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All about apples, pears, plums, and cherries - and orchards where they are grown

Charles Ross Apple tree

Owner: Edward

Location:  Castle Cary, SOMERSET, United Kingdom

Age:Planted in about
Rootstock:MM106
Blossom:Mid May
Picking:Mid September
Soil:Rich clay, on a slope. 
Pruning:A little pruning
Tree form:Not sure
Height:Between 6ft / 2m and 15ft / 4m
Cropping:Light crops
Growth:This tree grows easily here
Herbicides:Manual treatment (hoeing and weeding)
Pesticides:Organic treatments

Owner's comments

We thin the flowers and fruit a lot to encourage strong woody growth, as our site is quite windy (and we want a big tree soon!). The fruit is very good - not quite as crisp in texture as a Cox's, it is nonetheless delicious and we prefer them fresh, when they are still really tangy. They are best cooked when fresh as well - the only downside for us with this apple is that it doesn't store terribly well and so we usually juice and freeze all the apples that remain after a few weeks.