Buying Cox's apple trees

[pebble]

I want to get 2 x Cox's Orange Pippin apple trees for fan training on my allotment; can anyone advise me of a good supplier please?

[Aberdeenplotter]

I have used Ken Muir. Bought some minarettes. I'm sure that growing fruit trees like that in pots just isn't natural. They haven't performed but I think that is down to me and not to that firm.

[FB.]

Cox can be a very sickly tree and an erratic cropper.
It is rather prone to: canker, mildew, scab and bitter pit. If you plan to grow it, you should be prepared to give it considerable attention, although a few people manage to grow Cox's without too much trouble.

Also note that two trees of the same type are not suitable to pollinate each other. Even varieties labelled as "self-fertile" produce better crops when pollinated by a different variety; it's all about in-breeding being more likely to be rejected.

Cox's are widely available. Most garden centres, nurseries and mail-order companies will offer them because it's the variety that everyone has been conditioned to ask for. You'd probably get them cheapest from somewhere such as LIDL or ALDI in late winter.

Personally, I would substitute at least one of your "risky" Cox's for one of Cox's offspring which tend to be much less prone to problems - although the Cox-substitutes vary in their suitability for certain areas, depending on climate.

For fan or espalier training, you would be wise to choose rootstock M26 or MM106 (or perhaps even a need for MM111 or M25) depending on your soil type/quality and how big you want it to get. In my experience, apple rootstock size guides apply to the most vigorous varieties (such as Bramley) when grown on an ideal soil, in an ideal climate, with a full spray routine.
In the real world, soils of only average fertility, irregular rainfall and the trees having to fend for themselves against pests and diseases usually means that their size and growth rate is much less than "official" guidelines.

[FB.]

On the subject of good suppliers....

I have seen the stock available from many nurseries. While many nurseries seem to offer stock of sub-par quality due to the neglect of UK agriculture in recent decades, a few of nurseries really stand out for the size, quality, health and fast establishment of their stock:

First choices would be:

Link > Keepers Nursery (winter bare-root trees)

Link > Bernwode Fruit Trees (container grown trees)

Link > Adam's Apples (winter bare-root trees)

[pebble]

Thanks FB for all that information ... much appreciated

[HeyWayne]

Sorry, every time I see this post I think it reads Brian Cox's apple trees. #justsaying