What variety of apple tree should I plant?

[Whatwouldnanado]

Re doing our garden after building work and have decided to grow more edibles. There's a space in a corner for an apple tree. We have decided a semi dwarf variety would be best height/width wise. Does anyone have recommendations? Also like the idea of possibly growing a summer flowering climber, nothing very vigorous up it to add interest but not sure what.

I've got a Discovery, which is an early variety and a good, reliable cropper. I also have a Cox's which is not!

You need another apple tree in the vicinity that flowers at the same time, because apples don't pollinate themselves. So if you have space for only one you could consider a "family tree" which is three varieties of apple grafted on to the same tree.

Cox is generally regarded as too disease prone for satisfactory garden growing.

My favourites are Ashmeads Kernel and Cornish Aromatic, but they are both quite spicy/aromatic which isn't to everyone's taste.

Do you want an eater or a cooker? There are many other varieties of cooker other than Bramley which is all that's normally available at the supermarket.

Some advice here:
www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=331

I've got quite a few dwarf apple trees on my allotment (M26 rootstock) and the best cropping and tastiest are Scrumptious, Sunset (like Cox but more disease free), Chivers Delight, Howgate Wonder (delicious cooker), Discovery and Katy. You'll get a better crop with more than one tree like pp said but they only have to be in the same pollination group (flower at the same time) so you can have two different varieties. You can also use crab apple as a pollinator, or if neighbours have apples they'll be fine. I wouldn't grow a vine up a dwarf tree as they need all the light and nutrients they can get, but I grow strawberries and blackcurrants under mine.

Picking the best Apple tree for your garden is a bit more complicated than just picking one that works for other people. Apple trees are actually quite sensitive to local weather conditions, and there are trees that will do better in warmer parts of the country and others that are better for colder, or wetter weather conditions.

When I was searching for an apple tree, I found this website really useful. They have a tree finder tool to help you find the best tree for your conditions:

www.orangepippintrees.co.uk/treefinder.aspx

That website also has a lot of information about the different Apple varieties and what they taste like. I went for a Saturn Apple tree in the end, which is a variety I’d never even heard off. It turned out to be a prolific tree, with amazing tasting apples. Well worth the few hours of research that went into picking it! 😀

I 2nd the Orangepippin website that's where I chose my allotment varieties. You can search by apple genetics too so if you know an apple variety you like you can find others bred from the same varieties that might be more disease resistant/suited to your garden etc.

We have a red falstaff which has been fantastic and a sunset which I'm less impressed with but is still nice

We love our acme, discovery, howgate wonder, Jupiter, egremont russet and Monarch

In theory I shouldn't be able to grow Cornish Aromatic in Yorkshire on a waterlogged site ...

True, it's not a great bearer for me - in good years 30lbs, once 48lbs, but in poor years virtually nothing. I'd not be happy if it were my only tree.

I 3rd the orangepippin website - it's an excellent resource. Alternatively Waterperry Gardens are very helpful if you are near Oxfordshire. They have an Apple week in Autumn where you can taste the apples and get advice on what might be suitable for you.

I have Sunset, Red Falstaff, Pitmaston Pineapple and Pixie. The Red Falstaff usually has a heavy crop of bright red crispy apples and is a free standing tree. The other are espaliers and were chosen because they have smaller lunchbox size apples. The espaliers are only on their 3rd season so aren't cropping well yet. Had a few Pitmaston Pineapples last year and they were delicious!

Thanks @Mutabilis I had no idea that crab apple works as a pollinator. I also have a bramley which isn't baring much fruit. Turns out that both cox's and bramley need 2 other pollinators. I'm off to buy a crab apple tomorrow!

I had the same query earlier in the year and dozens of researched varieties. I eventually settled on Fiesta on M26 rootstock as it is a good all purpose apple, stores well and is relatively disease resistant. I decided that one tree would be fine as I live in a residential area with lots of gardens around. It was planted early May and has really taken off, even after pruning quite heavily after arrival.

I decided

Enjoy choosing your crabapple EveryDayIsLikeMonday there are some lovely crabapple varieties to choose from. I've got 'evereste' which has amazing blossom and autumn colour and holds onto it's red fruit all winter.

Turns out that both cox's and bramley need 2 other pollinators As far as I know, Bramley doesn't need two pollinators, it's just that it doesn't have viable pollen of its own so you have to have a third tree to pollinate the pollinator.

Can anyone explain what I'm doing wrong on the orangepippin website please? Whatever combinations I try I get no results!

I was hoping to get a recommendation for a not giant Apple & pear tree for partial shade in the East Midlands could anyone make a recommendation please?

Ignore me! Found the catalogue page which has loads more options to select from and has found me some hopeful looking varieties!

Red Devil

www.frankpmatthews.com/catalogue/apple/10013

But also if you have space plant a Comice pear. I absolutely love mine.

Thanks everyone. Really like the look of Red Devil. I see this is suitable for container growing so perhaps we'll have a dessert cherry in the corner bed and the apple elsewhere.