Cider Apple tree recommendations

danhfromwales

danhfromwales

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Evening all, I moved to Herefordshire this summer and have noticed so many people in my town have Apple trees in their gardens.

The local pub also hosts a communal apple pressing to make cider.

Any recommendations on varieties and also do apple trees need much attention or is it a plant and forget type of plant?

Cheers.
 
Most ciders use a blend of apples. Just about anything will do but avoid large percentages of Bramleys (can't remember why but it's advice that has stuck).
There are classic cider apples like Kingston Black but they're useless for anything else and if you've ever had a single variety KB cider then you probably don't want to repeat the experience!
My advice would be to grow something you'll use to eat/cook with but can use for cider too. If you get a sweeter apple then you can always mix it with some crab apples.
Most of the trees I use are of unknown variety. The only one I'm sure of is a Discovery and that makes up a good 50% of the blend.
Just a thought but if the local pub does the scratting/pressing then presumably you can mix with your neighbours? Might be worth asking at the pub first?
Anyway, somewhere I've got a "dummies guide to cider making", if you're interested in a copy let me know. In truth though, I'd trust the people in the pub who have been doing it years.
 
Perlogalism said:
Most ciders use a blend of apples. Just about anything will do but avoid large percentages of Bramleys (can't remember why but it's advice that has stuck).
There are classic cider apples like Kingston Black but they're useless for anything else and if you've ever had a single variety KB cider then you probably don't want to repeat the experience!
My advice would be to grow something you'll use to eat/cook with but can use for cider too. If you get a sweeter apple then you can always mix it with some crab apples.
Most of the trees I use are of unknown variety. The only one I'm sure of is a Discovery and that makes up a good 50% of the blend.
Just a thought but if the local pub does the scratting/pressing then presumably you can mix with your neighbours? Might be worth asking at the pub first?
Anyway, somewhere I've got a "dummies guide to cider making", if you're interested in a copy let me know. In truth though, I'd trust the people in the pub who have been doing it years.
Click to expand...
Thanks you for your reply, it does make more sense to go for a more versatile apple as I would like to grow food to eat from our garden. I've still got work to do within the house before we tackle the garden but I'm thinking it all out now.

I believe it's a press where everyones apples are mixed and I guess the weight you bring is recorded, I should ask next time I'm up there.

There's just something alluring to making your own anything. I can see now why my late grandfather was so chuffed about supplying pretty much all the veg for our Sunday dinners from his allotment.
 
You generally will need 2 apple trees to pollinate each other so option to have 2 different apples as long as they are compatible - which is usually about flowering at the same time. You can get varieties that will self pollinate or if you have varieties close by then make sure they flower at the same time as the one you buy.
Maintenance is generally prune them around Xmas Day - tree is generally dormant by then. Its a bit of an art as you want the tree to look like an upside down candelabra with branches coming outwards not inwards or crossing.
Spray with a winter tree wash to remove and kill off insects in the bark. Set out apple maggot traps in Spring to catch the fly emerging from the soil before it lays its eggs, spray once the blossom drops to kill off anything in the apple before it forms. Add a grease barrier to the trunk
Depending on how organic you want to be. Winterwash used to be Tarwash - as you can imaging thats now banned so god knows what is in winter wash - may or may not be organic. You can spray an insecticidal soap in spring which will be organic over an insecticide.
Make sure you pick up the windfalls and clear the leaves to prevent insects.
Or you can just stick them in and leave them and live with the additional protein.
 
Yarlington and Brown's are cider varieties. Typically the apples that don't taste good to eat make better cider, crab apples and cookers depending on how far you want to get into it. We have just made a batch the last two weekends, cider and perry. Typically a large bag-for-life full will yeild enough juice for a demijohn. You can allow them to ferment naturally, but we add champagne yeast.

It is good to think about the planting early doors, you can espalier the trees, but this takes a while but they can be establishing whilst you are working on the house.

Check out this site which is listing cider apples, I haven't used them but cames across it the other day.
walcotnursery.co.uk

Buy cider apples from the nursery. Organic cider apple trees for sale.

An expanding selection of cider apple trees are offered for sale on that will produce high quality Cider. Cider apples are offered on two rootstocks.
walcotnursery.co.uk walcotnursery.co.uk
 
The obvious is the Dabinett for single apple cider, but in the past we have made some really nice batches blending Bramley and Russett ciders after fermentation.
 
