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What is your choice of best desert Apple

Uncle MortUncle Mort Posts: 77
in Fruit & veg
I am considering which desert apple tree to plant in November bare rooted. I live in the West Midlands, the site is sunny and the soil is a nice medium loam.

I want an excellent tasting apple that is fairly to very disease resistant  (that counts out Cox). I have been looking at different varieties on nursery websites , but its always nice to hear from gardeners who have grown a variety and rate it or even hate it.

So what are your suggestions.
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Posts

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I've no idea of names, but once went to a tasting. There's some amazing apples out there if you avoid the usual suspects
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I used to have an Egremont Russet. The flavour and perfume of the fruit is excellent.
    It does have a thick skin though, which I also like, some don't.
    Sadly it had to go but 2yrs ago I bought a Hereford Russet and hoping for my first apple or 2 next year
    I also grew Greensleves a long time ago. Quite like a Granny Smith in crispness, but packed with flavour

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Uncle MortUncle Mort Posts: 77
    Hi Pansyface I have never heard of Christmas Pippin, I will look into this some more,  how disease prone is it in your garden.
  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    My absolute favourite is American Mother. It’s juicy and sweet and looks like an apple should look, green and ripening to an orange/red colour, beautiful when it catches the autumnal sun. My tree must be close on a hundred years old. It has a lovely shape and I have never sprayed it, or had any need to spray it, in 30 years here.


    Rutland, England
  • MarlorenaMarlorena Posts: 8,705
    'James Grieve' would be my choice... it's a dual purpose apple, quite sharp at first but sweetens with age... I like it even at the sharp stage..

    I don't see it in supermarkets and I wouldn't get one that is usually sold by them as I can't see the point in that..

    Happy choosing your apple variety...  
    East Anglia, England
  • Uncle MortUncle Mort Posts: 77
    Thanks I am enjoying looking up the different varieties mentioned.

    Does anyone have any experience of a variety called Red Falstaff.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Our neighbours have a Norfolk Royal. An attractive tree, lots of blossom and rosy fruit every year no matter what the weather does. Tasty old fashioned ‘apple’ flavour ... fresh and fruity with a touch of sweetness. Cooks well too ... great for pies and crumbles 🙂 They never spray or do anything to the tree other than an occasional prune. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    @pansyface. 😀

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    Spartan. The only apple I've ever picked from a tree, tasted and said " wow" out loud.
    Devon.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    Dovefromabove said:
     🙂 They never spray or do anything to the tree other than an occasional prune. 
    They feed prunes to their apples???? Coo, Who'd have thought?
    Devon.
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