Ivydene Gardens Extra Pages of Plants
Top Fruit Plant List

"Grow Grafting Service – A specialist service unique to Brogdale.

Brogdale is the home of the national fruit collection and Grow is the on site specialist nursery and garden centre that for many years have accessed the collection to produce heritage apples and pears from the thousands of varieties on offer.

For a lot of customers the desire to own a heritage variety stems from tasting the fruit at one of our festivals or a resonant memory from there past. People recognise that within the spectrum of fruit flavours we are exposed to just a small portion when purchasing fruit from commercial sources like supermarkets. Another reason to access this process is create area specific orchards, most counties and countries have locally bred fruits and it is wonderful to re-establish this link.

Also we provide a service to graft from a tree you want to preserve, last year (2012) nearly 600 trees were ‘duplicated’ for a variety of customers. Sometimes the trees were of an unknown variety but obviously had personal significance; an added advantage was to start afresh as a young tree with a modern rootstock." from Grow at Brogdale.

Choosing a top fruit tree instead of a tree from the tree list provides you with a plant of a size that is suitable for most current gardens. These trees also produce edible fruit.

This is controlled by the fruit tree rootstock chosen. Apples from Very Dwarfing on M27 at 5-6 feet ultimate height to Very Vigorous on M25 with 25-30 feet ultimate height. Ultimate heights for other fruit trees given in their header row.

Choose varieties with good disease resistance

Choose varieties that can be eaten from August, or store well until Spring.

Triploids will require 2 other pollinators.

These need the best soil and a permanent stake.

If space is limited and a 'sunny' wall or fence is available, 'trained' forms of top fruit tree such as cordons, espaliers and fans are ideal.

The best time to plant is during the dormant season from mid-November to mid-March. Bare rooted plants have to be planted at this time, with no competition from other plants for 2 feet radius from their trunk - I was asked in August 2017 to look at some plum trees grown on a slope within a lawn after 2 days of heavy rain. One had dead branches and the others dehydrated fruit. With the owner's permission, I (as a retired garden designer, garden constructor and maintenance man during 21 years before I retired due to heart failure and various other medical complaints) dug into the lawn with a trowel and pulled the turf back to show that the ground underneath was bone dry. I suggested that the turf be removed using a fork to reduce damage to the tree roots; to 36 inch (90 cms) radius from each trunk, then when the grass was cut to apply it as a mulch in the exposed soil, and perhaps grow only bulbs in that mulched soil. Having rested from my no-charge-labour of pulling up a 3 inch (7.5 cms) width of turf, I then pushed it back into its place, before wearily dragging my carcase off the premises.
2 months later there had been no turf removed even though the retired couple employed their own commercial gardener.
If you are starving and you consult a professional dietician who states that you should eat and you do not take that medical instruction and die,
then
like 99% of the population who insist on putting a lawn right up to tree trunks (or on roadside pavements together with retail car park pavements surrounding the tree trunk with tarmac), you were an imbecile.

One large tree can lift up to 100 gallons of water out of the ground and discharge it into the air in a day. Tree roots do not grow very deep. Most tree roots are in the top 12 inches of soil. Tree roots often extend two to three times the width of the tree canopy.

Container grown trees can in theory be planted anytime, but particular attention to watering will be necessary; if planted from Spring to Summer.

The ideal site would be a well sheltered South facing slope. More vigorous rootsocks have more root to provide better anchorage on exposed sites. All fruit trees need good light to produce good quality fruit, and a site facing South or West is best. However, Pears and Apples will fruit when facing East. Morello Cherries and Cooking Apples will all produce some fruit on a site facing North.

Soil
Most fruits prefer a fairly neutral soil, pH of 6.5. Dwarfing rootstocks should only be planted in the best soils. Most vigorous rootstocks can cope with a less than ideal soil.
Where possible, it is best to improve planting sites a month before the trees arrive. Sandy soil should have plenty of organic matter incorporated ( such as leaf compost from your garden, spent mushroom compost or bark from Gardenscape) to increase the water retention of the soil. On heavy clay soils try to incorporate a 2" layer of horticultural grit and organic matter to aerate, and improve drainage through flocculation.

