"Cat(h)" wrote in message
oups.com...
I would like to plant a couple of apple trees in the garden. I already
have a lovely crab-apple, planted two years ago, which is doing well -
though the flowers dropped this spring/early summer, so no fruit.

I would like good eating apples, crunchy, sweet and with a nice tangy
bite in them. The obvious one is Cox Pippin, but I am wondering if
anyone has any idea of other good varieties, preferably old British
Isle varieties?

Many thanks!
Cat(h)

Hi Cat,
I can recommend the variety James Grieve- this does particularly well up
here in Scotland and is a firm, juicy and slightly tart old-fashioned
variety, perfect eating apple. I have two in the garden.
Paul

Cath
Where are you?
As per Bob's comment about apple festivals - try this link for apple
day events (even in Scotland Rick!)
http://www.commonground.org.uk/appleday/a-events.html

Do be wary of the written word. Chris Beardshaw writing the other
weekend about plums said Pixy rootstock is Dwarfing (well if 20ft is
dwarf ok) and that Blue Tit is hardy - but know of several people who
have lost it to cold. Trust someone who grows fruit to give you advice
- their experience of a variety local to you is worth volumes. How an
apple performs down south verses here in Yorkshire is amazing.

Be aware that there are not that many garden centres that grow their
own fruit trees they buy them in. Equally some of the big guy selling
vertical cordons are selling trees that are tip / partial tip bearers,
so don't fruit that well when grown like this.

Here is a list of some nursery producers.

Adams Apples -
Ivy Cottages, Talaton, Exeter, Devon EX5 2SD
Tel 01404 823185
Fax 01404 822837
http://www.talatonplants.co.uk

Bernwode Plants
Kingswood Lane, Ludgershall, Buckinghamshire, HP18 9RB
Tel 01844 237415
Fax 01844 238920
http://www.bernwodeplants.co.uk/

Butterworths Organic Nursery
Garden Cottage, Auchinleck House Estate, Cumnock, Ayrshire, KA18
2LR, Scotland
http://www.butterworthsorganicnursery.co.uk/

Deacons Nurseries
Moor View, Godshill, Isle of Wight, PO38 3HW
http://www.deaconsnurseryfruits.co.uk/home/

Highfield Nurseries
School Lane, Whitminster, Gloucester, GL2 7PL
http://www.highfield-nurseries.co.uk/

Paul Jasper Trees
The Lighthouse - Bridge Street - Leominster, Herefordshire HR6 8DX.
fax only: 01568 616499
http://www.jaspertrees.co.uk/


Keepers Nursery
Gallants Court, East Farleigh, Maidstone, Kent ME15 0LE
http://www.keepers-nursery.co.uk/


Ken Muir
Rectory Rd, Weeley Heath, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex CO16 9BJ
http://www.kenmuir.co.uk/

R V Roger Ltd
The Nurseries, Malton Road, Pickering, North Yorkshire YO18 7HG
Tel 01751 472226
http://www.rvroger.co.uk/


Walcot Nursery
Lower Walcot Farm, Walcot Lane, Drakes Broughton, Pershore, Worcs WR10
2AL
Tel 01386 553697
Fax 01905 841587
http://www.walcotnursery.co.uk


Good Luck
Clifford,
Bawtry, Doncaster, South Yorkshire

cliff_the_gardener wrote:
Cath
Where are you?

I'm in the Eastern part of the Midlands of Ireland - relatively mild
by GB standards (-5C at very worst winter frost), but probably within
the coldest part of Ireland.

As per Bob's comment about apple festivals - try this link for apple
day events (even in Scotland Rick!)
http://www.commonground.org.uk/appleday/a-events.html

Brilliant, even in NI! There is an apple day in Co. Tyronne on Sunday
22nd October, with opportunity to check out and sample some Ulster
apple varieties.


Do be wary of the written word. Chris Beardshaw writing the other
weekend about plums said Pixy rootstock is Dwarfing (well if 20ft is
dwarf ok) and that Blue Tit is hardy - but know of several people who
have lost it to cold. Trust someone who grows fruit to give you advice
- their experience of a variety local to you is worth volumes. How an
apple performs down south verses here in Yorkshire is amazing.

