Help me choose an apple tree please

pandora205

My garden is in the process of being landscaped (fencing/patio/raised beds/turfing) and I am planning what to plant when it is finished.  I can do most of this myself at leisure and have rescued some plants which I will transplant.  However, it would be useful to have the landscapers plant any trees or larger shrubs that I choose.  I don't have much space (garden size about 35 x 45 metres) so thought I'd perhaps just have a small apple tree (max height about 3 metres).  I'm not sure if any neighbours have any so it would need to be self fertilising or I would need two.  The soil is quite heavy clay and although the garden is south facing the tree would be near the north facing fence.  I'd appreciate suggestions please.  My preference would be for dessert apples, and obviously easy to grow, disease resistant varieties would help.  I'm also planning my garden to have seasonal colour, though I think all apple trees would give that to some extent. 

Additionally, I'm wondering what to grow underneath.  The position will be near the raised vegetable/fruit beds so the possibility of something edible (such as strawberries - I have alpines and others in pots currently) would be ideal though not if that would impact on the tree's ability to produce fruit.

Thanks in advance as I know there are knowledgeable gardeners on here.  

silverwhistle

I've been very happy with the blueberries I bought from these people who also do apple trees: https://www.blackmoor.co.uk/  and I hope the asparagus crowns on their way will be equally good.

A browse there may give you ideas and information. I have three trees in a smaller garden and two of them adjacent give lovely shade over a bit of lawn during the heat of summer.

Mojisola

pandora205 said:

thought I'd perhaps just have a small apple tree (max height about 3 metres).

My preference would be for dessert apples, and obviously easy to grow, disease resistant varieties would help. 

It really depends on what kind of apples you like to eat.

Browse through some catalogues and see what names are familiar and whether those apples would suit your conditions.

RAS

As Mojisola says, what do you like to eat, cox's, granny Smith, Discovery, Golden Delicious?
Where do you live? 

In the west avoid anything susceptible to canker.Golden Delicious ripens in late October, early November in Yorkshire and can taste thin, whilst Cox only really fruits well in a good year. Sunset is better in the north.
Discovery goes over much faster in Kent than in Scotland. In fact if you're only growing one tree, Discovery will probably go over before you can eat them. So think about a keeper that you can eat for several months. Check the Brogdale website. Katy, Fiesta?

The other limitation is that many suppliers will have limited container plants this late in the season. To extend your choice, can you get a second tree grown as a cordon or bush on M27 rootstock? If you keep it in a pot for a couple of years and let it fruit in the second year, it will remain tiny as long as it's not a triploid.

pandora205

Thanks for all the suggestions.  I live in the South East if that's any help.  I like old fashioned apple varieties, such as Russet and Coxes, but really anything that's not too bland would be my preference.  Thanks

RAS

Thanks. Cox would grow for you and keeps for a while.. Amongst the lesser know russets is Brownlees Russet which ripens later than Egremont and keeps well/ 

pandora205

I'm wondering if I should really have two as I'm not sure about neighbours having apple trees so unless I got something self-fertile I might have problems.  I would need to stay small and choose two that flower round about the same time.

Farway

pandora205 said:

I'm wondering if I should really have two as I'm not sure about neighbours having apple trees so unless I got something self-fertile I might have problems.  I would need to stay small and choose two that flower round about the same time.

One can never have too many apple trees If you look on most fruit tree suppliers they will show the pollination groups and what goes with what, it's more to do with coinciding flowering times than anything else with the exception of some awkward types

have a look here, https://www.blackmoor.co.uk/  I've always used them because they are local to me but found the trees good as well, I bought a Pinovar variety bare root from them last year fro pot growing, early days but looking like lots of blossom on it this year, fingers crossed

in_my_wellies

If I could only have one I would choose a Bramley cooking apple. I'm not sure if you need two. I was fortunate to inherit two and the apples last well until March. 
I have several eating apple trees but the best one came from Aldi for £3.99. It had no label other than 'APPLE', we joke that it produces more apples than leaves! (large, sweet, half pale green and rosy red apples which keep until Christmas)

pandora205

After lots of research, I think I've decided on Fiesta on M26 root stock (i.e. semi dwarf) and have been looking on Blackmoor Nurseries website (Ashridge has sold out).  However, it looks like delivery is now up to 14 days which would be after my landscapers have finished.  Does anyone have a suggestion for other online nurseries that would be quicker?  I know the demand is pretty high just now so it is possible I will need to wait and plant it myself.
https://www.blackmoor.co.uk/category/1/products/228

Thanks

forgotmyname

If not too late consider a family apple tree. 3 varieties in the space of one.  Forget the apple types now, but 2 eating and one cooking apple on the
one small tree. I did think the label wont last and wrote it down but lost that somewhere?

The pear tree I do know, Concorde, Conference and a plump juicy/sweet Comice pear.  Paid £40 for each tree but one year we had
25kg of fruit between the 2 trees. 

Planted late in the season and removed the first years fruit before they started to take the energy and the 2nd year had a decent
crop and almost every year since.