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[FB.]

Anyone know anything about an early variety called margaret?

Sometimes listed as "Juneating" "Joaneting" "Red Juneating".

Summarised from some old catalogues:
Thought to date back to the 1600's-1700's.
Hardy, healthy tree.
Slightly smaller than average when mature; easy to grow as cordons but not a heavy cropper.
Very early-season with the usual "wait until the last moment then pick promptly before it drops and eat quickly before it goes off" requirement.

[FB.]

What about Orleans Reinette as suggested by Yummersetter?

It's triploid, so I'd have no hesitation in trying to grow one in almost any situation.
Keepers > link < list it as resistant to scab, canker, mildew - and being triploid, I don't doubt it.

[Mikey]

So do you need a sacrifice plant like a crabapple to pollinate self sterile and triploid fruit or are there good dessert apple alternatives?

I was also reading something yesterday that pears are very pollen light so might suffer if near or next to apples. Is this the case do I need to find a solution to this?

Thanks

Mikey

[FB.]

So do you need a sacrifice plant like a crabapple to pollinate self sterile and triploid fruit or are there good dessert apple alternatives?

I was also reading something yesterday that pears are very pollen light so might suffer if near or next to apples. Is this the case do I need to find a solution to this?

Thanks

Mikey

I would not worry about pears near to apples. In most seasons they flower at different times - pears about 2-3 weeks before apples. The pears are usually finished by the time the apples start.

However, due to pears being less common in the UK than apples, it is best to plant pears near to each other so the bees can easily move from one to the another. Most of my pears are in a group. The one that isn't near the group tends to often not be well-pollinated and so often carries only a small crop.

You don't necessarily need a crabapple to pollinate a triploid apple. Most non-triploid apple varieties will do the job of pollination if they flower at about the same time.

If you're planting several varieties, I doubt you'll have an problems with pollination as long as they aren't all triploid.

[orangepippin]

Provided they are not related to yours, Katy and Spartan are good pollinator apple varieties. They produce a lot of blossom over quite a long period.

[boundtothesoil]

Tydemans early

I've lost two Tydeman's Early Worcester (on MM106) to canker where I live, near Aberystwyth, both within four years of planting. Along with Worcester Pearmain, it has been the most canker-prone variety I've come across. Lovely apples but I can't grow either of them.

[Mikey]

Hi BoundtotheSoil how exposed are you in Aber, is the sea spray an issue for you?