Late cropping trees, UK

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Adam m
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2014 12:06 pm

Late cropping trees, UK

Post by Adam m »

Hi all,

For a few years now I have been meaning to get an apple tree for the garden. The main reason for wanting the tree is to attract birds into the garden to feed on the apples, as well as other berries present.

This will mainly be for wintering thrushes, such as redwing and fieldfare, but I would always hope to attract waxwings (give them a Google to find out why). Sadly, they don't arrive in the UK until late in the winter, mostly late-November and December.

As of yet, I haven't found any tree that is readily available to buy and that suggests it holds fruit this late into the season. Most state October as the end of their fruiting period, which is likely to be too early to bring the birds in.

Can any of you suggest a tree that holds fruit that late?

I wouldn't mind taking a few apples to eat for myself, if you can think of any nice eating apples that hold fruit long into the season. But if not, as I'll probably buy other varieties as pollinators, I'll try to get one that can provide me with some apples for myself.

I'm in the Midlands, which I would expect makes a difference to what trees would do well.

Thanks in advance

Adam
Skipley
Posts: 42
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2013 2:33 pm

Re: Late cropping trees, UK

Post by Skipley »

Adam, Smaller crab apples would be my guess, but for eating I have this new variety Pixie Crunch that hangs all winter long here in the NW Washington. Frozen to 10 degrees several nights and still flavorful mush in January :lol: It's a small sweet crisp apple from the Purdue Rutgers Illinois /PRI breeding series 1993 http://www.orangepippin.com/apples/pixie-crunch It's a favorite here.
Adam m
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2014 12:06 pm

Re: Late cropping trees, UK

Post by Adam m »

I've admitted defeat for now, due to lack of stock of the varieties I wanted for OrangePippinTrees (not your fault guys I know). So I've just got a Red Falstaff of M27 rootstock. Going to grow it in a pot for now and then try again for a few different varieties once my and the girlfriend have a house of our own and can basically turn the garden into a mini orchard :)

Adam
OrangePippin-Richard
Posts: 165
Joined: Sun Nov 21, 2010 12:14 pm
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Re: Late cropping trees, UK

Post by OrangePippin-Richard »

Many late-ripening varieties will hold on to their apples if you let them, however a much simpler method of providing bird food is to pick the apples as normal and keep them in a cold garage, then put a few out on a table, sliced in half, over the winter months.
Stephen Horsfall
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2015 3:42 am

Re: Late cropping trees, UK

Post by Stephen Horsfall »

Bramley is supposed to be picked in autumn, but I missed a couple last year, and they were still hanging in January, when I finally picked them.
My apples: Brownlees' Russet, Bramley's Seedling, Dabinett, James Grieve, Egremont Russet, Cottenham Seedling, Tom Putt, Ribston Pippin, Isaac Newton's Tree.
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