[Bodger]

Just ordered a book towards achieving my dream.  

Growing Cider Apples by Roger Umpelly and Liz Copas

Riveting reading I bet :shock:   Just watch my eyes glaze over after the first page. I'm dodo at following instruction. I hope there's loads of pictures. :oops:  :oops:  :oops:      

[Alfie]

   

[Bodger]

I've been pricing cider trees up this afternoon. So far, I've got them at £4.75p each for a bewildering array of names on three different types of root stock. To say that I'm bemused is to put it mildly. The deeper I look the more I realise that I need help :shock:

[jacnal]

I've been looking at apple, pear, peach and nectarine trees, but I'm just as - actually, more -  bewildered than you are Bodger. At least you seem to have got your head around root stock etc. I got so confused, my head hurt and I put my research on hold. Don't get the grafting stuff either. I mean, why can't the seeds just grow to produce the lovely nectarine I just ate? And would a cutting do?  :oops:  :oops:  :oops: . When I've some money to actually buy, I'll pick it up again. For now, I'll just wait, lol. Maybe I'll get ideas from others posts  

[David.]

There's quite often loads of apple tree advice at Apple Day events:

Apple Day Events

or going on a cider/apple course can be fun when you're with a group of like minded people:

Orchards & Apples Course

(went there on a weekend beer/winemaking course last year and my wife & daughter also went on the poultry course - whilst I went fishing)

[Trillium]

Bodger, the different rootstocks usually mean different mature sizes. If you've little space, then you'd go for the dwarfing one (not sure what it is in the UK). If you've more space but don't want to climb trees, then there's a mid sized tree. If you love falling out of trees then there's your standard full sized tree.  
cider itself is a mix of many apples, never just one or 2. Even windfalls (off the ground) go into homegrown cider. You might want to talk with your local agriculture rep to determine best apples for your area as well as potential pest problems.

[Bodger]

jacnal ! I'm as lost as you :shock:

M25s are nothing to do with motorways but are the big trees that are known as standards . I wont be planting many of these because they are a long time producing. ( I'm knocking on a bit :oops: )

The 106s and 111s are bush stock with the 111s being the stronget and presumably the biggest. I've managed to learn this this afternoon but I'm not really any wiser

Before choosing I've got to decide which blend of named trees are going to be suitable for producing good cider and which variety may or may not suit my area. I hope eventually to plant around an acre and a half , which I'm told should be large enough for more than 200 of the bush type trees :shock:

[Trillium]

You must have a lot of acreage to plant that many trees. Don't forget that that many trees are also a lot of work to keep up, prune, and gather at harvest time. Hope you have a small army at the ready.
And yes, I did forget to mention that tree size is directly related to maturing time, sorry. As for varieties, do look for your gov't agriculture specialist for your area. They are truly worth the time for their knowledge. And as far as I know, their consultation time should be free.
Should mention that a lot of established orchards here are cutting down the big old standard trees (the biggies) so they can replant with more dwarf stock which are easier to maintain and pick. They can also crowd in many more trees per square yard so the yield is the same but not the trouble or risks.

[Bodger]

Unfortunately there isn't a tradition of cider making where I live so, there's nobodys brains to pick locally. This is more down to a tradition of Methodism rather than poor growing conditions.

[freyaluck]

Hi this might help you a bit on the root stock sizing . theres a diagram at the bottom of the page which is pretty good.  I know that a few of my friends who have small orchards use m26 as they give fruit within a few years and are just the right height for picking.
Edit- forgot the link  :oops: http://www.ornamental-trees.co.uk/hort.php

[Bodger]

Thanks for that Freya.

As a by the way, heres a little tale. About fifteen or sixteen years ago I bought a tree at a tree sale that was sold as being a bird cherry. Three years ago after never fruiting previously it started to produce a mystery fruit that turned out to be green gauges.
 This year we have had a bumper crop from it and for the last couple of weeks I've been able to go out into the garden and eat three or four whenever I've fancied some. Delicious

[jaycee]

Only three or four at a time? My wonderful greengage tree is loaded too. Just 18lb or jam made as that will last till next year. The rest just a joy to eat. Absolutely delicious. The toilet and I have become quite close during the past few weeks!

[Bodger]

I'm glad you're in the NW Highlands    

[Trillium]

Making of the cider is easy; what trees will grow well in your area is what you need to find out. So long as you have 6 (or more) varieties, you'll get cider. You need some tart, some sweet, some juicy. that's where local knowledge will come in, unless they're all braindead  

[David.]

Access to local knowledge here:

http://www.welshcider.co.uk