How to Grow Apple
Fruit Tree
Apples are among the most rewarding UK orchard fruits, offering dessert, culinary and cider varieties for gardens of nearly any size. Choose a variety suited to your taste and local conditions, then match it with the right rootstock. Bushes, cordons and espaliers make productive use of modest gardens and allotments.
Planting & rootstocks
Rootstock controls ultimate size: M27 is very dwarfing, M9 dwarfing, M26 semi-dwarfing, MM106 a common garden choice and MM111 more vigorous. Buy bare-root trees from November to March, while dormant, or container trees at other suitable times. Set the graft union at least 10 cm above soil level, stake young trees, water in thoroughly and mulch without allowing mulch to touch the trunk. Choose bush, cordon or espalier form before planting.
Pollination
Most apples need a compatible partner flowering in an overlapping pollination group, commonly A to E. A nearby compatible tree in a neighbouring garden may help, but do not rely on it where crops matter. Some varieties are self-fertile or partly self-fertile. 'Bramley' is triploid: it needs two suitable pollinators and is not a dependable pollinator for another apple.
Care & pruning
Prune apples in winter while dormant, removing dead, damaged and crossing wood, then shaping young trees steadily. Spur-bearers and tip-bearers need different pruning, so check the variety before shortening shoots. Apply a balanced organic fertiliser in spring if growth is weak, keep a weed-free circle around young trees, water during dry spells and renew mulch annually. Thin crowded fruitlets after June drop for larger, healthier apples.
Years to bear
M27 and M9 trees can crop within two to three years. M26 and MM106 commonly take three to five years, while vigorous rootstocks may take longer but produce larger trees.
Harvest
Harvest from August to November, according to variety. A ripe apple usually lifts from the spur with a gentle upward twist rather than being pulled. Taste one, check that the pips are turning brown, and pick dry fruit carefully. Store only sound, unbruised apples in a cool, frost-free place.
Common problems
Apple scab, codling moth, aphids, canker and powdery mildew are frequent UK problems. Choose resistant varieties where possible, clear fallen leaves and damaged fruit, prune for light and air, and use grease bands or physical barriers where appropriate. Encourage birds and beneficial insects, inspect trees regularly and remove mummified fruit or cankered wood with clean tools.
Growing Apple: frequently asked questions
How do I grow apple in the UK?
Rootstock controls ultimate size: M27 is very dwarfing, M9 dwarfing, M26 semi-dwarfing, MM106 a common garden choice and MM111 more vigorous.
Does apple need a pollination partner?
Most apples need a compatible partner flowering in an overlapping pollination group, commonly A to E.
When is apple ready to harvest?
Harvest from August to November, according to variety.
General guidance for UK home growers. Variety and pollination needs vary; the RHS or a local garden centre can advise for your area. Page updated 18 Sep 2026.