How tall does an apple tree get?

Depends entirely on rootstock, not variety. M27 stays 1.5 m (patio); M9 reaches 2 m (cordon); MM106 is 3–4 m (half-standard); M25 reaches 5–8 m (traditional orchard tree). For small gardens, M9 or M27 trained as cordons or fans against a wall is the productive choice. The variety controls the flavour and ripening time; the rootstock controls the size.

Do I need two apple trees for pollination?

Almost always yes. A few apples are self-fertile (Queen Cox, Greensleeves) but most need a pollination partner that flowers at the same time (same group 1–7). If you have only space for one tree, check whether a neighbour has an apple within 30 m — bees travel that far. Crab apples make excellent universal pollinators and look beautiful too.

What apple varieties grow best in the UK?

Heritage British varieties beat supermarket favourites for flavour and disease resistance. Eaters: Discovery (early, sweet), James Grieve (mid, sharp-sweet), Egremont Russet (late, distinctive), Cox's Orange Pippin (classic but disease-prone). Cookers: Bramley (the standard), Lord Derby. Disease-resistant modern: Red Falstaff, Saturn, Topaz. For a small garden, plan for two or three trees with different ripening times for a long season.

When and how should I prune my apple tree?

Winter prune (December to February) for shape and structure: remove crossing branches, water-shoots, anything growing inwards. Summer prune (late July) for cordons and trained shapes only: cut new growth back to 3 leaves above the basal cluster. Don't prune in autumn or early spring (encourages disease). Don't lop tops off mature trees — invites disease and produces hundreds of water-shoots.

What are the brown patches in my apples?

Scab (Venturia inaequalis) — fungal, common in wet UK summers. Rake up fallen leaves to break the cycle (the fungus overwinters on leaf litter). Open up the centre of the tree by pruning for air circulation. Scab-resistant cultivars (Discovery, Red Falstaff, Saturn) suffer much less. The flesh is fine to eat — peel and remove the brown bits.

How long do apple trees last?

30–50 years for healthy trees on standard rootstocks; 15–25 years on dwarf rootstocks. The oldest productive apple trees in the UK are over 200 years old. Most trees become less productive after 30 years and worth replacing.

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Malus domestica

Plant apple trees from November to March (bare-root) or year-round (container), in any decent garden soil with reasonable drainage and sun for at least half the day. Apples are very hardy (RHS H6) and crop reliably across the UK. The two decisions that matter most are rootstock (which controls eventual size — M27 for patio pots, M9 for cordons, MM106 for half-standards, M25 for traditional standards) and pollination group (most apples need a partner from the same flowering group). UK heritage varieties — Egremont Russet, Discovery, James Grieve, Bramley — outperform supermarket favourites in flavour and disease resistance. Prune in winter for shape; thin fruit in June for size; net or pick promptly to beat codling moth.

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