Apple tree for polination

[Alison]

OK, after saying I wasn't going to get any, I was tempted by an offer and bought some of the apple trees this week from Lidls. Reading up on them, the Bramley and Jonagold are both self sterile triploid types with the Cox's Orange Pippin being self sterile but able to pollinate the other two. There seems to be enough overlap on flowering time for this. However, this means that I need another tree to pollinate the Cox's Orange Pippin. Thinking of possibly a Falstaff as OH liked them at an apple day a few years ago but not that fixed. What the question really is, am a bit skint at the moment so has anybody got any good places where I can get hold of a healthy and good value maiden tree? Have had a bit of a look about and they all seem about £15 minimum, if that's what I have to pay then fair enough but any bargains would be muchly appreciated at the moment.

Oh yes, and I know I could rely on a neighbours tree but there aren't many apple trees at the site and I've already heard one of the plot holders talking about cutting hers down so don't want to rely on that and would prefer to be self contained on this one.

[FB.]

There may be sufficient numbers of other apple trees or crab apples nearby to pollinatoe your Cox.
Alternatively, since your Cox is young and won't fruit properly for a few years, you could get a cutting from someone else's tree - perhaps the one that is about to be cut down (if it flowers about the same time as Cox) and graft that onto your Cox - basically, one branch becomes a pollinator for the Cox, because it's actually some other variety.
If you were near to me, I'd gladly offer a peice to graft from one of my many apples.

[Alison]

The grafting option isn't good for me as I'm going to grow it as a cordon so defintely want another tree but as you say, have a bit of time yet so will look out for bargains.

[FB.]

If your Cox is on something like MM106 rootstock (one of the common rootstocks in use) and your soil is good and moist, you will have trouble keeping it under control as a cordon.
MM106 can easily manage 2-3ft of growth per season, in good conditions.
As for the Bramley....on MM106, I would not be surprised to see 3-4ft of growth if it's on MM106. Additionally, Bramley is a partial tip-bearer, so that hard pruning could lose you a large portion of the fruit for the next season, if you're not careful in the way that you prune..
Bramley is also more reluctant to form fruiting spurs than most varieties. Another problem with hard-pruning a Bramley is the risk of Bitter pit in the fruit the next season.

Cheshire is somewhat wetter than many areas, according to my rainfall data.
I'd suggest a variety that has good natural resistance to Scab and Canker, with moderate resistance to mildew.
Grenadier would be my suggestion.
It is an very disease resistant, early cooking apple (July-September) and was historically used by some orchards as a good pollen source for many other apple varieties (especially Bramley). It is also partially self-fertile and not particularly vigorous, so is well-behaved as a cordon.

FB

[Alison]

As it's a cheapo Lidl's tree I don't know the root stock but it was cheap so will give it a go - if it all goes mad then I can always give up on it as it was only £3. The Bramley is being grown separately for the reasons that you've outlined, will try and keep it vaguely under control and bush like but realise that they can get quite big.

Thanks for the Grenadier recomendation - will look into it, based on the last week or two we're defo a wetter area!

[FB.]

How big are your apple "trees" at the moment?
Are they just a single stem between 2-4ft high ("maidens"), or are they a 3ft (ish) stem with several branches growing form that?

Are they bare rooted, or container grown?

That will make a difference on how they would best be pruned in their early years.

FB