Apple

Cooking apples tolerate heavier, wetter soils than dessert varieties, and are well worth growing for winter use from store. Varieties are grafted on rootstocks which affect the size and vigour of the tree, and may be trained in a number of different shapes. Pruning depends on the tree form and vigour of the rootstock, and should be checked in a handbook. 'Bramley's Seedling' is a hardy vigorous tree that is triploid, meaning that it needs two other varieties for good pollination. It is also a partial tip-bearer, which should be taken into account when pruning. Sometimes it crops more heavily in alternate years, which is referred to as biennial. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it its prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM).