Advice on how to plant and maintain an apple tree

[Rosemaryandlavender1]

Hello all
I visited a local community garden today and made a spur of the moment purchase of an Allington pippin apple tree.
I have been trying to look online for advice on where to plant it? When to plant it? And how to look after it. I have attached a picture of it.
If anyone has advice for a novice lime myself I would be very grateful
Thank you

Allington’s Pippin, like most apple varieties, isn’t self fertile, so needs another apple or crab apple out at the same time to pollinate it. I’m sorry, I can’t remember which pollination group it’s in, it’s either 3 or 4, so it can be pollinated by another group 3 or 4.

I would plant it in the next couple of months. Don’t let it dry out in the mean time.

it’s a good cropper. I like it while it’s still unripe, and very fresh and crisp. Congratulations on your choice - it’s a heritage variety which you won’t find in the shops.

RHS is a good place to look for advice.

@MereDintofPandiculation thank you very much for your response
Whilst googling I did come across this

Pollination: Allington Pippin is partially self-fertile and would produce some crop without a pollinator but would benefit considerably from a pollinator.

I will look more into it

Does anyone else have this tree?

I have a different variety of heritage pippin in the garden. We got 4 as small saplings and planted in mixed shade/sun west facing near a wall. Other than staking and occasional pruning we haven't done anything to them and they produce a good crop each year. One was affected by strong winds and now grows a bit sideways so we will try to replant it in December once its dormant.

Thanks did you plant them with another pollinator?
I have lavender in my garden which has lots of bees in it whilst flowering, I don't know if it would help to plant near it

Some info from an established fruit nursery. Allington Pippin

With a pollinator it’s my heaviest bearing tree.

@MereDintofPandiculation thank you
What Is your pollinator?

I planted with 2 plum trees and we have a wildflower border as well I'm mostly a "leave it to nature" gardener!

Trees are usually planted over winter, as they are dormant, the ground is easier to dig (as long as not frozen) and there is plenty of moisture. You don't need to worry about transplant shock, as it doesn't have apples yet, so I would get it in the ground when it is a bit less baked. You can put in a bigger pot in between if you need.

Thank you I shall leave it till October maybe?

Is this code for something? It was in the plant pot

Abit of googling and I found this I think the code is M9

M9 is classed as dwarfing and a good intermiate stock. Matures to 200cm’s plus with a similar spread. M9 is heavy cropping and promotes larger fruits, but needs permanent staking and good soil.

Don’t know without looking them all up! I planted a mix of group 3 and group 4 (30 years ago - I think they may have changed definitions, they seem to use letters now) - so in total: Brownlees Russet, Forge, Worcester, Herrings Pippin, King of the Pippins, Allington Pippin, Ashmead Kernel, Cornish Aromatic.

October’s good, unless you’re going on holiday between now and then, in which case I’d consider getting it well watered and into the ground, depending on how wet your ground is (mine’s permanently wet clay, I tend to forget others may not have the same)

@MereDintofPandiculation thanks alot

M9 is the rootstock; apple seedlings are cut off a the base of the stem and are grafted on to the root of another tree. M9 rootstock is a dwarf variety and the adult tree shouldn't grow to an enormous size.

walcotnursery.co.uk/product/apple-rootstock-m9/

Thanks alot
When it says staking do you all stake your M9 trees? And if so what is the best way to go about it? Would it need staking even if its planted against a wall or hedge?
Thank you

Don't plant it too close to a border so when it grows it overhangs neighbours fences. I'm projecting a little, but we have neighbours on both sides with apple trees that have grown into monsters over the year and we have so many semi rotting apples to pick up every day before our dog gets to them and gets ill.
Enjoy your tree and eating what grows - I don't want to be a downer!

@SlurpSlooChortle thank you. I actually returned the tree as i discovered it needed a pollinator and I wasn't too sure about planting two trees. Maybe in the future once I have my footing. And yes my neighbour has lovely flower beds growing on the side of the garden so I can imagine she would not have been too pleased to have apples falling into them

Maybe it's a blessing @Rosemaryandlavender1 it's a shame but it brings a bit of disappointment when I see the apples come out on the trees.
We had rats make a nest under our shed as they would drag the apples under there to eat. Managed to keep them at bay for a couple of years but it takes a lot of work picking up every day.

Provide you offer the fruit back (not chuck it over the fence), you can prune back any overhanging branches (as long as you’re not in a Conservation Area)

@MereDintofPandiculation
We do - both sides of neighbours are lovely and we always say "do you mind if we trim the overhang" and they even offer us their tools to do it with 😂
We have our own though and just trim and get rid.
They are getting on in years and just leave the apples to drop which means rats in their garden which get under the fence to us unfortunately.

That's a shame you've returned the tree @Rosemaryandlavender1 Coxes Pippin are one of my favourite apples along with Russets.

I have some trees grown from apple pips. No idea what variety, possibly Braeburn or Gala, and obviously they won't be the same as the fruit they came from but am considering growing them as standards next to a fence. I saw something similar on a dog walk and the top of the tree was very neatly clipped and sat just above a wall. I'm hoping that way the apples will be fewer and be less likely to drop into next doors garden.
I am thinking of growing pears below it in an espalier shape so will grow across the apple trunks. Hope it'll work. It will be on an east facing fence which I believe is good for pears, and with the apples being just above the fence they will get the western sun. Any idea if this would work @MereDintofPandiculation or should I just plant pears there and leave the apples in pots?

@longtompot depends whether the apples shade the pears too much. Should be fun trying, and give you a long season of blossom as pears tend to flower earlier than apples.