
A highly ornamental crab apple variety, known for its distinctive scarlet orange fruits perfect for making crab apple jelly. 'John Downie' produces a mass of large, plum-like apples that mature early and last well into winter. Its white flowers, adored by bees, make it an excellent pollinator for other apple trees, especially those in pollination groups 3 or 4. With an upright habit in its youth and an arching form in maturity, this small deciduous tree with fiery autumn foliage thrives in most conditions, making it a beautiful and productive addition to any garden.
How to care for Malus John Downie:
When planting your flowering crab, prepare a hole up to three times the diameter of its root system. Fork over the base of the pit in readiness, incorporating plenty of organic matter into the backfill and planting hole. Avoiding frozen and waterlogged soil, trees should be planted out as they arrive. If you've ordered a bare root tree, soak the roots in a bucket of water for half an hour prior to planting, or if this is not possible, they can be heeled in temporarily, covering their roots with soil, or potted up. Choose a sheltered spot to protect emerging blossom. Remove dead, diseased and crossing branches while the tree is dormant during the winter months.
Flowering period:
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Position:
Full sun / light shade
Rate of growth:
Average
Soil:
Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Hardiness:
Fully hardy
-
This plant is deciduous so it will lose all its leaves in autumn, then fresh new foliage appears again each spring.
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bare root | MM106 root stock | 1m
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9 litre pot | MM106 root stock | 1m
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bare root | MM111 root stock | 1.2m
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