Apple varieties that will remain on the tree through the winter months or which will store well into the spring under cool but non-refrigerated conditions.
This website is dedicated to popularization, preservation and breeding of Long Keeping Apple varieties. Long Keeping Apples are apples that will remain on the tree through the winter months or which store well into the spring under cool but non-refrigerated conditions.
Why would you want a Long Keeping Apple tree? Well, most purchased apples will have been picked several months previously, sprayed by chemicals, refrigerated and shipped considerable distances. Besides being soaked in pesticides and fungicides during their growth period, such apple varieties must necessarily be able to ship well and be physically attractive – things like taste and texture are well down on the list of considerations.
It does not have to be this way. There are numerous apple varieties (both heirloom, commercial and newly discovered) that are long keeping, extremely tasty and disease resistant. It is possible to have your own apples available well into the spring and, since you grow them yourself, you do not have to use chemicals.
This site does not sell apple trees. The original intention was to offer some on a small scale but the recently implemented UK plant passport regulations have put a stop to that. Please see the FAQ question Can I Buy Long Keeping Apples Trees From You? for more details. You may be able to find some of the varieties listed here already available online and this site is looking to work with commercial growers to make these varieties more widely available.
Also, as discussed in the Surely There Must Be Some Way I can Purchase From You? FAQ section, you can register your interest in obtaining these Long Keeping Apple varieties. In the event we attend a garden show or similar, we would legally be able to sell you trees and/or scions.