Apple (Malus) Lord Derby MM106

Sometimes known as 'London Major', 'Lord Derby' is a hardy, dependable cooking apple that's stood the test of time and is still grown commercially today. Grafted onto the semi-vigorous MM106 rootstock, it makes a robust, well-anchored tree reaching around 4m in height and spread, suited to larger gardens or orchards.

Clusters of pale pink blossom, with good frost resistance, appear in spring, followed by large, mid-green fruit that turns golden yellow as it matures, sometimes with light russet patches. Picked green in September, the sharp fruit is excellent for cooking with plenty of sugar; left to mature, the yellow fruit softens and sweetens, holding its shape beautifully when baked. Taking some fruit earlier keeps the tree cropping well into winter, with storage lasting one to two months.

'Lord Derby' is only partially self-fertile, so it will crop better with a pollination partner in the same period (Group 3) or an adjacent group (2 or 4). It's an exceptionally hardy, disease-resistant variety — strongly resistant to scab and well suited to cooler, damper regions — though it can be more susceptible to brown rot in some seasons. MM106 tolerates a wide range of soils and generally doesn't need permanent staking once established, though it takes a little longer to come into fruit than more dwarfing rootstocks — usually 4–5 years.

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.