Be aware that there are not that many garden centres that grow their
own fruit trees they buy them in. Equally some of the big guy selling
vertical cordons are selling trees that are tip / partial tip bearers,
so don't fruit that well when grown like this.

Here is a list of some nursery producers.

Adams Apples -
Ivy Cottages, Talaton, Exeter, Devon EX5 2SD
Tel 01404 823185
Fax 01404 822837
http://www.talatonplants.co.uk

Bernwode Plants
Kingswood Lane, Ludgershall, Buckinghamshire, HP18 9RB
Tel 01844 237415
Fax 01844 238920
http://www.bernwodeplants.co.uk/

Butterworths Organic Nursery
Garden Cottage, Auchinleck House Estate, Cumnock, Ayrshire, KA18
2LR, Scotland
http://www.butterworthsorganicnursery.co.uk/

Deacons Nurseries
Moor View, Godshill, Isle of Wight, PO38 3HW
http://www.deaconsnurseryfruits.co.uk/home/

Highfield Nurseries
School Lane, Whitminster, Gloucester, GL2 7PL
http://www.highfield-nurseries.co.uk/

Paul Jasper Trees
The Lighthouse - Bridge Street - Leominster, Herefordshire HR6 8DX.
fax only: 01568 616499
http://www.jaspertrees.co.uk/


Keepers Nursery
Gallants Court, East Farleigh, Maidstone, Kent ME15 0LE
http://www.keepers-nursery.co.uk/


Ken Muir
Rectory Rd, Weeley Heath, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex CO16 9BJ
http://www.kenmuir.co.uk/

R V Roger Ltd
The Nurseries, Malton Road, Pickering, North Yorkshire YO18 7HG
Tel 01751 472226
http://www.rvroger.co.uk/


Walcot Nursery
Lower Walcot Farm, Walcot Lane, Drakes Broughton, Pershore, Worcs WR10
2AL
Tel 01386 553697
Fax 01905 841587
http://www.walcotnursery.co.uk


Many, many thanks for all this, Clifford. I am researching local
suppliers, for the very reasons you outlined. There is a very good
collection of old apple trees available from teh Irish Seed Savers'
Association, and they have an Apple Sale in Nov (see website posted in
other post under same thread) - so that is my target for now. I may
also have the opportunity to meet with a few Irish nurseries at a
forthcoming ag show.
There is something rather permanent about chosing an apple tree or two
- so I want to pick varieties that tick my boxes - flavour, ease of
management, keeping ability... It feels like an important decision
which requires much research.

Thanks again - all info above cut and pasted for potential future
reference.

Cat(h)

Most sincere thanks to all those who have responded with suggestions,
advice and information.

Cat(h)

Cat(h) wrote:
Most sincere thanks to all those who have responded with suggestions,
advice and information.

Cat(h)

In addition to the nurseries already suggested (especially
Butterworths' Organic Nursery in Ayrshire), another Scottish source of
older varieties is J Tweedie Fruit Trees in Dumfriesshire. In our
search for replacements for some of the apple trees planted in our
garden more than 100 years ago, we purchased several varieties from
these two nurseries - although we had to wait as long as two or three
years for some of them!

You can read the notes that my husband compiled as part of our Apple
Day activities last October in "The Orchard" page of our garden
website.

Kristina
on the Black Isle
www.spanglefish.com/Old Orchard

echinosum writes

Cat(h) Wrote:
I would like to plant a couple of apple trees in the garden. I already
have a lovely crab-apple, planted two years ago, which is doing well -
though the flowers dropped this spring/early summer, so no fruit.

I would like good eating apples, crunchy, sweet and with a nice tangy
bite in them. The obvious one is Cox Pippin, but I am wondering if
anyone has any idea of other good varieties, preferably old British
Isle varieties?