Perlogalism said:
Most ciders use a blend of apples. Just about anything will do but avoid large percentages of Bramleys (can't remember why but it's advice that has stuck).
There are classic cider apples like Kingston Black but they're useless for anything else and if you've ever had a single variety KB cider then you probably don't want to repeat the experience!
My advice would be to grow something you'll use to eat/cook with but can use for cider too. If you get a sweeter apple then you can always mix it with some crab apples.
Most of the trees I use are of unknown variety. The only one I'm sure of is a Discovery and that makes up a good 50% of the blend.
Just a thought but if the local pub does the scratting/pressing then presumably you can mix with your neighbours? Might be worth asking at the pub first?
Anyway, somewhere I've got a "dummies guide to cider making", if you're interested in a copy let me know. In truth though, I'd trust the people in the pub who have been doing it years.
Click to expand...
 
AgentOrange76 said:
You generally will need 2 apple trees to pollinate each other so option to have 2 different apples as long as they are compatible - which is usually about flowering at the same time. You can get varieties that will self pollinate or if you have varieties close by then make sure they flower at the same time as the one you buy.
Maintenance is generally prune them around Xmas Day - tree is generally dormant by then. Its a bit of an art as you want the tree to look like an upside down candelabra with branches coming outwards not inwards or crossing.
Spray with a winter tree wash to remove and kill off insects in the bark. Set out apple maggot traps in Spring to catch the fly emerging from the soil before it lays its eggs, spray once the blossom drops to kill off anything in the apple before it forms. Add a grease barrier to the trunk
Depending on how organic you want to be. Winterwash used to be Tarwash - as you can imaging thats now banned so god knows what is in winter wash - may or may not be organic. You can spray an insecticidal soap in spring which will be organic over an insecticide.
Make sure you pick up the windfalls and clear the leaves to prevent insects.
Or you can just stick them in and leave them and live with the additional protein.
Click to expand...
Thanks for you reply, there's a lot I need to research first by the looks, I thought it was simple as picking out a variety, how wrong was I 😲
 
SPB said:
Yarlington and Brown's are cider varieties. Typically the apples that don't taste good to eat make better cider, crab apples and cookers depending on how far you want to get into it. We have just made a batch the last two weekends, cider and perry. Typically a large bag-for-life full will yeild enough juice for a demijohn. You can allow them to ferment naturally, but we add champagne yeast.

It is good to think about the planting early doors, you can espalier the trees, but this takes a while but they can be establishing whilst you are working on the house.

Check out this site which is listing cider apples, I haven't used them but cames across it the other day.
walcotnursery.co.uk

Buy cider apples from the nursery. Organic cider apple trees for sale.

An expanding selection of cider apple trees are offered for sale on that will produce high quality Cider. Cider apples are offered on two rootstocks.
walcotnursery.co.uk walcotnursery.co.uk
Click to expand...
Thank you I'll give it look, all very useful responses from my question and it's much appreciated.
 
A real problem is a parasite named Woolly Aphid. It gets the name from its protection- it grows a white umbrella and looks like a small blob of cotton wool. It will do little harm at first but some say it will kill the tree in a few years. And it gets ugly black and sticky. The brolly makes sprays just wash off. An emulsified spray with pressure is needed and it's a pain- impossible with a large tree. Lots on the web about it, but no-one has a guaranteed method of elimination. Ensure that whatever you get is resistant to it. It won't touch plums nor pears for some reason.
 
colinb said:
A real problem is a parasite named Woolly Aphid. It gets the name from its protection- it grows a white umbrella and looks like a small blob of cotton wool. It will do little harm at first but some say it will kill the tree in a few years. And it gets ugly black and sticky. The brolly makes sprays just wash off. An emulsified spray with pressure is needed and it's a pain- impossible with a large tree. Lots on the web about it, but no-one has a guaranteed method of elimination. Ensure that whatever you get is resistant to it. It won't touch plums nor pears for some reason.
Click to expand...
Noted and good to hear it doesn't affect plums as I'll be after a club tree also.
 
All good advice so far.
I grow Katy, Bramley, Sunset and James Grieve. All on M9 rootstocks. I don’t worry too much about which varieties to use. Any apple juice will make decent cider. Acidity can always be adjusted with additional citric acid or lemon juice.
 
I've heard of the Katy, had a bottle of Thatchers Katy the other week and it was nice.

Just googled about rootstocks, didn't realise that was a thing. I've never really tended a garden apart from mow grass and trim stuff back, learn loads cheers.
 
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Reactions: SPB
danhfromwales said:
I've heard of the Katy, had a bottle of Thatchers Katy the other week and it was nice.

Just googled about rootstocks, didn't realise that was a thing. I've never really tended a garden apart from mow grass and trim stuff back, learn loads cheers.
Click to expand...
Yep this is another rabbit warren of a hobby to get into. Enjoy
 
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