Do you have a Bramley apple tree ?

[Nature's Babe]

It's descended from this tree - still alive today

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13764153

[peter]

Correction, it is that tree.

Apple varieties being propagated by grafting.
Cutting a twig off and using it to replace the top of a small known variety of rootstock.

The final result being, effectively, a clone.

Otherwise the Apple being so variable and insect pollinated you'd never know what the seed will produce in terms of fruit.

Having said that I'm none too clear.on how they propagate the "known varieties" of rootstocks one grafts onto, I reckon it must be by rooting hardwood cuttings.

[Nature's Babe]

Hi Peter, well this one is a little different, it's on it's own roots, it rooted when it fell. As you say modern varieties are clones on different rootstocks. Shows how vigorous and strong they are on their own roots.

[peter]

NB , are you unaware of the correct full name of the Bramley?

"Bramley's Seedling"

The only (bar sports) way to get new varieties is by planting a seed, allowing it to grow big enough to fruit & taste/testing the fruit, a long process, shortened only by closed manual pollination between two varieties with the desired characteristics.

Sports being a spontaneous mutation of the tree where a twig differs from the rest of the tree.

Grafting or cuttings are the only way to produce more trees with the same fruits. Grafting is better as particular vigour of growth can be matched to the desired fruit rather than its native vigour. Doesn't change the habit, Bramley tends to spreading growth and is naturally vigorous, it is usually grafted onto less vigorous rootstocks. Nothing modern about grafting either.

[Nature's Babe]

Aware of the full name thank you Peter, though most I think understand bramley. I suppose to be really formal we could say malus bramley seedling. I guess Cox is well known too, though we could say malus cox orange pippin...it's a bit of a mouthful !

[peter]

So there is why the original tree is on its own roots, it is a seedling.

[alan refail]

...or if you want to be totally accurate/pedantic
Malus domestica 'Bramley's Seedling'

[Johnboy]

There are umpteen Bramley Apples now as the result of various sports having appeared over the years But there is really only one true Bramley Seedling tree and that is the one in the clip NB posted.
Originally the cuttings would have been on their own roots but as you will see that the original is a tree not really suitable for orchards because of it growth pattern. Different root stock have been around for many many years although Malling and Merton Malling root stocks have been around since the late 1800's different root stocks were used before them
I have two really enormous Bramley Apple trees both in excess of 35' tall and they are clearly 'orchard trees' so they would have been grafted onto something that was more vigorous but by the size of the trunks they have been here a very long time. Picking the top apples is rather hazardous but do you know that those at the very top are sweet enough to eat as an eating apple. They get every scrap of sunshine from early morning until the sun disappears in the west. These apples I store because they are perfectly ripe when picked and those lower down the tree are selectively stored and some are prepared and cooked then frozen. Do you know that there are about thirty apples still in store and they are beautifully sweet and when cooked do not need any sugar. Apple Pie is one of my favourites and I make one almost every week. Where would we be without 'The Bramley?'
JB.

[Nature's Babe]

Interesting Johnboy, that sounds like a wonderful tree, I would love to have one similar

[Nature's Babe]

Peter, it fell in high winds and rooted where the tree hit the ground.

[Geoff]

My Father's orchard, planted by his father in 1929, included 4 Bramley's. Two were green, one was red flushed and one was quite significantly red, in fact we used to polish them up for harvest festivals. All had the distinctive tendency to be triangular and all had the correct flavour so were Bramley's but, as JB says, over the years some variation has crept in.
When I was starting my orchard in 1985 I wanted a big Bramley as a central focus so ordered one as a standard on the pretty vigorous MM111. I eventually go fed up with waiting for it to fruit (I actually wasn't convinced of the quality of several of the trees I bought in that first batch so that might have been the problem) even though I expected it to take a while so bought another one on a dwarfer stock (can't find a receipt to prove what). This tree now fruits reliably with green fruit but the big one is now nicely getting into its stride and giving red flushed fruit. I guess almost 25 years is a bit too long for most people!
I didn't manage to keep any beyond early April, they rotted when it went warm.

[Johnboy]

Hi Geoff,
My apples are stored in the old dairy which is where we all go to cool down on very hot days. It is situated on the north corner of the house with 24" stone walls and perfect for storage. I still have last years spuds (bought in) that are only just showing signs of budding.
JB.

[MickHall]

There are umpteen Bramley Apples now as the result of various sports having appeared over the years But there is really only one true Bramley Seedling tree and that is the one in the clip NB posted.
Originally the cuttings would have been on their own roots but as you will see that the original is a tree not really suitable for orchards because of it growth pattern. Different root stock have been around for many many years although Malling and Merton Malling root stocks have been around since the late 1800's different root stocks were used before them
I have two really enormous Bramley Apple trees both in excess of 35' tall and they are clearly 'orchard trees' so they would have been grafted onto something that was more vigorous but by the size of the trunks they have been here a very long time. Picking the top apples is rather hazardous but do you know that those at the very top are sweet enough to eat as an eating apple. They get every scrap of sunshine from early morning until the sun disappears in the west. These apples I store because they are perfectly ripe when picked and those lower down the tree are selectively stored and some are prepared and cooked then frozen. Do you know that there are about thirty apples still in store and they are beautifully sweet and when cooked do not need any sugar. Apple Pie is one of my favourites and I make one almost every week. Where would we be without 'The Bramley?'
JB.

Dear John I am new to this forum and I apologise the post re the Bramley apple discussion is ancient as I! I thought I'd reply to it though as I may have quite a unique story to tell re the Bramley.
It's three years ago when I saw the article about a Nottingham Professor of botany who had cloned the Bramley seedling at Southall Notts. He stated that it was impossible to root anything off the trees he had cloned, 'His' 12 Bramley's which may be 20 years old are on the Nottingham University Campus in the Millennium Orchard & because the article was challenging I thought I'd take a look at these Bramleys. It was November and the trees were quite tall and there were plenty of new shoots low down on the trunk. These would have been pruned off in nay case so I collected 7. I got three to root and they are all growing to date. One is in North Wales on a farm, one is in Mansfield and another is up the road here in Nottingham. They are not too vigorous at the moment and are about 4 ft tall!
Because I'm old I may well be dead before any produce fruit but it just goes to show that even professors can be proved wrong!
At least 50 cloned Bramleys are in a Nottinghamshire commercial nursery who produce apple juice. This is on the net for all to see.