Many thanks!
Cat(h)
Another place with a huge range of apples (and pears and plums and...)
is http://www.keepers-nursery.co.uk/ near Maidstone in Kent. They have
a couple of open days (1&8 Oct this year) when you can go and taste the
fruit and choose like that.

Also Scotts nurseries, Merriott, Somerset - but no website.

I grow and like Brownlees Russet, King of the Pippins, Cornish Aromatic,
all of which keep well. Alos Allingtons Pippin - fresh teasting and
heavy cropping, herrings Pippin - enormous with scented flavour,
Worcester Permain, which don't keep but which taste fantastic allowed to
ripen on the tree.

It's important to make sure the varieties you choose will pollinate each
other. The flowering period will be quoted in the catalogues - choose
two apples which flower at the same time. My 8 trees are all (IIRC)
flowering period 3 or 4.
--
Kay

Kristina wrote:

You can read the notes that my husband compiled as part of our Apple
Day activities last October in "The Orchard" page of our garden
website.

Kristina
on the Black Isle
www.spanglefish.com/Old Orchard

Sorry, I put an extra space in our URL. The Orchard page is

http://www.spanglefish.com/OldOrchar...sp?pageid=6277

Kristina

In article , K
writes

I grow and like Brownlees Russet, King of the Pippins, Cornish
Aromatic, all of which keep well. Alos Allingtons Pippin - fresh
teasting and heavy cropping, herrings Pippin - enormous with scented
flavour, Worcester Permain, which don't keep but which taste fantastic
allowed to ripen on the tree.



What size trees did you choose Kay? I know that in poor soil some
varieties will do better because they are stronger growers but you might
need a slightly more vigorous rootstock than if planting on good soil
etc.

I would love to plant russets, but have heard that they can be
susceptible to disease so was considering a more manageable sized
roostock/tree so that I could treat them or prune them properly. We also
love Worcester Pearmain and Discovery but again have been put off by
other growers.

How do you fit so many trees into your garden?

janet
--
Janet Tweedy
Amersham Gardening Association
http://www.amersham-gardening.net

Janet Tweedy writes
In article , K
writes


What size trees did you choose Kay? I know that in poor soil some
varieties will do better because they are stronger growers but you
might need a slightly more vigorous rootstock than if planting on good
soil etc.

It's a long time ago - I can't remember! It wasn't one of the
super-dwarfing ones which need lifetime staking. I think I went for
marginally more vigorous to compensate for the apple-unfriendly site -
Yorks, frost pocket, waterlogged in winter, shade. Only favourable
aspect is there's no problem with drought in summer! (Until this year,
when some of the apples seem smaller than usual, but they may plump up
between now and October)

I would love to plant russets, but have heard that they can be
susceptible to disease so was considering a more manageable sized
roostock/tree so that I could treat them or prune them properly.

There are a lot of russet varieties apart from the usual Egremont! It's
usually individual varieties which are susceptible, not the whole range
of a particular type. I don't apply any treatments to my apples, and
have had no disease problems on the Brownlees Russet (which is striking
for its much pinker flowers). Rosemary Russet is another which people
recommend, but an apple book I was looking at last night suggested 'it
does not have the russet flavour"

We also love Worcester Pearmain and Discovery but again have been put
off by other growers.

You can buy Discovery fairly easily. You can buy Worcesters, but they do
taste different ripened on the tree and eaten quickly - some books
describe it as 'strawberry flavour', but they lose this after a few
weeks keeping.

How do you fit so many trees into your garden?

I have a double row spaced at about 6-8 ft. They grow over a pergola, so
in the spring I have a tunnel of apple blossom and at this time of year
a green leafy tunnel with ripening apples hanging from the roof. I
chucked out a Reinette Ananas which wasn't functioning for me (small
fruit) and replaced it with a Cornish Gillyflower which isn't cropping
yet, so I have 7 functioning trees producing about 140lbs of apples -
not a brilliant rate, but apart from a couple of hours pruning them once
a year, and maybe mulching with compost around the base, they are
completely trouble free and give a lot of pleasure. Apart from the
supply of fruit, it is lovely to look at all the different colours and
textures of the fruits, and their different scents.
--
Kay