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Suitable Apple For South Wales

Uncle MortUncle Mort Posts: 77
in Fruit & veg
Hi everyone

I am looking for suggestions for a desert apple that will grow well in South Wales. Friends have purchased a house in Brynmawr near Abergavenny and wish to plant an apple tree in the back garden.

They want a dwarf root stock as the do not it to grow much higher than 6 to 8 feet, both are not experienced gardeners when it comes to fruit tree cultivation, so a variety that is pretty trouble free is a priority.

Does anyone have any ideas which varieties may grow well in that area of the country.

Many Thanks

Mort
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Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,391
    Have a look at Red Falstaff which is self-fertile and the blossom still sets fruit if it gets a mild frost.  It is a heavy cropper with large apples of excellent flavour and is easy to grow.  The only problem you may have with it is that you must thin the fruit or it will easily produce enough apples to break branches under the weight (speaks the voice of experience!)
    There are lots of suppliers and grafted/pre-trained forms, including miniature (often M27 rootstock), dwarf (M9) and 'supercolumns' which would be suitable.  The orange pippin and chris bowers websites have excellent info. and lots of choice of rootstocks.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 9,043
    I'm just down the road from Brynmawr and apples are a tricky one to grow up here. We have a short growing season, late frosts and a damp atmosphere. You need a late blossom to avoid the frosts or a frost hardy blossom. You also need a canker resistant variety and good soil prep to avoid the damp causing problems and you need a variety that ripens early preferably. I've had some success with Katy but it's very hit and miss. When it succeeds though it's a lovely apple. There are a few trees growing wild up here in various places so they do grow if you've got a sheltered enough spot.
    There's a company called Welsh Mountain Orchards though who specialise in producing apple trees that suit this part of the country so I'd have a look at their website for suggestions. Otherwise the Abergavenny garden centre in Llanfoist usually has a good selection of apple trees and might be able to offer suggestions. I've bought quite a few from there and they've all been nice healthy trees.
    Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 6,445
    There's an Exmoor apple called 'Oaken Pin' that might be suitable. It's not a heavy cropper but it's naturally small, the fruit is very tasty (closest commercial type would be a Cox) and it seems to cope with late frosts and a lot of rain. 

    Better still if you can find a heritage variety from the specific locality though.

    I asked the RHS chappy at Rosemoor for his advice re root stock for apples in difficult sites - he said to go for a root stock that is theoretically going to produce a bigger tree than you want. Dwarfing root stock essentially weakens the tree. If the environment is already challenging, weakening the tree further by putting it on a very constricting root stock may mean it simply won't survive at all.

    “Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first” 
  • pansyfacepansyface Posts: 21,554
    Saint Cecilia?
    Baker’s Delicious?

    see here

    http://www.bernwodeplants.co.uk/descriptions/apple44.htm




    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
    If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
  • pansyfacepansyface Posts: 21,554
    More ideas from this supplier
    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
    If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
  • Uncle MortUncle Mort Posts: 77
    Thankyou to everyone for your suggestions and help.  I was considering Red Falstaff but as I can now see there are other options.  I will get in touch with Welsh Mountain Orchards and ask their advice on a variety that will be happy growing in that location.  I will also check on St Cecilia as it appears to have originally come from that area of the country.

    I will have a chat with my friends and advise on a larger rootstock. I thought a dwarf may be an issue as I know they tend to need fertile soil and good growing conditions.  As it will more than likely be me choosing and planting the tree for them I want to get it right.


  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,531
    You might also like to check out Ian Sturrock of Bangor who supplies Welsh heritage varieties.
  • pansyfacepansyface Posts: 21,554
    😊
    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
    If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 9,043
    josusa47 said:
    You might also like to check out Ian Sturrock of Bangor who supplies Welsh heritage varieties.

    I've been meaning to get one of these for a while now.

    Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people
  • pansyfacepansyface Posts: 21,554
    Bit more Christmas pud, wild edges, and you’ll be almost there. 😊
    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
    If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
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