Apple (Malus) Red Windsor® Half Standard MM106

A sport of 'Alkmene' also known as 'Red Alkmene', 'Red Windsor' holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit and is prized for its naturally reliable, disease-resistant character. Trained as a half standard on the semi-vigorous MM106 rootstock, it's grown with a clear stem of around 1.2–1.5m before branching begins, giving a traditional, elegant orchard tree that eventually reaches around 4m in height and spread.

Blossom with some useful frost resistance appears in March and April, followed by deep red fruit ready to eat from mid-September. The crisp, juicy flesh has a lovely aromatic, well-balanced sweet-sharp flavour, and the fruit keeps for up to a month. It's a reliable, quick-fruiting variety — you could see your first apples within a year of planting.

'Red Windsor' is partially self-fertile and will crop well alone, though it fruits even better with a pollination partner in the same period (Group 2) or an adjacent group (1 or 3). It has good resistance to many common diseases, including strong scab resistance, making it a particularly good choice for humid, western parts of the country. The clear stem makes half standards ideal for underplanting or grazing animals to graze beneath once established, suiting informal orchards, larger lawns, or anywhere a more traditional tree shape is wanted. Staking is recommended for the first few years while the tree establishes, and MM106 means it will take a little longer to come into fruit than a bush form on 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.