Buying Apple Trees Online
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THE BARE ROOT SEASON IS NOW CLOSED. ALL PURCHASES WILL DELIVERED NOVEMBER 2026
Herefordshire Russet Eating Apple (BARE ROOT)
The Herefordshire Russet apple tree is another derivative from the Cox family (not the infamous Dr Cox from the TV episode Scrubs, he is more nuts than apples) and comes with some of the same excellent taste. It has excellent eating qualities, whatever that means we are not sure, that is just what the catalogue said. The catalogue also said it had lots of money and tasted nice, at least that is what we took from "rich aromatic flavour".
Pick the apples in early October and expect to store them until late January so you could say these apples store well and suitable for juicing. Also suitable for most parts of the UK except maybe those rain deluged, wind swept, permafrost places in North West Scotland that are only known to exist from space photographs. Possibly not so great for the East of England but that is only down to expected Global warming and you lot are expected to be underwater so seaweed is probably going to be your only successful crop. So in summary, we stand by our "suitable for most parts of the UK" statement until the thermometer goes up.
From a disease perspective, the Herefordshire Russet has excellent resistance to Scab and good resistance to Mildew. Herefordshire Russet also provides quite a large harvest (under the right conditions which exclude hungry Victorian orphans living next door).
Herefordshire Russet apple trees are listed as being partially self-fertile which means you "should" get a crop without another Apple tree near by. To be sure, plant another C3 tree close by. A C2 or C4 will also do but this is a good option, the best option is to choose an apple tree from the same group. Under good conditions you can be sure you will be thinning the apples out.
Month Of Fruiting: October
Type Of Apple: Eating + Juicing
Fertility: (C3) PARTIALLY SELF-FERTILE. Does not need another apple tree close by to produce fruit but your harvest will be improved by another apple tree in group C2,C3 or C4 close by.
Do I Need To Stake My Bare Root Tree?
Usually no, especially if under 200cm tall. Our article on Tree Staking should help guide you.
Planting In The Corner Of A Garden
Usually air and light is reduced and if it is a corner with a wooden fence and the house then leeching from both could compound issues. Try to avoid.
1 Year Maiden Bare Root Trees
If you plant a 1 Year maiden tree and do not prune it at all, it will grow a little more upright and have more clear stem.
Apple Tree Jargon Explained
| | MM106 | Grows to a final height of around 3.6 metres. Usually delivered around 150-180cm for 2-3 year tree. | |
| | MM106+ | Grows to a final height of around 3.6 metres. Usually delivered around 180-240cm for 2-3 year tree. | |
| | M9 | Grows to a final height of around 2.5 metres. Usually delivered around 150-180cm for 2-3 year tree. | |
| | M26 | Grows to a final height of around 3.0 metres. Usually delivered around 150-180cm for 2-3 year tree. | |
| | M27 | Grows to a final height of around 1.5 metres. Usually delivered around 150-180cm for 2-3 year tree. | |
| | CORDON | Pruned to produce apples very quickly (1-3 years), favoured with commercial growers. More columnar than round shape. Less of a harvest compared to MM106. | |
| | BUSH | Clear stem of 45cm before branches grow out. | |
| | HALF STANDARD | Clear stem of 1 m. Conventional tree shape allowing easy grass mowing or companion planting. | |
| | MAIDEN | 1-2 years old, no pruning or shaping. Blank slate for you to shape and train. | |
| | PATIO | Shaped to produce compact bush proportional for pot size, ideal for container growing. | |
| | (12L), (3L) etc | The size of the pot measured in litres. | |
| | SELF FERTILE | Will produce fruit without another apple tree nearby. | |
| | C1,C2,C3,C4,C5 | If your apple tree is NOT SELF FERTILE (they will be listed f they are) then you will need a second apple tree nearby of a similar number i.e. the same or one above or one below. So an apple tree from a C3 requires a C2, C3 or C4 planted close by for it to produce fruit. Triploids are an exception, see below. | |
| | Bare Root | Available from November to March only. Comes with no pot or dirt around roots and is cheaper than potted options. Orders purchased outside this time will be held for delayed delivery until the next season starts. | |
| | TRIPLOID | You have a selfish tree. It will be pollinated by other trees but the pollen it has to offer is useless. See TRIPLOID POLLINATION for more information. | |
Apple Tree Ages and heights
All our apple trees have been pruned and shaped to get the best results and are inspected by an apple tree expert before being sent to you. Maiden apple trees are 1-2 years old, the rest are 2-3 years old. Heights vary depending on root stock however 1.5 to 2+ metres tall is an average apple tree height at delivery.
Bareroot Season
All bare root plants need to be planted between November and March whereas our containerised apple trees can be planted all year round. Height can be restricted by pruning or putting the apple tree in a container to restrict growth (minimum 30 litres, smaller the pot, smaller the tree will be) Select the root stock you desire from the list above or if you are unsure, telephone us on 0800 043 1057 or use the enquiry page.
Quick Fruit Tree Links
Take a look at our TOP SELLING FRUIT TREES, Wet ground issues then choose a PEAR TREE first, followed by APPLE TREES. For more information on pollination please look at choosing the CORRECT POLLINATION PARTNER
Fruit Tree Life Expectancy
Most fruit trees will give you AT LEAST 40 years of fruit. Pears can go to 70. Records of 200 year old trees exist but this is the exception, not the rule.
Do I Need To Stake My Bare Root Fruit Tree?
9 out of 10 times the answer will be no, especially if under 200cm tall. However our article on Tree Staking should help guide you.
Planting In The Corner Of A Garden
Air and light is reduced in this location which could promote fungus and bacterial issues. Corners of houses and fences can also suffer leeching issues so we advise against it.