"Grow Your Own Fruit" by Ken Muir, Honeypot Farm, Weeley Heath, Clacton-On-Sea, Essex. CO16 9BJ Tel: 01255 830181 provides the information on cultural practices in a clear and concise manner

Pollination
Most apples , pears and older varieties of cherry are not self-fertile. They need to be pollinated by a different variety that blossoms at the same time.

• Unless varieties are self-fertile, they will need a pollinator in the same or adjacent groups. These are diploid varieties. e.g Charles Ross is an apple variety in Group 3, preferably it needs to be pollinated by another in Group 3, but may also be pollinated by a variety in an adjacent Group 2 or 4.
• Triploid varieties eg Bramley produce sterile pollen and cannot pollinate any other variety. To produce fruit, the triplod will need two pollinators, so you will need 3 trees all from the same or adjacent flowering Groups.
• More modern varieties of cherry are self-fertile, so they can set fruit by themselves, which is indicated in the list.
• Some cherries are incompatible with others and need what are called 'universal donors' as pollinators; the newer self-fertile varieties are very effective for this and this is indicated in the list.

Top Fruit Tree Form. Tree Form refers to the way in which the tree has been trained:-

• Bush. Two year old Bush trees are trained as open centre (goblet shaped) trees with a clear stem of 2ft (0.6m).

  Suitable for relatively small trees on semi-dwarfing rootstocks for small and medium sized gardens.

• Centre Leader. The centre leader has been maintained on these trees to allow training into dwarf pyramid and spindle bush forms.

  Suitable for trees on dwarfing rootstocks for small gardens or restricted spaces.

  These trees would require permanent support with a long stake.
• Cordon. Cordons are single stem trees with short branches or spurs bearing fruit. They are usually planted as oblique cordons at an angle of 45-60 degrees to the ground, but can also be planted as vertical cordons sometimes referred to as minarettes (available from Ken Muir). They need a set of horizontal wires up to about 6ft (1.8m) for support. They also need appropriate summer pruning to maintain the cordon form.

  Cordons are very useful for small gardens, or for planting along fences.

• Espalier (2 Tier). Espalier trees consist of a vertical stem and a set of horizontal arms or tiers extending either way bearing short lateral branches or spurs on which fruit is produced. The arms would typically be 18 inches (0.5m) apart. Two tier espaliers will have two sets of arms already partly trained and a continuing centre leader which would allow more sets of arms to be trained if required. They need a set of horizontal wires for support. They also need appropriate summer pruning to maintain and develop the form.

  Espaliers are very useful as a decorative feature on walls and fences.

• Family Tree. Family trees have more than one variety of fruit grafted onto one rootsock, eg three different varieties of apple. The varieties are selected to cross pollinate so there is no need for a separate tree as a pollinator.

  They are useful for small gardens where there is room for only one tree.

• Fan. Fan trained trees have been trained with several branches starting near the ground all in the same plane forming a fan shape. They need a set of horizontal wires for support. They also need appropriate summer pruning to maintain and develop the form.

  Fans are very useful as a decorative feature on walls and fences.

• Half Standard. Half standard trees are trained as open centre (goblet shaped) trees with a clear stem of 4-5ft (1.3m-1.5m).

  Suitable for medium sized trees on semi-vigorous rootstocks for large or medium sized gardens.

• Maiden. Maidens are untrained one year old trees. Some varieties naturally produce branches in the first year. These are known as feathered maidens. Other varieties do not and are referred to as maiden whips. Typically maiden apples, pears and cherries are 4-6ft (1.3-1.8m) in height. Maiden plums may be taller.
• Standard. Standard trees are trained as open centre (goblet shaped) trees with a clear stem of about 6ft (1.8m).

  Suitable for large trees on vigorous rootstocks for large gardens and old fashioned orchards.

• Step-over. Step-overs are trees on very dwarfing rootstocks with a single horizontal branch typically 18-24 inches (0.4-0.6m) above the ground. Pruned to create fruiting spurs along its whole length.

  They are useful for planting along the edge of paths and borders.

  They need appropriate summer pruning to maintain and develop the form.

Keepers Nursery of Gallants Court, East Farleigh, Maidstone, Kent ME15 0LE (Tel: 01622 726465   Fax: 0870 705 2145) produce over 600 varieties of fruit trees. Their website www.keepers-nursery.co.uk can provide further details including colour photographs of most of the following trees in this page.

