and fixing a root-bound plant.

How often to repot medlar 'nottingham'

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot. Medlar 'Nottingham'is grown for one season, so the question is really “how often to pot on” — keep moving it up before the roots circle. Small, spreading, often crooked deciduous tree with an attractive twisted habit, large solitary white flowers in late spring and good russet-orange autumn colour. Self-fertile, so one tree crops alone..

What size pot to step medlar 'nottingham' up to

Pot medlar 'nottingham' on gradually — a seedling jumped straight into a huge pot sits in cold, wet, airless soil and stalls. Step up one or two sizes at a time as the roots fill each container, finishing in a large final pot or the ground. The aim is roots that never circle and never check.

Not sure of the exact diameter? Our pot size calculator takes the current pot and root spread and tells you the right next size — it deliberately recommends a single step up, never a big jump.

The best time of year to repot medlar 'nottingham'

Pot medlar 'nottingham' on through the active growing season, whenever roots fill the current container — there is no single date, just "before it becomes root-bound". Avoid potting on during a cold snap.

Step-by-step: repotting medlar 'nottingham'

Pot on before it is root-bound. Check medlar 'nottingham' regularly; move it up as soon as roots reach the edge of the cell or pot, not after they have circled.
Step up one or two sizes. Choose the next container up — not a giant one. Cold, wet, unused soil around a small root system stalls seedlings.
Knock it out gently. Support the stem, tip the pot, and ease the rootball out without breaking it. A little teasing of circled roots at the base is fine.
Pot into rich mix. Set it into fresh moist but well-drained, fertile soil at the same depth (tomatoes are the exception — they can go deeper to root along the stem).
Water in and grow on. Water well, keep it in good light, and resume feeding once it is established and growing again.

Aftercare

Water medlar 'nottingham' in well and keep it in bright light; a freshly potted-on seedling can wilt for a day while roots settle, so do not overcompensate by drowning it. Do not fertilise for about 1 week — fresh mix already carries nutrients and feeding freshly disturbed roots scorches them.

The right soil mix for medlar 'nottingham'

Medlar 'Nottingham' wants moist but well-drained, fertile soil. Adaptable to most soils across a slightly acid to neutral pH of about 6.0 to 7.0; dislikes very chalky or waterlogged ground. A loamy, humus-rich soil is ideal. Always use fresh mix when you repot — reusing old, broken-down soil reintroduces the compaction and poor drainage you are repotting to fix.

Repotting medlar 'nottingham' — frequently asked questions

How often should you repot medlar 'nottingham'?

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot for medlar 'nottingham'. Medlar 'Nottingham' is a seasonal crop, so you pot it on as a growing plant rather than repotting a perennial. Step seedlings up gradually into moist but well-drained, fertile soil so the roots never circle the cell, ending in a large final container. A root-bound transplant stalls and never fully recovers.

What size pot does medlar 'nottingham' need?

When is the best time of year to repot medlar 'nottingham'?

Can you put medlar 'nottingham' straight into a much bigger pot?

No. Even a fast-growing medlar 'nottingham' should only go up one pot size at a time. A vastly oversized pot holds a reservoir of wet soil the roots cannot reach, which stays cold and soggy and rots the roots — the opposite of what you wanted.

Should you fertilise medlar 'nottingham' after repotting?

Not immediately. Wait about 1 week after repotting medlar 'nottingham'. Fresh mix already contains nutrients, and feeding freshly cut or disturbed roots burns them. Resume your normal feeding routine once you see new growth.