Apple tree fruiting with two varieties?

[Porridgeislife]

We’re renting a house with a mature apple tree. Over summer/autumn it was fruiting two different species - broadly one side was eating apples and the other side was cooking apples.

How would this have originally been done? I assume they grafted two trees together? There’s only one discernible trunk but the tree is some 30+ years old.

(I’m plotting how to get myself such a useful tree in our new house!)

Yes, you can get trees with different varieties grafted on. Search for Family apple tree.

They will both be grafted onto a third sturdy rootstock. You can commission these from the national fruit collection at Brogdale Kent - I have a three variety one grown on a (I think) crabapple type rootstock so it's dwarfed.

They are fab!