The following bare-root trees from 'Grow' at Brogdale Farm, Brogdale Road, Faversham, Kent. ME13 8XZ (Tel: 01795 531 888) would be supplied between November and April, which is their time for lifting and planting bare-root trees, through Brogdale Horticultural Trust at www.brogdale.org.
"A little history . . .
The National Fruit Collections were first established in Chiswick, London in the early 1800s by the Horticultural Society (now the Royal Horticultural Society) under the guidance of Thomas Andrew Knight. The origin of the Collections stemmed from a need to establish correct nomenclature and accurate cultivar descriptions of temperate fruits grown in the UK.The first catalogue, published in 1826 and followed by a more detailed edition in 1831, listed some 1400 apples, 677 pear and 360 gooseberry cultivars, although many of these have subsequently been proved synonyms.The National Fruit Trials and the Collections were established in 1921 at Wisley, Surrey, being initially managed by A.M. Rawes and subsequently by J.M.S. Potter from 1936. The Collections were relocated from Wisley to Brogdale between 1952 and 1954, when the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) assumed complete funding. The present day Collections were largely built up from this time onwards under the direction of J.M.S. Potter until 1972, and by successive Directors of Brogdale.In 1988 the Collections were registered with the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens (NCCPG) under the National Collections Scheme.

One of the largest collections of apples in the world!
Currently The National Fruit Collections at Brogdale are the largest fruit collection in the world growing on one site and comprise over 4,000 fruit varieties: around 2,000 apples, 500 pears, 280 cherries, 300 plums, 50 hazelnuts, 150 gooseberries, 200 currants (black, red, white and pink), as well as small collections of vines, quinces, medlars and apricots.The Collections are our national fruit heritage: the varieties that have been grown in gardens and orchards for centuries and which have shaped local communities and our landscapes. They are a living gene bank, which forms part of the UK’s contribution to global food security and both a national and international genetic resource.The Collections belong to Defra (Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) which funds their maintenance and curatorship. From 1 April 2008 the contract holders are the University of Reading in partnership with FAST (Farm Advisory Service team).Grow manage the propagation of heritage varieties for the public and orchards as well as run the onsite nursery and growing garden centre. We care passionately about the longevity of the collection and work with local schools and Local Authorities to plant community orchards and individual garden spaces that further increase the planting of unique & heritage fruits." from Grow at Brogdale.

Uses

Vertical cordons,
Patio tree,
Stepover,
Dwarf Bush.

Oblique cordon,
Stepover,
Bush,
Central Leader,
Pyramid

Oblique cordon,
Stepover,
Bush,
Central Leader,
Pyramid,
Small Espalier.

Double Cordon.,
Half Standard,
Espalier,
Fan,
Bush,
Central Leader.

Standards

Fruiting in

2-3 years

3-4 years

3-4 years

4-5 years

6-7 years

Full cropping
Potential

4-5 years
4.5-7Kg

5-6 years
13.5-20Kg

5-6 years
25-30Kg

7-8 years
40-50Kg

8-9 years
75-120Kg

Planting Distance

5-6 feet

8-10 feet

10-12 feet

14-18 feet

30 feet

Soil/Site

Requires a good deep fertile loam, clean ground, Not for heavy (Clay) soils

Requires a good deep fertile loam, clean ground, no competition from other plants. Not for heavy (Clay) soils

Requires a good deep fertile loam. Not for heavy (Clay) soils

Can tolerate heavier soils and more exposed sites.

Will tolerate most sites and soils. Good pest and disease resistance. Not the tree to plant if space is limited.

Stake

Permanent stake

Permanent stake

for 5 years

for 5 years

for 5 years

Adams Pearmain

Dessert

2

M9- Maiden, M25-Standard

Pick Early October/

Keep Nov-March

Red-Brown, with a rich aromatic, nutty flavour. Excellent keeper. Attractive blossom.

Annie Elizabeth

Cooker

4

MM106-Maiden
M25-Standard

Pick October/

Keep February

Orange with a red flush. Large fruit with a sweet flavour. A good keeper and ideal for stewing. Remains popular with northern gardeners. Keeps shape when cooked.

