BARE ROOT SEASON IS CLOSED FROM 1st APRIL, STARTS AGAIN NOVEMBER 2024
Mature Bare Root Trees, click here mature bare root trees 180-400cm tall.
What Is A Duo Apple Tree?
It is an apple tree whereby two apple trees are grafted onto one stem at an early age. It grows as a normal tree but you get the benefits of two trees for the price of one e.g. two different species of apple.
Bare Root Duo Apple Tree Mix and Match
If you want more than one tree and to mix your selection, go to Bare Root Duo Apple Tree Mix and Match
Apple Cox's Orange Pippin (C3) And Golden Delicious Bare Root Duo Apple Tree (C4)
For best results, this Duo apple tree should be planted in areas of the UK that experience average sun or more and average rain or less. This is because the Cox can be prone to disease in the wet and the Golden Delicious needs long summers to ripen. From Manchester up, you will likely need to be an experienced gardener to get the best out of both of these.
Cox's Orange Pippin
Considered on of the best apple trees available. Expect apples to be ripe on the tree around early October time and for them to keep for a few weeks.
The tree provides heavy crops of eating apples and is very good for juicing which can be frozen and kept for very long periods. The apples are at their best by leaving to become fully ripe on the tree rather than pick early and leave to ripen. As the best taste is only found in the fully ripened apples, buying them from the Supermarket will not give you a good idea of the maximum potential. Often found in cooking recipes because of the great flavour. It does not turn into a puree (or apple mush for the layman) and is a popular choice for chutneys, pies etc.
If you live in a particularly damp or cold area of the UK, Cox's Orange Pippin is probably not the best choice for you because of the low disease resistance issues. They can be managed with chemical sprays and work if you are determined to have one. Due to the excellent taste, it is often cross pollinated with other apple trees to create improved characteristics e.g. better disease resistance. A Fiesta has similar characteristics without the hassle of disease issues.
In pollination group C3 which is useful to know if you have other trees nearby that require pollinating.
Golden Delicious
With an award from the RHS, you can be sure these eating apples are worth every bite either as a dessert apple or to cook with. Listed as a good pollinator so if you have other trees in your garden in pollination groups C3,C4 or C5 the Golden Delicious is a good choice.
Strong disease resistance characteristics and very juicy apple making it suitable for juicing. The honey like taste is much improved when eating ripe from the tree when compared to shop purchased apples. Some apples have a very short storage time, so short in fact, you should probably only eat them while they are still attached to the tree! Not so with the Golden Delicious, you have around a 3 month storage window.
It was found in an Orchard in the early 1900's, purchased and then protected with an electric fence which explains why it is listed as one of the 10 best tasting UK apples. If you wanted to recreate the early days of your Golden Delicious apple tree in your garden then make the electric fence from kitchen foil and 9v battery, dress as a cowboy and patrol around the tree.
The disease resistant yellow apples will likely have a red flush to them on the sunny side and the softer thin skin makes them a popular eating apple. It also is a popular choice for cooking, especially in France where it is used mostly for pies and pastries.
In pollination group C4 which is useful to know if you have other trees nearby that require pollinating. It will also help to cross pollinate the Cox's Orange Pippin. As it blossoms later in the season, it avoids most of the frosts.
Fruit Tree Heights
Taller does not mean more value for money. A 1 year old fruit tree can easily be substantially higher than a 2 year old, this is because they are hard pruned at 1 year old to create the desired shape. Some trees have over 100cm of height removed. They can then have another pruning at 2 years old to increase fruit growing real estate. Most fruit trees will benefit from having a third to half of the seasons new growth cut back in the Autumn to prevent long whippy branches which break easily. Age and pruning completed determine real value.
Do I Need To Stake My Bare Root 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. If the corner is of the house and a fence then you also have leeching issues to contend with from cement and wood preservatives. Also when it rains, that area would experience higher water levels so we advise against it unless the plant is very hardy.
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.
What Will Be Delivered?
The Duo apple trees are grafted onto MM106 rootstock giving a mature height of around 3.5m. They will be 1 year old maidens and will be in the region of 100 to 150 cm tall. If new to gardening, you will need to research "pruning maiden apple trees".
The Benefits Of Duo Apple Trees.
Each species is usually chosen to compliment the other e.g with pollination, taste etc. It offers more variety in less space and reduced risk of a complete harvest failure. If the harvest times are staggered then it also means you have a longer period of fresh apples. If you have other apple trees then a Duo apple tree with 2 different flowering times .e.g a group 2 and 3 or a 3 and 4, offer pollen for longer to those other trees which should increase apple harvest yields. Finally, 2 apple trees for the price of 1!.
Quickly Compare Our Bare Root Duo Apple Trees
| | |
| Both Species Of Apple Tree | Things Worth Knowing Before Buying |
| Coxs Orange Pippin + Golden Delicious | Best grown from Manchester and below. |
| Elstar + Golden Delicious | Best grown from Manchester and below. Both have RHS Award. |
| Golden Delicious + Jonagold | Best grown from Manchester and below. Both have RHS Award. |
| James Grieve + Cox's Orange Pippin | Best grown from Manchester and below. |
| Lord Lambourne + Braeburn | Best grown from Manchester and below. |
| Lord Lambourne + Egremont Russet | Grow anywhere in the UK. Both have RHS Award. |
| Worcester Pearmain + Fiesta | Grow anywhere in the UK. |
Manchester And Below
Commercial apple orchards seem to thin out drastically once you go past Manchester. We have used this as a VERY rough guideline to establish where the cut off point is for sun hungry apple trees. You can still grow them North of there but best results become more unlikely. For a more accurate picture, have a look at a UK map of average sun hours.
