The apple is the favourite tree of German gardens, and the choice is huge. More than a thousand varieties are described, from the crisp supermarket classic to the old farm variety that never reached the trade. This diversity is a joy, but also a burden of choice.
The good news: three questions get you to the right tree. When do you want to harvest? How much space do you have? And do you want to spray, or would you rather have a robust variety that stays healthy on its own? The rest is taste.
The variety: flavour meets robustness
Choosing a variety is first a matter of taste, and that you judge best yourself, for instance at an apple show in autumn where dozens of varieties lie side by side. Beyond flavour, a second look at health pays off.
Old favourites like 'Cox Orange' or 'Boskoop' taste superb but are prone to disease. If you do not want to spray, you are better off with scab- and mildew-resistant new breeds: 'Topaz' as a spicy winter apple, 'Rewena' as a red storing apple, 'Santana', which many apple-allergic people tolerate. More on the main reason for robust varieties is in Recognising apple scab and choosing resistant varieties.
The rootstock: as big as your space allows
The same variety comes as a knee-high column and as a stately standard. The difference is the rootstock it was grafted onto. For most home gardens a bush tree on a semi-vigorous rootstock is the sensible choice: easy to pick, reliable in cropping.
If there is no room at all for a free-standing tree, the apple is trained as an espalier against a wall or as a slim column in a pot. Which rootstock gives which size is covered in detail in Understanding fruit tree rootstocks.
The spot and pollination
Apples want sun. In a full-sun spot the fruit turns sweeter and colours up better than in part shade. The soil should be deep and not waterlogged.
The point many overlook: almost all apple varieties depend on cross-pollination. A single tree with no other for miles often bears poorly. You do not necessarily need a second tree in your own garden, usually an apple or crab apple in a neighbour's garden flowering at the same time is enough. In densely built-up areas that is almost always the case.
First the space, then the rootstock, then the flavour. And a second apple must flower nearby, or the basket stays empty.
The core rule on choosing a variety
Frequently asked questions
Which apple variety is easiest for beginners?
A scab-resistant variety such as 'Topaz', 'Rewena' or 'Retina'. It stays largely healthy without spraying and forgives care mistakes. That way you gain experience without immediately fighting disease.
Do I need two apple trees for one to bear?
Not necessarily two of your own. But almost all apples need a second variety flowering at the same time nearby. In built-up areas an apple or crab apple in a neighbour's garden usually serves as pollinator.
How big does an apple tree get?
That depends on the rootstock, not the variety. Anything from two metres as a spindle to over six metres as a standard is possible. Measure your space and choose the rootstock to match.
When do I plant an apple tree?
Best bare-root in the dormant season in autumn, weeks 40 to 46, as long as the soil is open. It then establishes over winter and starts away in spring. Planting depth decides the success.
Which variety keeps longest in storage?
Late winter apples such as 'Topaz', 'Rewena' or 'Boskoop', picked late and stored cool, keep into spring. Early varieties, by contrast, you must eat quickly, as they go mealy in storage.