Ashmeads Kernel

Dessert

5

M9-Maiden
MM106-Half Standard
M25-Standard Espalier

Pick October/

Keep February

Connoisseur's choice. Attractive red flowers and green or yellow flushed fruit with a taste of Fruit Drops.Good cropping but erratic due possibly to cold Spring.

Bardsey

Dessert

3

M25-Standard

Pick October/

Keep January

The 'sainted' apple found growing on Bardsey Island in Wales in 1998. This pink over cream, lemon scented apple is unique and very disease resistant.

Beauty of Bath

Dessert

2

MM106-Maiden
M25-Standard

Pick August/

Do not Keep

Bright red flush on yellow, pink stained flesh. Sweet and juicy when ripe. Overripe it will taste fermented. Can 'drop' before being ripe.

Blenheim Orange

Dessert/Cooker

3 Triploid

MM106-Maiden
M27-Bush
MM106-Half Standard Stepover

Pick October/

Keep January

Orange-red apple. Sweet nutty flavour. Good with cheese and for Apple Charlotte. Biennial in heavy fruit production.

Bountiful

Cooker

2

MM106-Maiden
M27-Bush
Stepover

Pick September/

Keep November

An apple that keeps its shape when cooked. Soft, juicy and sweet.Resistant to mildew.

Braeburn

Dessert

4

MM106
M26-Bush
Stepover
 

Pick October/

Keep March

Crisp, firm, aromatic fruit. Excellent all round quality, requires a sheltered sunny spot.

Bramley

Cooker

3 Triploid

M27-Bush
M9-Maiden
M26-Small Espalier
MM106-Espalier
M25
MM106-Half Standard

Pick October/

Keep March

The most popular cooker. Greenish-yellow with a strong acid flavour. Vigorous growth. First trees planted commercially in Kent in 1890.

Charles Ross

Dessert/Cooker

3

M27-Maiden
M26
MM106
M9-Bush
 

Pick September/

Keep December

Easy to grow eating apple. Best used early for cooking. Sweet flavoured with an orange red flush. Good chalk tolerance and scab resistance. A valued garden apple.

Claygate Pearmain

Dessert

2

MM106-Maiden
M25 Standard

Pick October/

Keep February

Rich and aromatic with a nutty taste. Combines the qualities of Blenheim and Ribston. Flushed orange-red over greenish-yellow background. Good cropping.

Court Pendu Plat

Dessert

5

M9-Maiden
M25-Standard

Pick October/

Keep March

Greenish-yellow flushed orange/red. Rich and fruity pineapple flavour. Good frost resistance and keeps flavour when stored. Among top ten Victorian dessert apples.

Cox

Dessert

3
Self-fertile

M26-Maiden
M27-Bush
M9
Stepover
MM106
Espalier

Pick October/

Keep January

A very self-fertile form. For less than ideal Cox growing conditions. Spicy, honeyed, nutty, pear-like aromatic flavour.

Cornish Aromatic

Dessert

4

M25-Maiden

Pick October/

Keep January

Bright Red with russeting. Sweet, sharp pear drop and spice flavour. Light crop.

D'arcy Spice

Dessert

3

M25-Standard

Pick October/

Keep

Bright green becoming gold with red flush. Hot, spicy nutmeg flavour. Erratic cropping.

Devonshire Quarrenden

Dessert

2

MM106-Bush
M25 Standard

Pick August/

Keep September

Dark, bright red-crimson fruit with distinct strawberry/wine flavour. Soon goes soft once picked.

Discovery

Dessert

3

M26-Maiden
M9-Bush
M26
MM106-Half Standard

Pick August/

Does not Keep

Bright red flush. Crisp and juicy with a hint of strawberry. Disease resistant. Slow to bear.

Egremont Russet

Dessert

2

M9-Maiden
M26
Stepover
MM106
Espalier
M27-Bush
M9-Cordon
M25-Standard

Pick October/

Keep December

The most popular Russet, with cream-tinged-yellow firm flesh and a sweet and nutty flavour. Makes an upright tree with very good frost and disease resistance, so suitable for organic growing. A good pollinator.

Ellison's Orange

Dessert

4

M26-Maiden
MM106
 

Pick September/

Keep October

Striped red juicy apple. Intense flavour turning to aniseed when ripe. Good scab and frost resistance. Good crop.

