Apple Trees for Sale

The Best Apple Tree Varieties

Malus domestica, the humble apple tree, is probably more widely planted by gardeners than any other tree in the UK. It grows in most soils, bog and chalk being the main exceptions, and crops well at altitudes up to 600-800 feet (and higher, depending on position). There are also varieties that do well in the most severe frost pockets. Apple trees can be kept as short as 30-40 cms tall (stepovers) and less than 40 cms wide (cordons), so there is a variety for practically every garden. No wonder they are so popular! 

Browse our range of fruit trees.

• Uses: Eating, cooking, juicing and cider apple production
• Good Points: Huge variety of tree, shape, blossom, cropping time
• Position: Grow almost anywhere below 600 feet above sea level, where there is drainage and light

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Apple FAQ's

There is more detailed information in the advice section of this site, but here are some concise answers to the questions most usually asked about apples:

Can I grow apples in my garden?

The answer is probably yes, but the things you should consider include:

• Altitude - under 600 feet is definitely OK.
• Frost pocket - we have a list of apples that are fine in cold spots
• Soil type - light soils may need improving while heavier soils are fine. Drainage should be adequate.
• Wind - apples are pollinated by insects all of which struggle in windy spots. No bees around means no pollination.
• Light - no fruit tree likes to be in the shade. Apples need the sun to ripen well.
• Size - there is almost certainly a form to suit your garden. To choose between them have a look at our guide to fruit tree shapes

Apple tree varieties - Which do I choose?

We sell over 100 varieties, so a recommendation is hard. But here are factors to take into account when deciding. They all apply pretty much equally irrespective of whether you are looking for eaters, cookers, juicers, ciders or multi-purpose apples:

• Taste: The range is between sweetness and acidity. A fresh Golden Delicious (homegrown!) is like honey, while a good Cox (or Sunset, which is just about indistinguishable and easier to grow) has a tartness that could make you think you are eating a different fruit entirely.
• Texture: Crunchy? Go for Spartan or softer and juicier like Ellison's Orange.
• Size: A children's apple? Pitmaston Pineapple perhaps. Or an apple for two, such as Howgate Wonder?
• Season: Discovery ripens as early as any apple - around the end of August. Winter Gem is not ready until the end of October. 
• Use: Eater, cooker, juicer or all three? There are a very few that do all that and even make passable (sweet) cider. James Grieve is the stand out all-purpose apple.
• Colour: Some people just won't eat a green or yellow apple...
• Pollination: Have a quick look at the note on pollination below.

When is the best time to plant apple trees?

One of the fiercest debates in the gardening world is about the best time to plant a tree. Learned papers on the subject are published regularly.

• Planting Early: By getting the roots into the ground early and allowing them to develop through the winter when temperatures rise, which happens even in January. As a result, the tree will have better access to water and nutrients when it comes into growth in Spring.
• Mid Season Planting: Trees are fully dormant between December and March, so suffer less stress/disturbance when they are transplanted.
• Planting Late: The ground is warming from March onwards, so plants establish faster. However, good watering is even more essential in dry weather.

Honestly? Prepare the ground well, plant your tree with care and attention to detail (watch our video), use Rootgrow, water well until it is established and you can plant at any time between October and early April.

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Growing apples - What do I do?

A well-planted tree, in a suitable spot only needs pruning - we have a series of pruning videos you can watch - and a little watchful care. The key things to do are mainly preventative. Use winter wash (which is organic) when the leaves have come off to kill overwintering insect eggs. Apply grease or grease bands (both made from vegetable oils) to stop wingless female moths climbing into your tree to lay eggs. After pruning and leaf-fall, rake up the litter under the tree and burn or destroy it. Do NOT compost it. Keep a circle around the trunk of any fruit tree free of any vegetation, including grass. Mulch every spring. Water well as the fruit is forming if it is dry. Do these things, and you should have a healthy, productive tree.

Dwarf Apple Trees - Are they a good idea?

There are two kinds of dwarf tree. The one which you prune to make a small tree - a cordon would be an example and the one that is small because that is its nature. We can help you with the first as small fruit trees such as stepovers, cordons, espaliers and so on are all "made" from maidens - 1-year-old trees - which if pruned differently can grow up to 4-5 metres tall. The second type, the naturally small apple tree has its size determined by its rootstock - see below - and we do not sell trees on dwarfing rootstocks. They are more difficult to grow well, and they will require support for the entirety of their lives - fine if grown against a wall but a pain if they are freestanding. 

How big a crop will I get?

How long is a piece of string? On a like for like basis crop size is determined by three things:

• Quality of cultivation: This is simple. A well grown, well-tended Arthur Turner cooking apple tree will produce a much larger crop than a neglected one.
• Apple variety. Some varieties crop much more than others. Bramley apples don't taste the same as Lord Derby, but they carry 50% more by weight.
• Tree form. A half standard will have a crop several times larger than a cordon of the same variety.

So a mature half-standard will produce between 100-250 kgs of apples. A cordon will only manage about a 20-25% of that, but it takes up far less space.

Apple Tree Pollination

To crop well, or even at all in some cases, apple trees need a compatible "mate". To help you find suitable partners, apples are divided into pollination groups (A-F). As long as the tree has fertile pollen (a Bramley does not for example) any tree in one letter group will pollinate and be pollinated by any other tree in that group or one of the adjacent groups. So an apple in Group B can be pollinated by another apple in Group B but also by apples in Groups A and C, being adjacent letters. Confused? Have a look at our interactive Pollination Checker.

What is an apple rootstock and why does it matter?

All the apples we sell are grafted on British grown rootstocks. So the roots of the tree you buy are from one plant and the bit above ground is from another. The two were "grafted" together before you bought them and you will see the join just above soil level. As a bigger car engine makes the car it is in go faster, so a bigger rootstock makes the apple variety that it "powers" grow larger. An Ashmead's Kernel (great all round apple by the way) on a big rootstock will grow to 8 metres while the same variety on a dwarfing rootstock may struggle to reach 2 metres. The fruit is the same, the size of the tree is different. You can see a much more detailed note and a graphic on rootstocks here. Most of our apples are on either MM106 rootstocks - we will let you know on the product page if not. 

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Buying Apple Trees

Remember that if you want espaliers, cordons or stepovers you will need to start with a maiden (selected varieties are available as ready-made cordons).

All our apple trees are covered by our no-quibble 1 Year Guarantee, which means you can order with complete confidence. Free delivery on orders over £120. Best advice & friendly support throughout.