Apple (Malus) Keswick Codlin

One of the oldest apples still widely grown, 'Keswick Codlin' was raised in the early 19th century from a chance seedling found in the Lake District, and it remains a wonderfully reliable, very early cooking apple. Eventual height and spread depends on the rootstock it's grown on, ranging from a compact 2–3m on dwarfing rootstocks up to a traditional 4m+ tree on more vigorous ones.

Fragrant white blossom appears in spring, followed by pale green-yellow fruit with tender, juicy flesh that cooks down to a soft froth — a lovely apple for a classic crumble or purée, and good eaten fresh with cheese once well ripened. Harvest from mid-August into September, making it one of the earliest apples of the season, though the fruit doesn't store for long, so it's best used within a few weeks.

'Keswick Codlin' is partially self-fertile and a good pollinator for other varieties, cropping better with a partner in the same period (Group 2) or an adjacent group (1 or 3). It's a heavy, reliable cropper with a slight tendency towards biennial bearing, and its good resistance to scab makes it particularly well suited to damper, western parts of the country — a nice fit for Cornwall's climate.

Plant in full sun in moist, well-drained soil, and prune each winter to maintain an open, productive shape. As with all apple varieties, the pips contain small amounts of naturally occurring toxins, so they're best removed if the fruit is being used for cooking with children in mind.

Each tree is hand-selected before dispatch. Available from Pengelly Garden Centre.