Topic: What is the best type of apple tree to buy?

[debbilove]

I recently celebrated my birthday and as a gift I had some money that I would like to use to purchase an apple tree.  Having the surname of Love I was tempted to order a type of Redlove apple tree.

Any ideas as to the best type to buy and also the best time to buy it?

DebbiLove

www.digginwivdebb.wordpress.com

[Melbourne12]

One of the most productive and delicious apple trees for us in recent years has been Fiesta.

November's a good time to plant.

[goodlife]

Bare rooted apple trees become available from November onwards until around March time...and that period is 'best time' to plant them.
As for 'best type'...well that is entirely up to you, what do you want from the apple? There is hundreds of varieties available in UK and to narrow down the list..do you want cooker or eater?..or perharps dual purpose? You could get tree that has several varieties growing on same tree (family trees). How about flavour?..do like your apples sweet, tangy, refreshing tasting, aromatic, colour or size, soft fleshed or hard and crispy?..etc. Do you want to pick and eat your apple straight from tree..or have variety that can be stored for while and eaten as it ripens in storage?  If your apple is only one in the immediate area, you need to get tree that is self-pollinating or you will need a pollinating parter or two, depending of the varieties. Are going to grow it in container or ground..that need to be taken into consideration when choosing the tree and the rootstock. Lot and lots of things to consider.
I think you need to sit down with a big cup of tea and research your options...here is couple of nurseries that I regularly shop fruit trees from.. http://www.deaconsnurseryfruits.co.uk/  http://rvroger.co.uk/index.php?linksource=frontpage If you give us more ideas of what you want from the apple..it is easier to help you with recommendations...or..fruit nurseries are more than happy to help you, don't be afraid to give them call and ask questions, even if you don't want to buy from them that time..good nursery will do their best for you.
If you do bit search on internet..there is lot of other nurseries available too.

[debbilove]

Wow Goodlife!  I didn't realise that there was so much to take into consideration.  Looks like a large pot of tea and lots or research are completely in order. 

Main priorities are eating apples, not too large a tree, ( i may decide to grow in a large pot) sweet tasting, suitable for cooking also and easily stored or eaten straight from the tree.  Hopefully that should help me to narrow down my selections.

[goodlife]

Ok..from you little list of 'wants' I could already recommend one that comes to my mind...Belle de Boskoop. It is dual purpose apple, but like most of 'duals', they do not develop quite as sweet as 'dessert' types. It is not 'eat straight from the tree' but will need few weeks storing after picking before the full taste will develop, but when picked (october time), it will store well into spring given right conditions.
When it comes time to buying a tree and as you say you don't want 'too large tree'..one that is crafted into M26 rootstock will be quite well behaved, but once in full growth, you will still need to prune once a year to keep it under control.
Growing in HUGE pot is possible..though it is LOOOOts of work to keep the tree happy as you will have to provide all for it..water, nutrients..and I find that trees in a pots never truly perform as well as in ground.
You can buy perfectly good trees from DIY places and garden centres but choices usually are very limited and often same varieties that you would buy as fruit from supermarket. If you only have room for one or two..it propably is good idea to really look into all the options that are available for you so you don't have any regrets of your chosen variety later on.
If you are lacking pollinator trees and not able to plant that many ..you could use ornamental crab apple as pollinating partner for many varieties of culinary apples. Crab apples are much more happier in large pots than culinary sort...or get your neighbour to plant one..saving some room for you ;) ;D

[Russell]

I think if you are about to invest in your first apple tree then it is important that it should be reliable so that you dont get discouraged. By reliable I mean it will produce a crop through thick and thin, tolerate disease pests mispruning foul weather late frosts bird damage and above all not crop alternate years, alternating bumpers with failures.
I don't believe such a variety actually exists but am still looking hopefully.
The most reliable apples I have so far found are James Grieve and Brownlees Russet. I am still making up my mind about Spartan and Fiesta its too soon to say but they look good so far.
Since you have only limited space available and will therefore have to restrict your final tree size by summer pruning, your chosen variety ought to be one which responds to summer pruning by growing fruit rather than by producing unwanted shoots. Avoid strong growing varieties such as Bramley or Ribston or strong rootstocks like M106 (most garden centres).

