I saw this article in HortWeek: Thatchers Cider plants 13,000 apple trees in new Somerset orchard. I made a mental wager to myself before reading it: I bet they exaggerate the environmental benefit side of the orchard. Not because of anything about Thatchers Cider. It’s because I think it’s nigh impossible to write a press… Continue reading Backseat Driving Thatcher’s Cider Biodiversity
Tag: Apple
Why We Don’t Sell Isaac Newton’s Apple Tree
It’s not a very good apple. Simple as that. Several years ago, we sold “Isaac Newton’s apple tree”, which is already a part-fib. Flower of Kent is a good example of why many grand old heritage varieties are no longer grown. They were the best available in their day, but now they are outclassed in… Continue reading Why We Don’t Sell Isaac Newton’s Apple Tree
Get As Many Fruit Varieties As Possible From A Small Area
Cordon apples & pears are even better suited to grafting than freestanding trees
Pruning New Fruit Trees
Formative pruning of new, freestanding fruit trees, starts with either unbranched Maidens, or young Bushes or Half Standards with a further year’s branch development. Pruning A Maiden Fruit Tree “Open Centre” These videos apply equally to new fruit trees containing pips like apples and pears, and those containing stones, like plum and cherry, being grown as “ordinary trees”. There are… Continue reading Pruning New Fruit Trees
Pruning Tip Bearing Apple Trees
Most Apples are spur bearing; partial tips are like spurs Most apples and pears are spur bearing: they are pruned “normally”, and are suitable for cordons and espaliers. Partial tip-bearers have spurs too, and are pruned about the same way, a bit less often. Few Apples are true tip bearers Pruning Tip Bearers VS Spur… Continue reading Pruning Tip Bearing Apple Trees
Growing Cordon Fruit Trees
Cordons are compact wire trained fruit trees, usually apple or pear
Best Cold Hardy Apple Trees For The North & Scotland
Apple Tree Varieties Suitable for Scotland & the North Apple trees are incredibly hardy, however, their flowers can be damaged in freezing weather, which prevents them from cropping that year. The damage happens when frozen flowers defrost too quickly, so a solution for all but the coldest conditions is to plant your fruit trees against a west facing… Continue reading Best Cold Hardy Apple Trees For The North & Scotland
Best Apple Tree Varieties to Grow in the UK
The British climate makes for ideal apple territory. They like well drained, fertile soil including clay, and with shelter can grow inland at altitudes up to about 900 feet / 275 metres! Apple trees are the largest range of fruit trees we have for sale. Before you buy an apple tree, have a think about which varieties… Continue reading Best Apple Tree Varieties to Grow in the UK
Making Your Own Cider
Can I make cider from eating and cooking apples? Yes, all apples make cider, but the flavours from cider apples are better: most home cider brews are a mix of several varieties, the more, the merrier. How to Make Cider Here are two excellent videos on making your own cider at home. MIT has a… Continue reading Making Your Own Cider
Apple Tree Pollination Groups Chart UK
Pollinating your Apple Trees Increases your crop Size Most apple trees need to be pollinated in order to bear fruit, and even self-fertile varieties still benefit. However, apple and crab apple trees are very common all over the UK, even in the city, so there is a high chance that you have a suitable pollination partner in your area already, in which… Continue reading Apple Tree Pollination Groups Chart UK
Apple Scab & Pear Scab Disease
What is Apple Scab and Pear Scab? Apple Scab and Pear Scab are functionally the same, although the specific fungus is different: Can I eat apples and pears with Scab? Yes, apples and pears with scab are perfectly safe to eat. They only look ugly, underneath the skin they should taste the same, unless they… Continue reading Apple Scab & Pear Scab Disease
Self-Fertile Apple Trees That Pollinate Themselves
Apple pollination is usually not a concern in the UK, because there are so many orchard and crab apple trees around However, self-fertile apple trees are still the most reliable choice for most growers, especially if you only have space for one tree in your garden. Self-pollinating apple trees are the most popular varieties we… Continue reading Self-Fertile Apple Trees That Pollinate Themselves
Apple Orchard Wassailing
Orchard wassailing is an indigenous English ritual with records dating back as far as the 11th century, and is still performed by the tribes of the South West in cider orchards Here we come a-wassailing! Traditionally performed on the 12th night after Christmas, January 5th or 6th, some people may accuse me of being a… Continue reading Apple Orchard Wassailing
Cooking with Cider this Christmas?
How about pheasant with caramelised apple and cider sauce! Ingredients (to serve 2-4) Method Pheasant and cider sauce Caramelised apples Once the sauce mixture is reduced, pour over and serve! Top tip This is a lovely, tasty wintery dish using well hung pheasant, but if you’re not the gamey type, it works equally well… Continue reading Cooking with Cider this Christmas?
Foraged Blackberry & Apple Crumble
Do you have a freezer full of blackberries? If not, then ignore the blackberry & enjoy your apple crumble! This time of year, mid-November, is hefty with apples. Down here in sunny Somerset, the late blackberries are only recently all gone from the bushes. If you have helpful kids around, chances are you have bags… Continue reading Foraged Blackberry & Apple Crumble
Apple Muffins Recipe
There’s Nothing Quite Like Baking with Home-Grown Apples in your Apple Muffin Recipe. Their fresh, crisp flavour brings out the best in these delicious apple muffins. Whether you have an orchard in your garden or a single beloved tree, these muffins are a wonderful way to showcase your apples. For this recipe, we recommend using… Continue reading Apple Muffins Recipe
Why Steven Edholm’s Fruit Tree Pruning Films are Better Than Ours
As a company, we have invested billions (approximately) in producing nicely edited videos about planting and pruning fruit trees Rodney, local movie star and coincidentally our warehouse manager, has been ogled over a million times on YouTube, where his charisma and acting skills steal the show in our best film work to date, how to… Continue reading Why Steven Edholm’s Fruit Tree Pruning Films are Better Than Ours
Somerset Apple Cake with optional streusel twist
The streusel topping elevates a traditional tea time delicacy to a luxurious dessert. The apple store is usually looking a little depleted by this time of year, but if you still have a few Bramley apples knocking about this recipe is a lovely way of using them up. (If you don’t have Bramley’s any other… Continue reading Somerset Apple Cake with optional streusel twist
Growing Fruit Trees at High Altitude
We get lots of enquiries about growing fruit trees in the UK at altitude, often from people who have seen Sepp Holzer at over 3600ft in Austria. We would love to sell as many orchards as we can, but for most honest gardeners in the UK, it will be very difficult to copy high altitude… Continue reading Growing Fruit Trees at High Altitude