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Expertly Grown in the UK
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Expertly Grown in the UK
Carefully Hand Delivered

Cordon Apple Tree

Lots of fruit in a limited space

Grown by John

South Downs National Park

Choose your variety

7 options

Choose your variety

Cordon Apple Tree Trained Fruit Trees
Cordon Apple Tree Trained Fruit Trees
Cordon Apple Tree Trained Fruit Trees
Cordon Apple Tree Trained Fruit Trees
Cordon Apple Tree Trained Fruit Trees
Cordon Apple Tree Trained Fruit Trees
Cordon Apple Tree Trained Fruit Trees

£50

In stock

Pre-order for delivery Late November

Pre-order for delivery Late November

Pre-order for delivery Late November

Pre-order for delivery Late November

Pre-order for delivery Late November

Perfectly happy plants, or your money back

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The highlights

  • Expertly grown in a columnar shape
  • Includes brilliant dual-purpose varieties
  • Use in chutneys, sauces and salads
  • Crisp, refreshing apples, lovely blossoms

Description

  • Cordon apple trees provide an ingenious space-saving solution, enabling you to plant several fruit trees where you might otherwise have only had room for one standard tree. These trees normally consist of a columnar, upright central leader and short, lateral, fruiting spurs, though they can also be grown at a 45° angle on a wire support
  • ‘James Grieve’ is an RHS award-winning, dual-purpose variety that start out sharp before sweetening up the longer they’re left on the tree
  • ‘Bramley’s Seedling’ arguably produces the nation’s favourite cooking apples, just whack them into a crumble, strudel or pie and get ready for baked perfection…
  • ‘Braeburn Hillwell’ yields delicious red apples and has the benefit of being self-fertile, meaning it doesn’t need a pollination partner
  • ‘Cox’s Orange Pippin’ apples are often found in the supermarket, but they taste infinitely better when you grow them at home – juice them, bake with them or scarf one down straight from the tree
  • ‘Gala’ is one of the easiest apple varieties to grow, producing crisp and refreshing fruit that look as good as they taste!
  • ‘Discovery’ boasts good pest and disease resistance, and yields gloriously tasty dessert apples that store very well (for more than two months)
  • Our growers have established the proper cordon shape for you, so you just need to prune your tree to keep its shape. Pruning is needed in summer with occasional winter pruning also required. Here’s what to do:
    1. At the end of August, trim those shoots that are over 20cm long, aiming to cut back to one leaf beyond the leaf cluster that marks the start of that year’s growth (also known as the basal cluster)
    2. If you find that your cordon tree’s spurs are becoming overly busy, then thin out those spurs which are a bit older and haven’t fruited as well in recent times (do this in winter)

What To Expect

Supplied as:

Potted tree
Cordon tree in a 9L pot
Bare Root
Bare Root
Bare Root
Bare Root
Bare Root
Bare Root

Height on arrival:

120-150cm
120-150cm
120-150cm
120-150cm
120-150cm
120-150cm
120-150cm

Eventual height:

1.5-2m

Eventual spread:

0.5m
Spreads approximately 0.5m.
0.5m
Spreads approximately 0.5m.
0.5m
Spreads approximately 0.5m.
0.5m
Spreads approximately 0.5m.
0.5m
Spreads approximately 0.5m.
0.5m
Spreads approximately 0.5m.
0.5m
Spreads approximately 0.5m.

Time to first crop:

2 years
You may see your first apples within the first couple of years of planting, though more significant yields may not occur until a couple of years after that.

