Apple (Malus) Bountiful — Cordon, 12L Container, M9

Bountiful lives up to its name. It is a reliable, heavy-cropping cooking apple that produces generous yields from a compact tree, making it an ideal choice if you want homegrown cookers but don't have room for a Bramley. It was raised at East Malling Research Station in Kent in 1964, most likely from Cox's Orange Pippin crossed with Lane's Prince Albert. The large, pale green fruits are striped orange-red, with sweet, juicy flesh that keeps its shape well when cooked. They are perfect for neatly sliced tarts and pie toppings and need less sugar than sharper cookers. The apples are ready to pick in late September. Left to mellow in store, they lose their sharpness and can be enjoyed fresh as a crisp eating apple through to November.

Bountiful is a spur-bearer, carrying its fruit on short side-shoots, so it is naturally suited to cordon training. This tree has been trained to a single stem on the dwarfing M9 rootstock. It is usually kept to around 1.8–2m tall and can be planted as close as 75cm apart against a fence, wall or row of support wires. Grow it in full sun in well-drained soil and keep it permanently supported, as M9 has a shallow root system. Summer prune from late July, cutting new side-shoots back to encourage fruiting spurs. Water well during dry spells, especially while the fruit is swelling.

The tree is compact, hardy and has good resistance to mildew. It is not self-fertile, so plant it near another apple from a compatible pollination group, such as Discovery, James Grieve or Egremont Russet. In most gardens, neighbouring trees also help.

Each tree is hand-selected before dispatch.

Available from Pengelly Garden Centre.