Can anyone advise on a pot Apple tree

[Coldhandscoldheart]

My dd is desperate for an Apple tree. We are likely to move in the next couple of years, so it will need to go in a pot.
I don’t know how big the pot will need to be.
South facing although shaded garden. Quite sheltered West coast Scotland.
Are there better varieties? Will

To grow an apple in a container , beware of choosing a dwarf variety as this is too loose a term. Buy a tree specially cultivated for container gardening. You also need to get one that is self pollinating.

Falstaff and Kidds Orange Red are good variety. Things to check are, eventual size, how well the apples will keep once harvested. Most import is to choose one that suits your own taste buds. Apples vary greatly from very sweet to very sharp.

Brill thanks, a dwarf variety was one of the things I was looking at!

A dwarf apple tree often has very spreading roots and are vigorous. growers. That means you have to repot them ever 2 years. . A good site for apple trees guide is .gardenfocused.co.uk or RHS.org. They tell you when they crop, which ones are disease resistant and flavour.

You reminded me and I’ve just emailed Brogdale for advice.

You can get a "family tree" - 3 varieties grafted on to one rootstock. Overcomes the pollination problem. I've never grown one, does anyone else have experience?

If I got two, would that solve the pollination problem?

I have a 5 variety dwarf. Bought it last year - two of the grafts have dropped off but the remaining three did ok this year given it’s a young tree.

Just buy an apple tree and buy another when you move.

Sorry, I should have been more clear - rented, so wouldn’t be able to leave ut behind,

Dig it up and take it with you. They're not usually happy in pots.
You can buy a regular apple tree for about £5, but if you buy a dwarf one, you will pay ££ for the rootstock.

If I got two, would that solve the pollination problem? Yes, provided they are in flower at the same time, and are different varieties. The label should have their flowering period, a number from 1 to 6, you need two with the flowering period, or only one apart, eg a 3 and 4.

You may be OK anyway - a neighbour's tree may provide the pollen, but I always feel happier being in control of my pollinator.

I've got one in a pot. It's an experiment! I planted it in March this year. So far it's grown nicely. I read that they should do okay in a 50cm pot but we will see.

It's a Malus Cox's Orange Pippin.

One of the seeds companies (T&M) currently has patio fruit trees on sale for £9.99. It's one where 3 different fruit trees are grafted onto one.

I am curious as to whether or not it works.

Thanks all @MikeUniformMike I’ll look at those & let you know how I get on.
I find cheap plants either thrive enormously or drop dead as soon as I look at them.

@BuffaloMozzerella Will be interesting to see how it does. Cox is often warned against for gardens as it is susceptible to pests and diseases and difficult to grow well. Lovely taste, though!

@MereDintofPandiculation

Oh really. I've already had a couple of battles with aphids - the leaves went all curly/dried up looking and it pretty much stopped growing. I treated it and it seems to have recovered.

I'm not saying it isn't going to do well with you, it's just that there are so many warnings against it I wondered whether they were really justified.

I have a cox's orange pippin and it's fine.
AFAIK they don't grow that big, and you need to be careful with pruning.