Flower colour:

Pinkish white
White blossoms tinged with pink appear in spring
Pinkish white
White blossoms tinged with pink appear in spring
Pinkish white
White blossoms tinged with pink appear in spring
Pinkish white
White blossoms tinged with pink appear in spring
Pinkish white
White blossoms tinged with pink appear in spring
Pinkish white
White blossoms tinged with pink appear in spring
Pinkish white
White blossoms tinged with pink appear in spring

Habit:

Cordon (columnar)
A vertical tree with short, fruit-bearing spurs branching off virtually the entire length of the trunk.
Cordon (columnar)
A vertical tree with short, fruit-bearing spurs branching off virtually the entire length of the trunk.
Cordon (columnar)
A vertical tree with short, fruit-bearing spurs branching off virtually the entire length of the trunk.
Cordon (columnar)
A vertical tree with short, fruit-bearing spurs branching off virtually the entire length of the trunk.
Cordon (columnar)
A vertical tree with short, fruit-bearing spurs branching off virtually the entire length of the trunk.
Cordon (columnar)
A vertical tree with short, fruit-bearing spurs branching off virtually the entire length of the trunk.
Cordon (columnar)
A vertical tree with short, fruit-bearing spurs branching off virtually the entire length of the trunk.

Hardiness:

Fully hardy
H6 - This cordon apple tree will tolerate temperatures down to around -20°C.
Fully hardy
H6 - This cordon apple tree will tolerate temperatures down to around -20°C.
Fully hardy
H6 - This cordon apple tree will tolerate temperatures down to around -20°C.
Fully hardy
H6 - This cordon apple tree will tolerate temperatures down to around -20°C.
Fully hardy
H6 - This cordon apple tree will tolerate temperatures down to around -20°C.
Fully hardy
H6 - This cordon apple tree will tolerate temperatures down to around -20°C.
Fully hardy
H6 - This cordon apple tree will tolerate temperatures down to around -20°C.

Self fertile:

Variety dependent
Variety dependent
Variety dependent
Variety dependent
Variety dependent
Variety dependent
Variety dependent

Pollination group:

Varies from variety to variety
Varies from variety to variety
Varies from variety to variety
Varies from variety to variety
Varies from variety to variety
Varies from variety to variety
Varies from variety to variety

Uses:

Eating fresh, cooking, juicing and baking
Eating fresh, cooking, juicing and baking
Eating fresh, cooking, juicing and baking
Eating fresh, cooking, juicing and baking
Eating fresh, cooking, juicing and baking
Eating fresh, cooking, juicing and baking
Eating fresh, cooking, juicing and baking

Rootstock:

M26 dwarfing rootstock
M26 rootstock apple trees typically only reach a maximum height of 3m (and often shorter), making them a great choice for gardens with more limited space.
M26 dwarfing rootstock
M26 rootstock apple trees typically only reach a maximum height of 3m (and often shorter), making them a great choice for gardens with more limited space.
M26 dwarfing rootstock
M26 rootstock apple trees typically only reach a maximum height of 3m (and often shorter), making them a great choice for gardens with more limited space.
M26 dwarfing rootstock
M26 rootstock apple trees typically only reach a maximum height of 3m (and often shorter), making them a great choice for gardens with more limited space.
M26 dwarfing rootstock
M26 rootstock apple trees typically only reach a maximum height of 3m (and often shorter), making them a great choice for gardens with more limited space.
M26 dwarfing rootstock
M26 rootstock apple trees typically only reach a maximum height of 3m (and often shorter), making them a great choice for gardens with more limited space.

Spacing:

60cm
Plant 60cm apart to allow for spreading.

How To Grow

Good pest and disease resistance

Your cordon apple tree will come to you in a robust and healthy state, but like all fruit trees, it can be affected by aphids, caterpillars and certain diseases like canker and scab.

Water well when establishing

Apple trees don't need a lot of watering once established, however they benefit from more regular watering when newly planted, particularly in hot, dry weather.

Full sun

Best fruiting will occur when your cordon apple tree is planted in full sun (at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day).

Any fertile, well-drained soil

Apple trees typically grow best in rich soil with good drainage. Amend your soil with some garden compost if you need to improve drainage.

Feed every spring

During spring, spread a layer of high-potassium fertiliser around your apple tree to give it a helping hand.

Planting Calendar

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  • Best time to plant
  • Harvest
  • Flower

South Downs National Park

Meet John

110 years' expertise free with every tree

John’s family have been growing trees in the South Downs National Park for over a century, and it shows. Dug up and sent straight to your garden at between 18-36 months old, their quality rootstocks, expert pruning and natural pest control mean that these traditionally field-grown trees are the hardiest you can get.

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