Apple (Malus) Cox Self Fertile — Cordon, 12L Container, M9

Cox's Orange Pippin is widely regarded as the finest-flavoured English apple, and Cox Self Fertile offers the same celebrated taste with one important advantage: it doesn't need a pollination partner to crop. The original Cox was raised around 1825 by Richard Cox, a retired brewer, in his garden at Colnbrook near Slough. This self-fertile form produces the same medium-sized golden apples, flushed and streaked with orange-red. The flesh is creamy and aromatic, with a rich, complex sweetness balanced by a gentle sharpness. Pick the fruit in October and store it somewhere cool. The flavour keeps developing in store, and the apples last until January.

As a cordon, Cox is especially well suited to British gardens. The tree has been trained to a single stem with short fruiting side-shoots, so it can grow flat against a sunny wall or fence and enjoy the warmth and shelter Cox loves. It is grafted onto the dwarfing M9 rootstock and is usually kept to around 1.8–2m tall. Cordons can be planted as close as 75cm apart, so several varieties will fit along a single boundary. Cox is a spur-bearer, carrying its fruit on short side-shoots, which makes it a natural choice for cordon training. Summer prune from late July, cutting new side-shoots back to encourage fruiting spurs.

Plant in fertile, free-draining soil that doesn't sit wet in winter, in the warmest, most sheltered spot you have. Good airflow around the tree helps keep scab, mildew and canker at bay, particularly in wetter parts of the country. Keep the tree permanently supported, as M9 has a shallow root system. Water well during dry spells, and mulch in spring to keep the roots cool and moist.

Because it is self-fertile, a single cordon will crop on its own. Yields improve with another pollination group 3 apple nearby, such as Discovery or James Grieve.

Each tree is hand-selected before dispatch.

Available from Pengelly Garden Centre.