[strawberry1]

I bought three very old and `rare` varieties from

http://www.iansturrockandsons.co.uk/

They are all now 9 months old and looking amazing. Such an interesting site and a man who is passionate about rescuing and grafting old welsh fruits that are hardy and do not need pesticides so can be grown organically. They have proven to have stood up to all sorts of weathers, even clinging to mountain scree. One of mine is the bardsey island apple, another is a type with a russet-type skin and another is a prolific cooker which can later on be used as an eater. I have no worries about pollination groups as we are surrounded by small orchards. Mine are on a small allotment and I am short so I chose an M26 rootstock. He also has good video clips about choosing, planting, pruning etc

[debbilove]

Many thanks to all who have replied. I hadn't envisaged that there was so much to consider!  One thing that still completely baffles me is about the rootstock?   ???Looks like lots more research on what the different types mean.
www.digginwivdebb.wordpress.com

[goodlife]

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One thing that still completely baffles me is about the rootstock?It is quite rare occasion that fruit trees..particularly apples are sold on with their own roots, as those trees will take very long to grow into fruiting size and often it means that you get BIG trees as result.
So when you buy trees, they are crafted into other apple variety roots= root stock that are known to produce certain size growth and tree itself mature to fruiting in certain time scale. With young trees you can see where the rootstock is joined into the fruiting varity tree..it usually is visible some inches above the soil level..like a 'knee joint' looking lump. There is many different root stocks available and each are 'designed' for different uses..soil types..desired type of growth/ size of mature tree etc.
Easiest for you is make wish list of varieties that you would desire..give acall to fruit nursery and talk through your options and explain the growing space that you have available.
They will help you going through you list what is most suitable for you and what varieties are available with the recommended rootstock. Most commonly sold rootstock is M26, but usually you only get trees crafted on those from fruit nurseries.

[goodlife]

I don't believe such a variety actually exists but am still looking hopefully.
The most reliable apples I have so far found are James Grieve and Brownlees Russet. I am still making up my mind about Spartan and Fiesta its too soon to say but they look good so far.

On our allotments there is quite few Spartan trees about..they seem to be very heavy croppers but also lot of the fruit tend to be marked with scab or other 'spots'...then again..I'm not entirely sure that those trees are really looked after..more like left to their own devices.
Greensleeves is very reliable..making huge Golden Delicious type of fruit. GD is one of the parents for Greensleeves, GS being definitely much better variety and great improvement from its parent.
Another very 'happy' tree I've got is Katy (or Katja)..and this year when most others failed to crop..'she' is laden with fruit even it is still young tree.

[Melbourne12]

Here's a link to our favourite fruit nursery.  You'll see a guide to rootstocks on the right of the page.

http://www.blackmoor.co.uk/index.php?cPath=1&osCsid=847sl9nnl5tqn18grpcre61ab4

They too have an apple day where you can taste a number of popular varieties and buy apples and pears (and pumpkins last year).  If you're in the south of England it's a great day out.  It's on October 14th this year.  http://www.blackmoorestate.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=21&Itemid=18

We'll be going, as we do every year.

[goodlife]

And if you really get stuck choosing just one variety..Deacon's (see link earlier on) does 'family' trees where they have crafted up to 4 different varieties on one tree....you don't have to settle just one ;)..and each variety will help pollinating others..no need to think of pollinating partners.

 ;D ;D..we are not making it any easier for you..are we?  ;D

Welcome to the world of apples..endless varieties and so little room. I keep saying myself.."no more"..but each year I seem to sneek one more.. :-X ..and yes..I grafted 'one more' last winter and that is waiting to get planted..I'm still looking place for it.. ::)

[goodlife]

You could visit Brogdale.. http://www.brogdalecollections.co.uk/
They do 'apple days'..and you 'only' have few thousand varieties of apples to see.. ;D ;D

[debbilove]

Wow!!!!!!who apart from me would have thought that there was so much to consider and so many differing varieties that could help make my decision!!

Think I may go for a plum tree instead!!! :-)

Only joking folks - still gonna try and choose an apple tree. Much thanks to all who have offered their expert knowledge.

www.digginwivdebb.wordpress.com

[goodlife]

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Think I may go for a plum tree instead!!! :-) "cough"..well  :-\...you might have bit less varieties to go through...and only few rootstock choises..but it aint any easier with plums!... ::) ;D