Sweet Alford Apple Trees

Sweet Alford Cider Apple

Browse all our apple trees here or read our guide to buying the right apple tree.

Sweet Alford apple trees are commonly used in large cider orchards and it is easy to see why. The medium sized fruit are pale yellow or gold with a rosy blush and waxy skin texture. The sweet white flesh is low in pectin; perfect for squeezing juice. The juice has a mild bittersweet flavour and is classed as vintage, which means that it makes great cider without the need for mixing with other varieties. Sweet Alford trees have a spreading habit and a good rate of growth. They are also tip-bearers, which is good news for those of you who would rather not have to do much pruning. Although the crop size is only considered average, its clearly good enough for cider farmers to make a living. You can get picking in late October.

Pollination Partners for Sweet Alford

Crab apples like the Golden Hornet or John Downie are guaranteed to pollinate an orchard of mixed apple Trees. Sweet Alford flowers in the mid-season and is therefore a match for any of the fertile Trees- in the Apple Tree Pollination list. Apple Trees listed in Groups C-E are suitable pollinators.

Sweet Alford Rootstocks

This variety is grown on the traditional M25 rootstocks that produce full standard apple trees of 5 metres + in height.

Because Sweet Alford is a tip-bearing tree, it is not recommended if you plan on training your tree into other shapes. For 2009, only maiden Sweet Alford Trees- are available, we expect to have other sizes in stock next year.

Back to the apple trees page

Read our full terms and conditions here.

Delivery:
The basic delivery charge for all orders containing fruit trees of any size (bareroot or pot-grown) is £12.55 + VAT.
Because couriers sometimes experience delays, we schedule delivery by week, not by day. Therefore, please plan your planting day for the weekend at the end of the delivery week or for the week following delivery, at the earliest.
You can choose the delivery week that suits you during checkout and we will email you the day before your plants are due to arrive.

Payment: We do not charge your card until we begin to prepare your order for packing.

Guarantee: If any plants die within a year, we will replace them. We only ask that you follow our planting & growing instructions and sent us clear photographs of the dead plants in situ, so we can help to make sure that the replacement plants succeed. You only pay for the delivery of the replacements.

Please note that our guarantee is void if there is a hosepipe ban in your area: your newly planted fruit trees must be watered in dry weather while they are establishing. The best way to water is very thoroughly every few days: at least once a week if there is no heavy rain.

Our nursery has been supplying container grown and bareroot fruit trees to gardeners and orchard owners since 1949. Our website started in 2003, so we do understand the concerns that you may have about buying fruit trees online. If any of your plants are damaged when they arrive or if you are otherwise not satisfied with your order after you inspect it, please repackage it and contact us. We will give you a refund or send replacements and send a courier to come and collect the unwanted plants.

Your 12 Month Guarantee

If any plants die within a year, we replace them if you have followed our instructions. You only pay for the delivery of the replacements.

Place an order for £250 excluding VAT and delivery and we deliver it for FREE!

Bare-root Plants are only delivered in the winter season, from November to March. Pot grown plants can be delivered all year round

Advantages of Bare-root plants:

You pay less for the same size plants.

You can carry and plan them easily.

You only plant them in winter, so they need less maintenance after planting. The rain will water them for their first few months.

You get the biggest selection: Many trees are not sold pot-grown.

They are "asleep" in winter - this is the best time to transplant any tree.

They use fewer fertilisers & fungicides, less water and fuel in their production & delivery.

Advantages of Pot Grown plants:

Pot grown plants can be delivered & planted all year round.

Plants with tender roots & larger specimens must be delivered in pots.

Plants in pots can be kept for months longer if there is a delay in planting.

Our Advice to You:
If you can't wait to get planting, order Pot grown plants now.
If you are not in a hurry, order bare-root plants for delivery this winter. Simply add them to your basket and choose a winter delivery date that suits you during checkout. This will reserve your plants before they sell out.
We won't charge you until the day before delivery, so cancelling your order is always easy.

If you are only ordering chemicals and other small items, delivery is £3.50

Our delivery charge for most bareroot plants is £9.49 + VAT.

If your order contains any standard sized trees, fruit trees or pot-grown plants, then the delivery charge is £12.55 + VAT in TOTAL.

If you live in the Scottish Highlands or the Isle of Wight, there will be an extra charge of £15 + VAT on top of the appropriate basic charge, as listed above.

If your order is over £250 exc. VAT, there will be no delivery charge.

If you are uncertain, just add items to your basket which will calculate the basic shipping charge for you.