the kids want fruit trees! where to start!?!?!

[loopyloulou]

My son has been begging me for fruit trees since we took the lotty on, he would love edible apples (As a pose to cooking) and plums.... dd is happy with his choices, lol, but not a clue on what variety nor where to buy from? i know i need a dwarf root stock and probably self fertile but beyond that.... ive looked at t n ms 3pk of apple trees (id make crumble with the braeburns) but dont know what other options are out there? any experience growers fancy giving a newbie and 2 keen mini gardeners a clue?
im currently 34wks pregnant and as weve had illness after illnes this yr weve barely grown a thing bar weeds n couch grass (And giant slugs, going on the nibbled remains of everything else weve tried growing, siiigh!), so could really do with finding a low maintainance treat 4 the older 2 but dont want to get such cheap trees that we barely get any fruit!!
hope someone out there can help us xx next yr were hoping to plant spuds again, they love digging those up n my dads helping tame the weeds with black plastic now too, fingers crossed we do better!
louise xx

[loopyloulou]

[saddad]

Get a Discovery from someone like Ken Muirs on the normal rootstock or a "minarette" the apples are a bright red, ready now to eat off the tree...  :)

and a Fiesta to follow on...  :)

[Digeroo]

I would suggest that you try out discovery before you go that route.  Not many people actually like them, I can't even give them away.  But my brother in law thinks they are the best apple he has ever tasted.  Very attractive tree.  Very attractive fruit.

I personally like golden delicious very late to crop but always produces a good crop.

Got one from Lidl supposed to be granny smith but is a very tasty red apple.  They do take two or three years before they produce more than one or two apples.

Have some Lidl bramleys and this, the third year, is the first time they have fruited and only one tree is actually a bramley, but other loooks quite nice.

They are cheap and grow well but seem to be a bit of pot luck on the variety.

[Barnowl]

I agree apples are the best to start with, but it's still hard to know where to go from there. There are so many varieties it seems a shame to grow something you could buy in a supermarket. Check out some websites like:

Ken Muir
Victorian Nursery Gardens
Blackmoor
Reads Nursery


Most have pretty comprehensive guides.

You should get a better harvest if you buy two trees that can cross pollinate (are in the same pollination group) although some self-pollinators are apparently quite productive. If there are already apple trees nearby, find out which variety they are and look up their pollination group. Make sure the trees are on dwarfing rootstock (there are several types) unless you have a lot of space.

I didn't want to grow anything I could buy in the shops and went for Red Falstaff and Winter Gem, which we're pleased with, but they are both relatively late croppers.

I'm with Digeroo on Discovery - you'd have to pay me to eat them :)

[macmac]

We bought 3 dwarf trees last autumn from Garden Bargains (online)Victoria plum.Coxs and a pear.The plum didn't take and despite them being very cheap they replaced it without question and the new one's looking good.A few years ago I bought 2 "patio" trees from Wilkinsons one apple one pear both fruiting this year  :)BOTH are apples :(

[kt.]

Try here.  The columnars are small enough:

http://www.bakker.co.uk/index.aspx?N=903454&start=1

[saddad]

Red Falstaff and the earlier "Katy" which never made it into the top ten of apples and has now turned up as a specific variety cider!!  :)

[loopyloulou]

thankyou! will avoid discovery then.... kids love sweet apples, pink red or green but i dont want to grow some that only the animals will eat, lol, ive got to clean the aftermath!!!
ill try those websites suggested and will deffo get more than one, we do have other apple trees onsite but no idea what sort they are so will make sure im self contained and treat the others as a bonus :)
ooooooh cider tho! not that ive the know how to make it and im sposed 2b hunting eating apples for the kids, lol!!
sounds like the cheap trees are hit and miss wherever theyre from, but will look up garden bargains all the same as youve said theyre customer service is good (better than t n m who like to send dead things out)
and id agree itd be nice to grow something u cant get in the supermarket but if we talk supermarket varieties they love pink lady?? and will eat most of the comercial varieties 2bh, just not the really red ones that are bitter (name escapes me!) its a shame u cant taste the crops b4 buying the tree n make the decision that way....
thanx again tho will have a mooch on the sites uve all given at a more human hr :D

[saddad]

thankyou! will avoid discovery then

I'd try some first before you dismiss it.. it was my lads favourite... and popular with their friends when smaller...  :-\

[shirlton]

Got mine from Ashfords 2 years ago and they do give a list of what can be grown together.We got 3 apple trees a cox for Tone cos I don't eat raw apples.A Bramley and an Arthur Turner. both cookers. Arthur Turner looks great at the moment. Lovely clean apples, whereas the bramley is specked We did get a couple of Plums from Homebase but as yet havent fruited. Also a damson but the fruit have gone rotten on it

[Digeroo]

will avoid discovery then

I still suggest you find some and try Discovery out.  If you like them it is a brilliant variety.  Very early and such a lovely looking tree.  The one the children drew as tots full of bright red shiny apples.   Supermarket had them this time last year.  They are best eaten straight from the tree early in the morning, do not keep well.

[saddad]

This is our discovery today... waiting to be picked..


:)

[ceres]

but if we talk supermarket varieties they love pink lady??

My plot neighbour has a cordon Pink Lady.  She had to search around to find it I think.  It was planted in the autumn last year and has fruited this year.  She took all but one of the fruit off to help get it established.

[manicscousers]

we've had at least 200lb off our discovery, it's 32 yrs old now, we all love the fruit, fresh or cooked(no sugar necessary), so do our children and grandchildren, never have a problem with friends and neighbours, either  :)

[shirlton]

Must correct my earlier post. It was Ashridge nursery not Ashfords

[Dadnlad]

Maybe you can find an apple tasting event in the autumn, which would give your taste buds an idea which varieties you like ?

[saddad]

There's usually one at Ryton Gardens near Coventry...  :-\

[artichoke]

My grandchildren love Pink Lady but after extensive googling I found it would only grow in warmer climates than ours.

I bought them Rubinette and Queen Cox, chosen because on an Open Day at Keepers Nursery (a really good company) several of us tasted 100s of apples and liked Rubinette best because of its thin skin and combination of sweetness, crispness, juiciness and sharpness. And Queen Cox not only came second but they pollinate each other.

This was last year, so these very young trees are bearing, but I have not yet tasted them.