Having had my say, I read previous posting and am saddened by your choice, it is one more appropriate to the commercial market than the amateur who can be a connoiseur with choice. Particularly the Golden Delicious is best left to the French mass-producers, but the much-abused Cox is treated to special treatments as the mass-marketers demand bloated, immature Cox gas stored to extend the season artificially. Its progeny, Sunset, is earlier and never failed us on flavour.
If you have all that room I suggest you plant others but think hard first and diversify.
Apple trees
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter, Chief Spud
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Mr Potato Head
I've heard that it's possible to graft other varities onto one tree (for cross-pollination purposes) does anyone have any advice on this? I would like to have an apple tree, but my space for this is limited. (Too many beans...)
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Martin D.
Yes it is possible - and quite a few nurseries will sell you a "family tree" with 2 or 3 varieities grafted to the rootstock. It's fairly easy to top graft a scion of a suitable pollinator onto a branch of any apple tree - I'm not aware of any compatability problems as there are with some pears for example. Some of the variety combinations aren't terribly well thought-out as you often see a vigorous Bramley paired with a less vigourous variety, and you can have a lot of work to try to keep a reasonably balanced tree. The one I've got is a Cox/Laxton's Superb/Red Ellsion combination which seems fairly well matched for size. The Cox is pretty hopeless as it is very scab prone and probably the worst out of the 20 or so varieities I grow for this problem - whereas the Laxton's Superb is much better but is biennial, as Allan says. Without a lot of fungicide sprays the Cox will probably be a disapointment, so please take Allan's advice especially if you are a in a high rainfall area. Go ahead with the Golden Delicious though - it's actually a very nice apple if properly tree-ripened - it ripens well in Hertfordshire but I couldn't comment for where you live.
Good luck Martin D.
Good luck Martin D.
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Guest
A further remark about Sunset. As I recall it is a Cox/Laxton Superb cross and overcomes the faults of its parents, giving you the cox-type flavour but it is not good for long-term storage.
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valmarg
I seem to have inadvertently opened a can of worms, when I mentioned the Bramley, being a triploid, and needing at least two other apple varieties to pollenate it.
Area, and ability to finance the operation are minor details. You really should not be so dismissive of people who try to give helpful advice.
What I was trying to say was that it was not necessary to go to any great expense, or to use a great deal of land, to get a crop from your Bramley apple trees.
What other contributors have said is that you need another two apple trees, in flower at the same time as your Bramleys.
A variety I would suggest is Blenheim Orange.
If, as you say you are in a rural area, with no apple trees nearby, you will need to have all the pollinators in your own garden.
Area, and ability to finance the operation are minor details. You really should not be so dismissive of people who try to give helpful advice.
What I was trying to say was that it was not necessary to go to any great expense, or to use a great deal of land, to get a crop from your Bramley apple trees.
What other contributors have said is that you need another two apple trees, in flower at the same time as your Bramleys.
A variety I would suggest is Blenheim Orange.
If, as you say you are in a rural area, with no apple trees nearby, you will need to have all the pollinators in your own garden.
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Guest
Blenhim Orange, a lovely apple, none better, dual purpose eater-cooker,but first, many people would say it is too big a fruit for them, and surely this being a triploid too might it be depening too much on the third apple to pollinate it too? A further warning, Blenheim Orange takes rather a long time in years to come into fruit and needs to be on a carefully chosen dwarfing stock to check its vigour.
Allan
Allan