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Apple tree choice?

Lily PillyLily Pilly Posts: 3,845
in Garden design

Please can anyone recommend a good apple tree that will survive the pollution of a London garden.  South west facing but hoping it will provide some shade in the fenced corner 

criteria is blossom, then fruit, then autumn colour

It's for my daughters garden so will inevitably be bashed by toys, pidled on by dogs and rarely weeded!

Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
A A Milne

Posts

  • Hortum-cretaeHortum-cretae Posts: 979

    Tough ask, poor little tree. Anything will do. Forget autumn colour - that doesn't happen with apples. Fruit will be lovely, whatever the tree, fresh picked. I'd look for an eater like Fiesta Red Pippin, Katy, or another of the Cox derivatives - for the children to eat off the tree.  Get a young tree, stake it well, don't let it fruit the first year,then just LOOK AFTER IT and it'll look after you.

    H-C

  • Lily PillyLily Pilly Posts: 3,845

    Good advice Hortum, 

    Sadly I am not near enough to oversee but I shall nag!!!!!

    Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
    A A Milne
  • Lily PillyLily Pilly Posts: 3,845

    Thanks Pansy. I think it may be my "housewarming" ?

    Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
    A A Milne
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618

    Today I saw something about an avocado pear that someone had fruited in London. The tree was 10m high so I guess it was not in a greenhouse. Pretty amazing microclimate.

  • chickychicky Posts: 10,410

    The best apple we grow here in Surrey (so not far from London) is Lord Lambourne - great taste.  We also have a Sunset, which is cox like, but easier to grow - prolific, if quite small applesimage

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,088

    Do remember that apples need a pollinator nearby so check around for other apple trees or crab apples or consider a "family" tree which has more than one variety grafted on it.  Remember also that the rootstock which will determine the vigour of the tree.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Lily PillyLily Pilly Posts: 3,845

    Thanks everyone, great advice.  Will investigate them all.

    Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
    A A Milne
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