Help please in selecting a new Espalier apple tree.

TUVOK

I have an existing Spartan espalier apple tree, although a prolific fruit bearer it's gradually succumbed to canker and I intend to take it out very soon.
I'm looking for a dessert type tree, self pollinating and disease resistant.
I intend to plant it in the same spot as where the Spartan tree is now, hopefully with fresh earth/compost all should be well?
Can any one recommend a variety which meets my wants?

goldfinches

Hi TUVOK, I tend to snaffle the windfalls at my local Botanic Garden which has several varieties of apple and I can tell you that the one I think the best for eating straight from the sunny lawn is called Scrumptious.  I've looked at the listing for it on Pomona's website and it says it is self-fertile and that it has various other desirable qualities too.
https://www.pomonafruits.co.uk/fruit-nut-trees/apple-trees/dessert-apple-trees/apple-tree-scrumptious
There are several other varieties that I've tasted and I can also recommend Kidd's Orange, Pitmaston Pineapple, Limelight, Orleans Reinette and Worcester Pearmain for flavour but none of them beat Scrumptious in my opinion. 

twopenny

I haven't tried the others mentioned but I have tried Worcester Pearmain.

It used to be my favourite back in the day when you could buy them in the shops.

goldfinches

twopenny said:

I haven't tried the others mentioned but I have tried Worcester Pearmain.

It used to be my favourite back in the day when you could buy them in the shops.

It was my favourite from the early seventies until this year when I tried Scrumptious for the first time and, in my opinion, Scrumptious is nicer tasting as well as being a better size when ripe.
It is such a subjective matter though and how one predicts what others will like is a very interesting question in itself and one I think I may submit someday to Notes and Queries in the Guardian; so I am wondering about whether TUVOK is able to try some before making their final choice.

TUVOK

Thank you for the tip re scrumptious.
Any other replies/tips would be most welcome

Farway

May well be cancelled this year due to you know what, but Apple Tasting day season is nearly here.

Any local fruit suppliers, RHS gardens etc near you you could enquire if tasting day is going ahead?

I've always had a love in with James Grieve for taste & juicy, plus another one you'll not find in the shops.

I've not tasted Scrumptious so unable to compare with that

twopenny

James Grieve used to be one of my favourites to so I'll second that as well.

Our apple tastings run by villages (including 'have your apples juiced' ) has been axed this year. They just can't do it with social distancing 

I did see that some orchards are coming back in my rural area and they are selling apples, maybe something to look for re tasting. Also a small local nursery would put out apples to try. Oh goodness I've missed this year and not for the big stuff they keep mentioning.

TUVOK

I have ordered a "Scrumptious" tree, hope it's as good as the recommendations say it is!

goldfinches

Brilliant, hope you like it as much as I do and that it loves your garden, goldfinches.

RAS

A bit of feedback on the choices above.

Look for a variety that stores well and if you want to train it, one that is a spur bearer.

Worcester Pearmain is gorgeous but it's a tip bearer, so when you train it, you cut almost all the fruit buds off. Also it doesn't keep well. 

James Grieve keeps a bit better but is very prone to canker.

TUVOK

I decided to buy a ' Scrumptious' espalier apple tree, it's looking good, plenty of blossom on it.

This brings me to my other 4 espaliers, lack of blossom!
I have apart from Scrumptious' , Discovery, Crispin, Gala and Jonagold .

I'm quite a dedicated gardener, successful in most aspects of gardening, but getting these apple trees to produce blossom I mainly fail at perhaps some slight success with Discovery.
I've watched all the Utube videos and read numerous articles on apple tree pruning etc, but I've largely failed with producing blossom.
I bought Scrumptious to replace Spartan as it was so prone to canker, but I succeeded every year with producing apples on Spartan.

Where am I going wrong, strangely I find the summer and winter pruning techniques difficult to understand and put into practise.
I wish there was a course being run locally that I could attend.

Any help, comments would be appreciated, thank you.