Apple varieties

JoeyEmma

I'm looking for a couple of apple trees to plant in my tiny front yard.

What apples do well in Manchester- a couple of degrees lower temp than down south and rainy rainy rainy?

The two trees will be planted a couple of metres apart, in a tiny front yard. I know that they need to pollinate around the same time, but am getting befuddled about rootstocks and such like. Should I get an M27 root stock or an M9? If I get a two year old tree will I get fruits quicker? And how long will it take to actually get fruit from them that you can actually eat?

Gebo26

You will need two varieties which flower at the same time so that they will pollinate each other. A good catalogue will give you lots of information on this as well as suggesting ones which do well in the North West.
If your front yard is as tiny as you say then I would go for M27 rootstock, but you would have to permanently stake the trees and feed them well. They would put on very little growth and stay around 5 - 6 feet high.
Alternatively, you could get cordons. These are trained as a single stem, usually on M106 rootstock, and as they produce fruits all the way along you should get a bigger crop. You would need to consult a book for the pruning advice.
Or try Minarette or Ballerina trees. These also crop all the way up a single stem and are generally low maintenance plants, requiring less pruning than cordons but there is a smaller choice of varieties available.

JoeyEmma

I have the Ken Muir brochure which is very good, however it seems a lot of the varieties originate from down south and don't say how well they will grow up north!

I am torn between minarettes, m27 root stock or if I should look at the blackmoor nurseries leg trees?

alanwjones

How;s about helping to save this very rare variety,
http://www.bardsey.org/english/subs/apples.htm
see also
http://www.conwytrees.com/WelshTree/Bardsey%20Apple.html