Fiesta

Dessert

3

M27-Maiden
M26
MM106-Espalier
M27-Bush
MM106
MM106-Half Standard
M9-Cordon
Stepover

Pick October/

Keep January

Rich aromatic and sweet 'Cox' like flavour. Heavy crops, good frost resistance makes this an ideal variety for Northern areas. Grown commercially in Kent.

Gala

Dessert

4

M26-Maiden

Pick October/

Keep January

A reliable cropper with good crisp, refreshing well flavoured fruit. Prone to canker and scab.

George Cave

Dessert

2

MM106-Bush
MM106-Espalier

Pick August/

Does not Keep

White flesh with a strong, sweet-sharp taste.

Golden Noble

Cooker

4

MM106-Maiden
M25-Standard

Pick October/

Keep March

One of the best cookers. Sharp and well flavoured but needing little sugar. Ideal for pies. Keeps well. A tip-bearing variety. Resistant to scab and mildew.

Golden Pippin

Dessert Cooker

2

M25-Standard

Pick October/

Keep January

Gold with russet dots. A sweet flavour with a lemon tang. Cooks well.

Great Expectations

Dessert

5

MM106-Bush

Pick October/

Keep November

Small and russeted with a superb flavour and very attractive blossom. Spreading tree.

Greensleaves

Dessert

3

M26-Bush
MM106-Espalier

Pick September/

Does not Keep

Excellent garden tree and apple. Pale, greenish-yellow, with a crisp, tangy flavour. Very easy to grow. Eat from the tree. Heavy cropper

Grenadier

Cooker

3

M26-Bush

Pick September/

Does not Keep

A heavy cropping cooking apple with greeny-yellow fruit. Cooks to a creamy, sharp puree.

Herefordshire Russet

Dessert

3

MM106-Maiden
M25
M9-Bush
M26
MM106-Half Standard

Pick September/

Keep January

An excellent new variety (2004) of russet with a rich and aromatic Cox-like flavour. Stores well.

Howgate Wonder

Cooker

3

MM106-Bush
M25-Standard

Pick October/

Keep March

Large yellow red-striped cooker, with a light flavour. Keeps shape well when cooked. Spreading tree. Resistant to mildew.

James Grieve

Dessert/ Cooker

3

MM106-Maiden
M25
M27-Bush
M26
MM106
Espalier
M9-Cordon

Pick September/

Keep October

Red-flushed-stripes over pale green. Crisp and juicy with good flavour. Can be picked early and used as a cooker. A reliable cropper. Resistant to mildew. Spreading tree.

Jupiter

Dessert

3

M26-Bush

Pick October/

Keep January

Large and Cox-like with a more robust flavour. Sweet and juicy flesh. Biennial fruiting.

Katy

Dessert

3

M26-Maiden
M9

Pick September/

Does not Keep

Heavy crops of bright red early fruit with sweet strawberry flavoured firm flesh. A good pollinator. Once picked, soon goes soft. Syn Katja.

Kidd's Orange Red

Dessert

3

M26-Maiden
MM106
M26-Bush
MM106

Pick October/

Keep January

Yellow with red stripes. Sweet, crisp and aromatic. A good Cox alternative. Needs plenty of autumn sunshine to build up flavours.

Laxton's Superb

Dessert

4

MM106-Maiden
Cordon

Pick October/

Keep November

Will grow where Cox fails to thrive, and has some of its rich complexity of flavour. It is sweet with a fine textured quite juicy flesh. Spreading tree instead of normal upright apple tree growth.

Limelight

Dessert

4

M9-Maiden
MM106

Pick September/

Keep November

Excellent garden variety; a crisp and refreshing green apple with a good disease resistance.

Lord Derby

Cooker

3

M26-Maiden
MM106
Espalier
MM106-Bush

Pick October/

Keep December

A good strong tasting cooking apple for pies beautiful flowers. Good for northern areas. Good cropping.

Lord Lambourne

Dessert

2

MM106-Maiden
M26-Bush
MM106
MM106-Half Standard

Pick September/

Keep November

Bright striped fruit, moderatley sweet and aromatic with some strawberry flavour. A good garden apple. Tip-bearing. Resistant to mildew.

