Buying Apple Trees Online
Need some buying advice first? Click buying apple trees online.
THE BARE ROOT SEASON IS NOW CLOSED. ALL PURCHASES WILL DELIVERED NOVEMBER 2026
Discovery Apple Tree (bare root)
Our bare root Discovery eating apple trees are one of the more popular of the eating apple trees possibly due to the high disease resistance it has and the juice content. The shop purchased apples don't do it justice because they are picked early to allow for transport and sitting on the shelves for a while. As with many other UK apples, if you grow them in your garden and pick when ripe then the taste can be considerably better. You know when they are ripe when:
- They fall to the ground
- You can pull them off the branch with very little effort
- Someone slips a note through your door anonymously stating that your apples are ripe
- You hear little apple like voices calling to you from the garden saying "pick me, pick me"
- You send a child over to try one and they take more than one bite without pulling a "suck face"
- You send one to your in-laws and they speak to you again
It keeps for a week or two depending on conditions. The cooler, darker and dryer it is, the longer it will last. One of the characteristics of the discovery apple is that the redness of the skin can sometimes bleed into the flesh. This can be great for getting kids to eat apples as you can tell them they are vampires and drinking apple blood that is of course if you don't have jobsworth health and safety officials or over eager social services within ear shot.
If the blossom of the tree is important to you then expect the Discovery to be covered in pure white cup shaped (we presume this means without the saucer) flowers in mid to late Spring. These blossoms will also attracts bees and other pollinating insects, more so than some other Apple trees.
The bright crimson (red, if you are a man reading this) apples are quite attention getting and the crisp flesh with a hint of strawberry makes it fine eating.
The Discovery Apple tree is also a good tree for the UK which means if you live in the sunny South then you will get an excellent harvest whereas if you live further North you will will receive a good harvest.
Month Of Fruiting: October
Type Of Apple: Eating and Juicing
Disease: Good resistance to Mildew and excellent resistance to Scab
Fertility: (C3) NOT SELF-FERTILE. Requires 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.
