Apple Trees

The fertile lowlands of Scotland particularly the Carse of Gowrie between Perth and Dundee and the Clyde Valley, were significant producers of apples until the late 19th Century. Sadly many commercial orchards were abandoned as cheaper imports from overseas increased.

Apples are relatively easy to grow in a domestic garden. They are very hardy, so will not be affected by even the coldest of Scottish winters. Apples prefer to be grown in a sunny spot, to maximize the time for the fruit to ripen. The site should not be waterlogged, nor the soil too acidic, and should not be too exposed to harsh winds. Late Spring frosts can damage the apple blossom, leading to reduced fruit production, so choose later flowering varieties or those with good frost resistance of the blossom if you live in a frost pocket.

Common apple diseases include canker and scab, which can affect the health of your fruit tree and quality of the fruit. Both are fungal diseases and can be active during warm wet conditions during Spring and early Summer and the potential for infection can be reduced by choosing more disease resistant varieties.

Bramley 20

A compact version of the Bramley cooking apple, it is less vigorous but has heavier crops.
Frost resistant blossom. Recommended.

Cook

Eat/cook

Oct

Pick

No

Self-fertile?

C3

Poll. Gp.

Christmas Pippin

An exceptionally high quality eating apple.

Crops heavily and easy to grow.

Eat

Eat/cook

Oct

Pick

No

Self-fertile?

C3

Poll. Gp.