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Apple Autumn Pearmain
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The
limited range of apple varieties we have seen in our shops for the past
decades does not do justice to the Apple. Only varieties which produce
regularly, abundantly and with uniform size to match packing machinery,
are considered by the modern growers and traders. They must be capable
of being picked before fully ripe and being transported large distances.
They must be grown in large enough orchards to facilitate regular spraying
to remove every last hint of blemish. In pursuit of successful commerce,
flavour, texture and diversity have been the victims. How different
life was just 50 years ago, when an abundance of different local varieties,
each with its unique flavour, use, history and shape, were brought to
the local markets, each apple at the peak of ripeness and condition.
A century ago, a large market would have seen several hundred different
varieties in the course of a year. Commercial orchards in Britain have
been in landslide decline for many years, and private gardens have also
lost and not replaced a calamitous number of old trees. The majority
of the population have never tasted a good variety at the peak of ripeness,
and do not know what they are missing. However, the tide is turning. |
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ROOTSTOCKS
Apple varieties are grafted on to different
types of rootstock. This enables a single apple variety to take on different
shapes/sizes as a tree. For example the vigorous Bramley, grafted on
to an M27 rootstock, would grow into a bush, 8-12ft tall, while a Bramley
grafted on to an MM111 rootstock would grow into a full tree, about
25 feet tall. Both would bear the well known Bramley apples. The Bernwode
apple trees are grafted on to a choice of M27, M26, MM106 and MM111
rootstocks. Using dwarfing rootstocks like M27 allows the planting of
several trees in a smaller area than one tree on a vigorous rootstock.
The choice is also influenced by the shape of tree ultimately wanted,
such as cordon, bush, standard or espalier. We are always happy to advise
on these matters, on the telephone or at the nursery.
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Apple Bloody Ploughman
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Apple Catshead
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CATALOGUE
The Bernwode Plants Fruit catalogue contains full details about varieties
of apples, pears, plums/gages, quinces, cherries, nuts, mulberries,
medlars, grapevines and currants. It also has notes about rootstocks,
pollination groups, and choosing varieties.
The catalogue can be ordered
with a credit card or debit card from this site; simply click on 'Catalogue'
above and follow the instructions.
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INFORMATION
To assist with telephone enquiries and particularly for visitors to
the nursery, we have an extensive database of apple varieties and their
details - over 12,000 varieties, as well as many photographs to assist
in identification. The database is very useful in identifying those
varieties local to a particular county, for local orchard plantings,
or in selecting varieties of a particular age, when planting a period
garden or orchard.
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Apple Lady's Finger Of Offaly
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Apple Hoary Morning
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GROWING
Our apple Trees are container-grown, in 4 litre pots. They are sold
when ready to plant, a year after grafting as a "maiden".
There are also some two year old trees as "feathered maidens"
in a 7 litre deep pot. Only 1-year old trees are available by courier.
There are certain advantages to container grown trees. When it comes
to planting, the container grown tree often establish themselves more
quickly. Trees lifted from the open ground in winter and sold bare-rooted
(the usual way at other fruit tree nurseries) often suffer significant
damage to the fibrous root system. This checks the growth of the tree
for a year or possibly two, while the root system regrows. With our
young container-grown trees, growth is continuous. The added benefit
is that container grown trees can be planted at any time of year, not
just in midwinter when bare root trees must be lifted, while dormant.
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| PRICES
All our 1-year old fruit trees, including apples, are priced at £16.00.
With so many varieties, grown on 4 different rootstocks, it will not
always be possible to provide the preferred variety on the preferred
rootstock, but we make the effort and carry the cost of keeping large
stocks. Often, we can match the exact choice. Apple trees can be bought
at the nursery, at any time of year, during normal opening hours, as
shown on the homepage. Customers can also come to the nursery during
the winter months and outside opening hours, by arrangement. In addition
we operate a courier delivery service (for 1-year old trees only). If
trees cannot be collected from the nursery (and bear in mind that they
are not so tall and inflexible that they cannot fit in the footwells
of most cars) we will send trees out. The normal courier delivery charge
is £15.00 for the first 4 trees and £1.75 for each tree
thereafter. For northern Scotland, and non mainland deliveries the courier
charge is higher. Please enquire. We do not send trees outside the UK
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Apple Kentish Fillbasket
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