Recommendations for an apple tree?

ixwood

You could just get any tree and graft a crap apple branch onto it to act as a pollinator.

I got all my family trees from Deacons.

forgotmyname

A few years ago we bought an apple and a pear tree with 3 varieties on them.

Pear tree is in flower now, Apple tree is starting to sprout leaves.

SaverSueG

Hi there,

The size of the tree depends on the rootstock. We have two (Elstar and Sunset) on M27 and they are only 4ftx4ft after about 10 years. Both are nice apples, unfortunately I can't remember which is which and one is nicer better than the other!!! BTW I'd get one which keeps well. Ours came from Deacons and they were good quality.

RAS

Bitsy_Beans wrote: »

Sadly no crab apples that I can see in the neighbouring vicinity <b*gger> so if I were to purchase two then I would probably get two of the same variety.

Laurel - I actually am not fussed about a special variety it's more to do with the sheer number of the fruit that my H eats. I just fancied growing my own for a change. Will have a look into the "family" apple tree - where can you buy these? I am in the suburbs but trees round here are mostly Oaks from what I can see.

Unless you are very much down south it is a bit early for apples to flower yet, most start in early May and this year they may be a bit behind (mine definately are). So from early May keep an eye open for blossom on trees in back gardens up and dowm your street and the one backing onto you.

If it is with 200 metres note the date when it seems to flower fully and try to get an apple that flowers a bit early according to the lists.

The ultimate size of the tree depends on the type of root stock; M27 is very dwarfing and M25 will produce something 30 foot high. So you need to decide what sort of size tree you want. Also you can grow one of the restricted forms like a pyramid or cordon. If these are well-pruned the pyramid (about 1.5 metres across and 2.5 metres high can produce over 100 apples.

However you cannot grow tip-bearers like Ellison's Orange very well in restricted forms - expect at least one year in three to produce very little fruit.

There are a number of self-fertile apples which would allow you just to grow one tree, but you would need to choose a late eater as these store better. If the blossom is not wrecked by frost or extreme wet this year, I will have over 100 apples which need eating between late September and mid-November - more than 1 per day. I simply do not eat that many, so will have to give them away. A late eater would last from November to February (or even later) so would be more use.

It also rather depends what varieties your OH like now, although some of the commercial ones do not grow well in the UK. If he does not like russets or Cox's or Golden Delicious there is little point growing a tree that has one of those as a parent as the fruit will not appeal to him.