Apple Tree Arch

[Philippa]

Help please, I am new to this, I would like to grow two smallish apple trees in a 5ft bed, one at either end. I want to arch them over. At the highest point I would like them to be about 3/4ft high. What kind of trees go well together? Also what is the best thing to use to train them to grow in an arch and where can i find this. Thanks for your help.
Philippa

[FB.]

A few points:

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It would have been ideal to acquire some bare-rooted maidens during the winter. Unfortunately, bare root season ends at the end of March.

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A 3-4ft high arch is a surprisingly small arch. Are you sure that it won't get in the way?

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As for trees that go well together - fill in your profile location so that we can recommend varieties that are suited to your local climate. Also tell us what you'd like in an apple and we'll make some suggestions..... cookers? eaters? any colour preference/dislike? season of ripening? what do you normally buy from the supermarket?
Not all varieties grow well in all parts of the UK. The popular shop-bought varieties (Cox, Braeburn, Gala, Bramley etc) are usually considerably troubled by pests and diseases, or need a warmer climate than in the UK, so are not recommended. But there are many varieties with similarities to shop-bought fruit, but which are much easier to grow clean healthy fruit and trees in the back garden.

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As for training, you may well find that with good pruning technique, you can persuade them to grow in the desired direction. Otherwise you can use a framework of garden canes (or buy an archway) to tie the stems. After a couple of years the stems will "set" in the correct position and may not need support.
If you choose a fairly strong rootstock, the trees should be well-anchored, despite being arched. I would avoid M27, M9 and M26 as they have brittle roots that will break under the strain of a one-sided tree unless they are permanently staked (which can be unsightly).
I suggest MM106 (unless your location's climate suggests that MM106 will not be suitable).

In the early years, prune in December-February to guide the growth. Once they are shaped, switch to hard pruning of the new shoots in mid-July, which will keep their size controlled and enhance heavy cropping the following season.
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[Philippa]

Apple Tree Arch

Hi Cropper thanks so much for your really detailed reply. My reason for the low level arch was that someone advised me that stepover would be too low. I do actually want Low level as I do not want the trees to grow upright as they will take light and space from my garden.
As for type of apple, ideally i would like a cooker and a fairly early eater. The eater, as long as it is crisp and sweet, skin not thick, green and red I would be happy. I think there are some apples that you can cook and eat as a dessert apple. Again advice and suggestions appreciated. I had thought of maybe growing the apples inbetween veg.!!
Time of year - I can wait, until it is the correct time for planting. Where would i get bare-rooted maidens?
I told you i was new to this.
Thanks for any help and advice.
Philippa

[Two_Sheds]

Where would i get bare-rooted maidens?

Specialist fruit tree suppliers, eg Fruit Trees for Sale | Order Online | UK Supplier | Guaranteed Hedging Plants for Sale | 1 Year Guarantee | Ashridge Trees Nursery

(it's FB you want to thank, a cropper is what he is - on top of being a very good egg)

[FB.]

I'm not sure why you couldn't grow some stepovers. I'd suggest M26 rootstock for stepovers. The rootstock is more vigorous than what is uaually recommended (M27), but that extra vigour makes it better able to tolerate damage or tough growing conditions. I also find that the M26 rootstock also seems to give the variety grafted onto it a little better resistance to scab. Note that I said "a little better resistance" - not immunity!
M26 might also cause more problems with bitter-pit prone varieties, plus M26 may influence the apples to be just a hint sharper flavoured.

You could also consider growing your apples as a fan-trained (or espalier). These take up very little space, but can produce good crops of highest quality fruit, due to excellent sunlight exposure of the fruits. MM106 rootstock is normally used for fans/espaliers, although vigorous varieties may be better on M26, while some very-slow-growing apple varieties may be better on the very strong MM111 or even M25 rootstock.

In the West, you'll be wanting good resistance to scab and canker, unless you plan to spray.
For best health in the occasional hot drought summer, I'd steer clear of varieties that are known to be especially prone to mildew (e.g. Merton Russet, Cox's Orange Pippin), although strong resistance to mildew may well not be necessary, since apple mildew likes long spells of hot, dry weather but with high humidity (which we see in East Anglian summers).

As I mentioned on another topic: sweet, red, thin-skinned, early eating apples are very popular with insect pests - including codling and sawfly maggots.
Cookers are generally less troubled by pests, but the popular Bramley is not suitable for growing as dwarf forms - very fast growing and very slow to start fruiting (it wants to be a full size tree before it crops well) and can override dwarf rootstocks, and Bramley is losing its disease resistance because it has been so widely grown for nearly 200 years.

As for suitable varieties......

Some good, relatively trouble-free cookers with great taste include:
Grenadier, Reverend Wilks.

Many of the really early ripening apples can have quite a feisty sharp-sweet taste, which is not to everyone's taste. They can also be troubled by wasps and other insect damage.
I'd suggest:
Beauty of Bath, Discovery - not particularly troubled by diseases, but be prepared for possible heavy fruit loss to insect damage.
I'm currently trialling Laxton's Epicure, which may be less troubled by insect damage (thicker skin, small fruit) and is a very nice, sweet early apple. However, I have not had it long enough to reliably comment on pest/disease resistance, which I suspect will be only average.
The early-ripening variety "Katy" (Katja) also sounds promising, but I don't grow it.

Many of the ancient Russet types have excellent resistance to pests and diseases (apart from some scab spots on the leaves - but no scabby fruit). Egremont Russet is a good example.