Apples

[davholla]

I live in London and have a small north facing garden. Also I live o

the outskirts so it is slightly colder.

I am going to buy two M26 trees and two M27 for pots. Any goo varieties. I am thinking of having D'Arcy Spice and some cox like one eg Jupiter, Sunset, Cevaal, maybe also Pixie or possible Jester o Fiesta.

Any ideas ? What do people think about family trees

-- davholla

[sherwindu]

davholla wrote:

Well, apple trees like sun although they can tolerate some shade. I'm not sure what climate zone London would correspond to here in the USA, but I'm guessing possibly zone 6, which is basically in the mid section of the USA. Just make sure the varieties you chose will pollinate eachother. Most do, but there are some exceptions. I grew Cox's Orange Pippen here in the Chicago area on M26. It lasted about 14 years before dying last year. The apples had very strong flavor and made excellent cider, but I have since found better tasting apples, some with this Cox parentage mixed in (Freyburg-Cox cross with Golden Delicious). D'Arcy Spice is supposed to have a sweet, rich, and wine flavor, but I never tasted one. Of the others mentioned, I only read about the Fiesta, a cross of Cox's Orange Pippen and Idared. It is supposed to be easier to grow than other Cox types. Since Cox was at one time (and maybe still is) one of England's favorite apples, I am not surprised that you are thinking of all these Cox types. I personally would add a little variety, especially with all the newer type apples coming out (I assume they are available in England, as well as the USA). Some of the old time favorites I like are Hudson's Golden Gem, Spigold, and Ashmead's Kernel. The newer varieties include Honeycrisp from the University of Minnesota, a great tasting crisp apple. I'm not sure what would be available in England, but I think you should check with local apple clubs and botanic gardens before you buy something unsuitable, or not to your taste.

Sherwin D.