My front garden apple tree project

[mikedigitales]

Which varieties did you choose? MM111 is in a different league to M26 when it comes to growth rate and mature size, unless the vigour of the scion is low on the 111 and high on the M26.

Went with Lord Derby and Winter Gem on M26 (2 Year Bush Bare Root) and the Discovery on the M111 (1 Year Maiden Bare Root). Don't think i'll stake the Discovery then, but maybe staking the Lord Derby and Winter Gem?

[FB.]

Went with Lord Derby and Winter Gem on M26 (2 Year Bush Bare Root) and the Discovery on the M111 (1 Year Maiden Bare Root). Don't think i'll stake the Discovery then, but maybe staking the Lord Derby and Winter Gem?

Good choices.

If unsure, stake the M26's - "best practice" would say to do so.
If they have good root systems they may not need staking if you intend to prevent them fruiting for a year or two in order to build a strong root system.
If they were mine I probably would go against "best practice" and not stake them; I certainly wouldn't fruit them; it's only worth trying to get a crop if the tree has had at least one season to establish and grew acceptably well in that season.
A tree that isn't cropping but also isn't growing much either will not in subsequent years manage to carry a crop to maturity; they need to be growing well which demonstrate that they have enough power in their sapflows to meet the demands of feeding their fruits - fruiting takes a lot of energy; at least several leaves and often a dozen or more for big fruits, are required to gather sunlight to feed one good fruit.

Consider that the Discovery is a colourful "pick-and-eat-from-the-tree" variety and if too near a fence people may steal them.
Also take into account when planting, that the Discovery - like most August-ripening apples - will be more prone to insect damage or wasp attack. So perhaps don't plant it where wasps might become a problem - such as where children play, or near windows or doors, or your pathways.
If wasps do go after the Discovery fruit, they will not tend to cause trouble elsewhere; wasps are at their most aggressive in September-October, which is after Discovery season.

The Lord Derby, being a cooker, will tolerate a shadier position than the others as the typically-sharp-tasting cookers don't need as much sun to build up sugars (acids in cookers tend to be what causes them to turn to soften or puree when cooked).
However, in my experience all of them seem to perform satisfactorily in a wide range of sunlight conditions (e.g. dull years, sunny years).

Just in case the planting positions have differing degrees of shading or people passing.

[mikedigitales]

Definitely not fruiting them then, I would much rather they all establish strongly and put all that energy into growing to start with I'll wait and see what the roots are like when they arrive, but tempted to not stake them and see how it goes.

I'll have to have a think about planting positions, I'd get all kinds of grief if I'm responsible for wasps coming into the house

[FB.]

I'll have to have a think about planting positions, I'd get all kinds of grief if I'm responsible for wasps coming into the house

Just something to be wary of. Not all years will be bad for wasps, and any attacks on the Discovery will only be for a couple of weeks when they ripen in August. In summer, the wasps are not much interested in starting a fight; they have work to do for the colony - usually catching caterpillars to take back to the nest. However, if you annoy them, wasps will pick a fight with you - especially in autumn.

So just give the Discovery a spot where you don't need to go within a metre of it during August except to pick the fruit - just to be on the safe side.
Removing damaged or fallen Discovery fruits promptly will mean less to attract the wasps in the first place.

Some wasp damage is the price to pay for such early eating apples.
Later-ripening apples and cookers are much less interesting to wasps.