"Jim Jackson" wrote in message
...
Gill Matthews wrote:

"Jim Jackson" wrote in message
...
Ninette wrote:
Thanks, folks - it's all been very useful feedback.
The Minarette type sounds particularly interesting for the variety of
fruits on offer.

You'd be better off growing cordons - your choice of varieties is
greater.

Minarette varieties, in my experience, are indifferent apples.


Ken Muir offers 15 varieties of minarette in his catalogue including
egremont russet and james grieve. I would be surprised if you could find
nothing to your taste in that collection.

Yes but the root stock has an affect on the expression of the variety, so
I repeat "Minarette varieties, in my experience, are indifferent apples".

Well of course root stock climate soil conditions and the years weather all
have an effect on the expression of the variety, however root stock is far
from the most noticeable of these. In any case the majority of minarette
apples are grown on M26 which is a root stock commonly used for ordinary
shaped small garden trees, cordons and espaliers so you might have trouble
avoiding it any case, unless you were planning to have a 15' + tree in the
garden which would clearly not be suitable in this case.

Gill M