Mabbot's Pearmain

Dessert

3

MM106-Bush

Pick September/

Keep December

Thickly speckled russetted apple over an orange-red flush. A sharp refeshing taste of fruit. Heavy cropping.

Meridian

Dessert

3

M26-Maiden
MM106

Pick September/

Keep March

A large Red Falstaff x Cox cross, with a juicy aromatic flavour. A heavy cropping disease-resistant variety, which also has good keeping qualities.

Orange Gofff

Cooker

2

MM106-Bush

Pick September/

Keep December

Good for fruit jams and sauces, an orange fleshed dual purpose apple, which keeps its shape when cooked. Was used to 'help' marmalade producers in Dundee until practice stopped by Adulteration Act.

Orleans Reinette

Dessert

4

M26-Bush
MM106
M25-Standard

Pick September/

Keep December

Golden-yellow fruit flushed red, with nutty aromatic sweet firm flesh. Dual purpose. Makes sweet baked apple using early fruit. Needs warm spot for good flavour.

Peasgood Nonesuch

Cooker/Dessert

3

MM106-Bush
M25-Standard
MM106-Espalier

Pick September/

Keep December

Pale green with broken red stripes and an orange flush. Good for baking and salads. Spreading tree. Resistant to mildew , red spider and partly to scab.

Pitmaston Pine Apple

Dessert

3

MM106
M25-Standard

Pick September/

Keep December

A small conical apple with a distinctive taste of pineapple blended with honey and musk. Upright tree. Crops heavily and biennially.

Queen Cox

Dessert

3

M9-Maiden

Pick September/

Keep January

Cox's Orange (Queen) is a more highly coloured variety of Cox's Orange Pippin. An intense aromatic flavour.

Red Devil

Dessert

3
Self-fertile

M27-Maiden
M26
Small Espalier
MM106
Espalier

Pick September/

Keep December

Good garden variety with scarlet flush. Good fruity strawberry flavour. Disease resistant. Raised in Faversham, Kent. Heavy cropper.

Falstaff (Red)

Dessert

3
Self-fertile

M27-Maiden
Stepover
M9
M26
Small Espalier
M9-Bush
M9-Cordon
MM106-Half Standard
MM106-Espalier

Pick October/

Keep March

Fruity, well-balanced flavour. Crisp and juicy. One of the heaviest yielding apples. Can be stored easily and eaten throughout the winter. Frost resistant. Planted commercially in kent.

Red Millers Seedling

Dessert

2

MM106-Bush

Pick August/

Does not Keep

Medium pale yellow with bright red flush. Crisp, soft white sweet flesh. heavy cropping biennally.

Red Windsor

Dessert

2
Self-fertile

M27-Maiden
M9
M26
Small Espalier
MM106
Espalier
M9-Bush
M9-Cordon

Pick September/

Keep October

Superb Cox-like flavour. A good cropping garden variety.

Reinne de Reinettes

Cooker

3

M25-Maiden
M26-Bush

Pick Early October/

Keep December

Sweet with plenty of acidity. Keeps shape when cooked. Ideal for 'Tarte Tartin'. Syn. King of the Pippins. Upright tree with good disease resistance.

Ribston Pippin

Dessert

2

MM106-Maiden
M26-Bush

Pick October/

Keep January

Yellow, flushed brown/orange fruit. Intense rich aromatic flavour. Juicy and firm. Sharper than Cox. Upright tree. Resistant to scab.

Rosemary Russet

Dessert

3

M25-Maiden
 

Pick October/

Keep March

Pale Yellow flushed bright reddish-brown. Intensely flavoured of Acid Drops. Upright tree. Good cropper.

Saturn

Dessert

3
Self-fertile

M27-Maiden
M9
M26
MM106

Pick September

Keep February

Very resistant to scab. Heavy crops of attractive red blushed conical fruit. Firm flesh and sweet flavour.

Scrumptious

Dessert

3
Self-fertile

M27-Maiden
M9
M26
Small Espalier
MM106
Espalier

Pick Mid September/

Does not Keep

Frost and disease resistant, fragrant and honey. Eat straight from tree. Doesn't drop.

Spartan

Dessert

3

M26-Bush
MM106-Half Standard

Pick October/

Keep January

Popular eater. Fruit dark red, sweet, crisp and juicy. Easy to grow.

