Forum home› Fruit & veg
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Should I plant an apple tree?

zakthecatzakthecat Posts: 46
in Fruit & veg
I want to plant an apple tree (Cox Orange Pippin) in my small garden and the website I plan to order it from says it should be planted in full sun. My garden faces south but the only place I can plant it is against the rear fence, which faces north. So, it's now midday at the end of March and everything above about four feet is in the sun and everything below is in the shade. Obviously it would get more sun as we head towards June and the sun gets higher, so I need to know whether it's worth planting one or would I just be setting myself up to be disappointed?

Posts

  • chickychicky Posts: 10,410
    I would expect an apple tree to get much higher than four foot, so the bit that is photosynthesising will be in full sun, which is what matters.

    However Cox Orange Pippins are notoriously difficult to grow well.  We have a ‘Sunset’ which crops well, and is meant to be a good alternative to Cox ......  https://www.orangepippintrees.co.uk/trees/apple-trees/late-season-eating-apples/sunset

    we didn’t buy from this company (so can’t vouch for them) but the info on their site is very good.
  • zakthecatzakthecat Posts: 46
    Thanks chicky.The reason I was thinking of Cox is because I know they taste really good. The wesite I was looking at (Primrose) has a huge selection, most of which I've never heard of, although I seem to remeber Worcesters and Spartans are good. I'll have a look at Sunset though.

    I always get a bit confused by the notion of full sun, given that we don't live in the Mediterranean, we live in the UK which is notorious for its unreliable weather, but we still manage to produce fantastic apples.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    I can recommend Red Falstaff which is a more recent cultivar, is self-pollinating and the flowers resist late frosts well.  That one does the best out of all of my apple trees and the taste and texture of the fruit is excellent. :)
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    I suspect you're too far north for a Cox to do well, @zakthecat...  I'd second "Sunset" as an alternative.  It's bred from Cox so the flavour is similar, does better under less-than-perfect conditions, and is self-fertile.
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • zakthecatzakthecat Posts: 46
    Thanks everyone for the great advice. Now I just have to choose between Sunset and Red Falstaff.
Sign In or Register to comment.