I'm looking to plant apple trees in deepest Cornwall next year, not far from Land's End.
I would prefer a mix of eating, cider, and dessert.
Any and all, advice, tips, types, or warnings would be welcomed.
Feel free to treat me as an idiot, as I am one.
Apples in Cornwall
- Green Aura
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Re: Apples in Cornwall
There are various considerations but I suppose the first one is - how much land do/will you have? Are you looking at a grafted family tree that will produce 2-3 different varieties on one dwarfing rootstock in your tiny back yard or acres of full-size trees? Pretty much any apple variety will grow well in Cornwall so that doesn't narrow you options much.
How do you like your eaters - sharp or sweet or a bit of both? There are fewer cooking varieties - Bramley would always be my first choice but there are others. I'm sure there are specific cider varieties but I'm sure any windfalls would make a good beverage (can you tell I'm not much of a cider drinker? )
Once you've narrowed down your options a bit then you need to look for varieties that flower at similar times - some need one or two others for pollination and they all have different flowering times.
It's quite a big subject
How do you like your eaters - sharp or sweet or a bit of both? There are fewer cooking varieties - Bramley would always be my first choice but there are others. I'm sure there are specific cider varieties but I'm sure any windfalls would make a good beverage (can you tell I'm not much of a cider drinker? )
Once you've narrowed down your options a bit then you need to look for varieties that flower at similar times - some need one or two others for pollination and they all have different flowering times.
It's quite a big subject
Maggie
Never doubt that you can change history. You already have. Marge Piercy
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. Anais Nin
Never doubt that you can change history. You already have. Marge Piercy
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. Anais Nin
Re: Apples in Cornwall
I would have agreed with you until recently, but I personally think that Blenheim Orange has a far superior flavour and for keeping qualities you can't beat Red Boskoop which keeps until May.Green Aura wrote:cooking varieties - Bramley would always be my first choice
But as you say, it's a personal thing and depends a lot on space available and the pollination group unless you are surrounded by orchards.
Tony
Disclaimer: I almost certainly haven't a clue what I'm talking about.
Disclaimer: I almost certainly haven't a clue what I'm talking about.
- Green Aura
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- latitude: 58.569279
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Re: Apples in Cornwall
I don't think I've ever seen or tasted Blenheim Orange.
Maggie
Never doubt that you can change history. You already have. Marge Piercy
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. Anais Nin
Never doubt that you can change history. You already have. Marge Piercy
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. Anais Nin
- diggernotdreamer
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Re: Apples in Cornwall
I bought some fruit trees and I took a bit of a punt on them got them on MM106, I have one called Scotch Bridget which I am really taken with, a good cooking apple, keeps very well into March and mellows into a nice eating apple,, Discover is a great little early eating apple and I have another called Charles Ross which fruited this year and was a very pleasant surprise. I got all mine from Walcot Organic Nursery and they were very helpful
Re: Apples in Cornwall
Thanks all. Plans are very vague at present, until I'm back I cannot really give any detail.
Looking at 4-5 trees, probs.
Looking at 4-5 trees, probs.