Sunset

Dessert

3

M27-Maiden
M26
Cordon
MM106
Espalier
M9-Bush
M9-Cordon

Pick September/

Keep December

Similar to Cox, but more disease resistant. Sharp intense flavour. Heavy cropper. Excellent garden apple.

Sweet Society

Dessert

4

M26-Maiden
 

Pick September/

Keep January

Selected by the Royal Horticultural Society to celebate their bi-centennial. An attractive slightly small Cox type apple with superb aromatic eating qualities.

Tydeman's Late Orange

Dessert

3

MM106-Maiden

Pick October/

Keep October

Orange/Red colour with some russeting. Firm and sweet. Rich and aromatic. Trouble free. Heavy cropping. If fruit is not thinned, then the fruit will be small.

Winter Gem

Dessert

3

M27-Bush
M26
Stepover
Espalier
MM106-Half Standard

Pick October/

Keep February

Heavy cropping. Handsome orange/red flushed over gold. Tasty, rich and aromatic.

Worcester Pearmain

Dessert

3

M27-Maiden
MM106
M25
M26-Bush
MM106-Half Standard

Pick September/

Keep October

Reliable heavy crop of delicious orange-red fruit. Firm and juicy flesh. Very sweet flavour with a hint of strawberry. Distinctive blossom- almond opening to silvery white.

Yellow Ingestrie

Dessert

1

M25-Maiden

Pick September/

Keep October

Greenish-yellow fruit turning yellow. Sharp, fruity and firm. Spreading tree. Good cropping. Ideal for wiring onto evergreens to make Kissing Boughs and sprays.

Cider apples are grown as standard trees to produce the maximum yield for juice production.

Brogdale Horticultural Trust has an Apple National Collection of 2111 varieties and has a Cider Apple Weekend Event each September and Cider Fest Evening Event each October.

Dabinett

5

M25-Maiden

Pick November

The most reliable cider variety producing high quality juice. Produces bittersweet cider with 'soft, full bodied, astringency'.

Herefordshire Redstreak

5

M25-Maiden

Pick November

A very famous cider apple. Flesh is a vibrant red streak colour as the name suggests.

Harry Masters Jersey

5

M25-Maiden

Pick October

Known as port wine. A full bittersweet cider taste with soft astringency.

Tom Putt

3

M25-Maiden

Pick September

Bright red with streaks. Firm, crisp and sharp. Sweet when cooked. Scab resistant. Widely planted in West Midlands in 1920s.

Pears flower early and so are liable to damage by spring frosts and cold winds. It is best to grow them as Minarettes, Cordons and Espaliers on warm South, South-West or West facing walls or fences.

Brogdale Horticultural Trust has a Pear National Collection of 522 varieties. Self-guided walks with a Plant Centre and Tea rooms are available every day.

Ultimate height for a Bush tree

6-10 feet

8-10 feet

30 feet

Half Standard

N/A

Maximum 16 feet

25-30 feet

Uses

Cordon
Bush
Central Leader

Fan
Cordon
Bush
Central Leader
Half Standard
Espalier

Standard Tree

Fruiting

4 years

4 years

6-7 years

Full cropping
Potential

6-7 years
20-30Kgs

7 years
40-50 Kgs

8-9 years
75-120 Kgs

Planting Distance

6-10 feet

10-15 feet

30 feet

Staking

Permanently

5 years

5 years

Soil

Fertile soil which does not dry out too quickly

Most fertile medium to heavy soils

Less than ideal soil conditions.

Beth

3

QA-Bush
QC-Cordon

Pick September/

Does not Keep

Pale green turning pale yellow. Small and sweet. Good for gardens.

Beurre Hardy

4

QC-Bush
QA-Maiden
QA-Half Standard

Pick September/

Keep October

Medium large and light green. Tender and juicy, rose-water flavour.

Concorde

4

QC-Maiden
QA-Bush
QC-Cordon
Espalier

Pick September/

Keep November

Medium to large fruit. Pale green turning yellow. Sweet and juicy flesh with a pleasant mild flavour.

Conference

3
Self-fertile

QA-Maiden
QC
PYC
QA-Half Standard
QC-Cordon

Pick September/

Keep November

Medium yellow-green. Sweet, juicy, good cropper.

