If you need some respite from tinsel and twinkly lights, it is good to know that it is possibly the best time of year to plant an apple tree. Apples are probably the most popular home-grown tree fruit and they can be grown in most gardens. You can even grow them in a pot if you have to, though they will then need constant attention. In the garden they need as much work as you wish to give them but generally, if grown as a bushy tree, they need minimal care and will start to crop after two years and then just get better and better every year.
Important considerations
Apples will grow in most conditions but avoid very exposed gardens, shady sites and waterlogged soils. Then there are some important points you must consider and which may seem confusing. Let me explain.
Pollination
Most apple trees produce flowers that have pollen that cannot fertilise the same flowers on the tree. So you need to have another apple tree, of a different variety, flowering at the same time, nearby, so bees can bring pollen from a different tree. Bees can fly so if your neighbour has a tree it will do the job. Crab apples also pollinate edible apples. Apples are often divided into pollination groups and these are based on flowering time so if you choose to plant two trees, pick them from the same or adjacent pollination groups.
Rootstocks
Apples are always grown by the nursery by grafting them onto a rootstock. The desired apple variety can then be grown on roots that control the size of the tree. Most common rootstocks not only mean the tree will not get too big, it also ensures they crop after a few years and crop heavily. You may not have much choice over the rootstocks available but most apple trees are grafted onto M26 rootstock which produces a tree 2.4m high or MM106, producing a tree 3m high. MM111 is the best rootstock for traditional orchards, producing large, spreading trees.
Choice of tree
We are used to buying apples in the shops all year and these will have been grown in countries from all over the world. Not all are easy to grow in the UK so you may not be able to grow your favourite ‘supermarket’ apple at home. The famous ‘Pink Lady’ (R) is the selling name for ‘Cripps Pink’, an Australian apple bred from the generally hated ‘Golden Delicious’. It is not easy to grow in the UK.
‘Cox’ is an apple that was bred in the south of England but it is not an easy apple to grow well either and prone to lots of apple problems. It is not a good choice if you want to grow organically. I would avoid ‘Braeburn’ and ‘Granny Smith’ too. Ironically, if you grow ‘Golden Delicious’ at home and pick them when ripe you can see exactly how they got their name, though I find them prone to scab..
There are lots of great apples, that you can’t buy in shops, that are ideal for growing at home. Some are old and in danger of disappearing and others are modern and bred to suit the modern taste for sweet and crunchy and to be resistant to disease.
Although commercial apples are stored or imported so they are available all year round, when you grow them at home, you will have to eat seasonally. Early apples, such as ‘Discovery’ and ‘Irish Peach’ are ready in August but do not keep for long. ‘Scrumptious’ is a new early apple and I have to say it is as good as it sounds.
Mis-season apples are ready in September and can be eaten fresh off the tree but also keep for a month or so. Late apples, picked in October, often need to be stored for a few week before they are ripe and some will keep until the New Year. ‘Winter Gem’ is a newish apple and possibly my favourite of all my (20) trees. It crops well, tastes wonderful and keeps till November.
Cooking apples
Say ‘cooking apple’ and everyone thinks of ‘Bramleys’. But there are other cooking apples. In fact, ‘Bramleys’ are not suitable for all gardens. The tree actually needs two pollinators and not just one. It is also prone to ‘bitter pit’ which causes brown spots in the flesh, especially when trees are young. ‘Grenadier’ is a great alternative, and ‘Howgate Wonder’ is an old Victorian apple that is usually considered the largest of all apples. Another old apple, that is a good choice, is ‘Peasgood Nonsuch’ which originates from Lincolnshire in 1858 . It is a dual-purpose apple, good for eating raw and cooking down to a pulp. The large apples look good, flushed with red, and the tree crops heavily.
Tip
If you live in an area with lots of blackbirds or rooks, avoid apples with bright red skins which will get pecked as soon as they start to colour.
How to plant
Prepare the soil well. Dig deep and mix in lots of compost. Do not bring the subsoil to the surface but mix compost with it to increase the depth of fertile soil. Prepare a hole at least 60cm wide and 30cm deep. Mix compost with the excavated soil.
If planting a bare-root tree, make sure you keep the roots moist at all times. You must plant it with the graft – the knobbly bit – above soil level so the rootstock controls the growth rate and the base of the trunk does not root. Work the soil between the roots by carefully shaking the tree as you plant.
If planting a potted tree, carefully tease out the roots so they grow into the soil. Make sure the compost is moist. Replace the soil around the roots and firm gently. Water well.
You must stake the tree to prevent the tree rocking in the wind as the roots grow. Use a tree tie which is soft and will not damage the bark. Dwarf apple trees will probably need staking throughout their lives because of the lack of vigour.