Doyenne du Comice

4

QA-Bush
QC
Espalier

Pick October/

Keep December

Large, pale green fruit. Rich, juicy superb flavour. Needs good pollinator such as Concorde.

Durondeau

3

PYC-Maiden

Pick September/

Keep November

Attractive medium fruit with a juicy sweet flavoured flesh. Needs a moist soil . The flowers resist frost well making it good for the north.

Emile D'Heyst

2

QA-Maiden

Pick September/

Keep November

One of the most reliable croppers even in the north. Light green medium sized fruit with a firm yellowish green flesh. Sweet, juicy and sub-acid flavour.

Jargonelle

1

PYC-Maiden

Pick August/

Does not Keep

Suitable for growing anywhere North or South in the United Kingdom. Good frost and disease resistance. The yellow flesh is tender and juicy. Tip bearer.

Louise Bonne of Jersey

2

QA-Maiden

Pick September/

Keep October

Small/medium in size. Pale yellowish-green fruit with a dark red flush. Melting sweet white flesh. Reliable cropper.

Packham's Triumph

3

QA-Bush

Pick October/

Keep December

Medium to large bright fruit if thinned. Compact growing tree.

Williams

3

QC-Bush
QA-Maiden
QC-Cordon

Pick August/

Does not Keep

Medium size fruit. Sweet and juicy. Regular cropping but does not keep.

Sweet Cherries crop best under conditions of light rainfall, 2 feet deep of fertile, well-drained soil. They flower early and so require protection against spring frosts. Best grown as a Dwarf Bush tree.

Brogdale Horticultural Trust has a Cherry National Collection of 320 varieties and has a Cherry Blossom Week Event each April and Cherry Week Event each July.

Ultimate Height

10 feet

20 feet

Uses

Dwarf Bush Tree
Container Tree

Bush
Half Standard
Fan-Trained

Fruiting

3 years

3-4 years

Full cropping
Potential

3 years
10-12 Kgs

5 years
20-25 Kgs

Staking

Permanently

5 years

Soil

Requires good, fertile, deep loam

Tolerant of lighter, chalky or heavier clay soils

Celeste

Self-fertile

Colt-Bush

Sweet cherry. Dark red fruits of excellent eating quality. A naturally compact growth habit.

Lapins

Self-fertile

G5-Maiden

Pick Late July

Sweet cherry. Large dark red fruit. A good garden tree with an upright habit.

Merton Glory

Pollinated by either Stella or Sunburst

G5-Maiden
Colt
Fan

Pick Early July

Sweet cherry. Very large heart-shaped, white with pink flush. A sweet fruit making a shapely compact tree.

Morello

Self-fertile

G5-Maiden
Colt

Pick July

Acid cherry. Large dark red cooking cherry. Acid flavour. Very hardy and good for north walls.

Penny

Pollinated by Stella, Sunburst or Merton Glory

G5-Maiden

Pick Mid-Late August

Sweet cherry. A new dark cherry from East Malling. Quite large, firm and a reliable cropper when young.

Stella

Self-fertile

G5-Maiden
Colt
Fan

Pick Late July

Sweet cherry. Dark sweet and juicy fruit. Reliable cropper.

Summer Sun

Pollinated by Stella and Summer Sun

G5-Maiden
Colt
Fan

Sweet cherry. A sweet red cherry with a compact growth habit. Suitable for cold exposed areas.

Sunburst

Self-fertile

G5-Maiden
Colt
Fan

Pick Mid-July

Sweet cherry. Georgeous flavour.

Sweetheart

Self-fertile

G5-Maiden

Pick Early August

Sweet cherry. Firm red cherries with a good flavour. Fruits when young.

Sylvia

Pollinated by Celeste

Colt-Maiden

Pick Early August

Sweet cherry. Large dark red fruit. A compact variety with attractive leaves.

Height in inches (cms):-

25.4mm = 1 inch
304.8mm = 12 inches
12 inches = 1 foot
3 feet = 1 yard
914.4mm = 1 yard

I normally round this to
25mm = 1 inch
300mm = 30 cms = 12 inches =1 foot,
900 mm = 3 feet = 1 yard and
1000mm = 100 cms = 1 metre = 40 inches