Category: Apple trees
Collections: UK dessert apple orchard collection, Cox's Orange Pippin substitutes
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Apple trees

Sunset

Sunset is a popular Cox-style apple, widely recommended as an alternative to Cox's Orange Pippin as it is much easier to grow.  The parentage is not known but it is almost certainly a seedling of Cox.  Disease resistance is far better, and cropping is good.

The flavour can vary quite a bit, being crisp and sweet in an average year, but with some of the aromatic qualities of Cox's Orange Pippin in a good year.  Sunset ripens in mid-September.

Fresh fruit for sale of this variety

Sunset apple trees for sale (2010/2011 season)

Deliver to mainland UKDelivery to the mainland UK (price includes delivery)

Mature heightSupplied as*Delivery
period		Price
inc. delivery		Quantity
Very small (1.5m - 2m)1-year - Bare-root - M27 rootstockNov-March£30.00
Very small (1.5m - 2m)2-year - 12L container - M27 rootstockSept-April£36.00
Medium (2.2m - 3m)1-year - Bare-root - M26 rootstockNov-March£30.00
Medium (2.2m - 3m)2-year - 12L container - M26 rootstockSept-April£36.00
Large (2.5m - 4.5m)1-year - Bare-root - MM106 rootstockNov-March£30.00
Large (2.5m - 4.5m)2-year - Bare-root - MM106 rootstockNov-March£36.15
Large (2.5m - 4.5m)2-year - 12L container - MM106 rootstockSept-April£36.00

Product formats | Bare-root or Container-grown | Delivery | Rootstocks

All prices include delivery. We offer a discount on orders of multiple bare-root trees for delivery at the same time - this will be shown at the checkout.

*Delivery period: Container-grown trees will be delivered from September 2010. Bare-root trees will be delivered from mid-November 2010. You can order now and your items will be reserved for you, but you will not be asked to pay until nearer the time of delivery.



Alternative varieties

Fiesta

A very similar Cox-style apple.(In stock)


Uses

  • Flavour quality - Good
  • Flavour style - Aromatic
  • Good for eating fresh
  • Use / keeping - 2-3 weeks

Growing

Climate

Pollination partners for Sunset

Sunset is in flowering group 3. It is self-sterile and needs a pollination partner nearby. The following varieties will pollinate Sunset:

Important: advice about pollination


Horticultural characteristics of Sunset apple trees

Sunset is self-fertile so no pollination partner is required.  The main horticultural problem is that the apples tend to be quite small, but this is easily corrected by thinning the fruitlets thoroughly in May and early June.  Sunset can be grown reliably throughout much of the UK.

Historical details

Introduced in 1918, unknown parentage but assumed to be a seedling of Cox's Orange Pippin.





Example trees as supplied (container-grown only)

This is an illustration of what our products look like as delivered. Please remember that trees are natural products, so this information is for general guidance only. The trees at this stage are 1-2 years old, and will get larger as they grow older, the likely mature heights are indicated in the ordering section above. The trees you receive may differ in some respects from those shown here, for some of the following reasons:

  • Many of these photos were taken in early autumn - trees delivered during winter will not have leaves.
  • There can be a considerable size variation between different varieties of the same species.
  • Some varieties naturally "feather" or produce many side branches at an early age. Others may not feather at all.
  • In some cases we may have to "tip" the tops of trees to fit in our delivery cartons. Please do not be alarmed, as this will be carried out immediately prior to despatch, and is actually good practice when planting a new tree.

For comparison purposes the model in our photos is 5ft 6" / 1m 68cm tall. Click any of the images to view a larger one.




Product photo
2-year pre-trained apple tree in a 12L container on M27 rootstock
Product photo
2-year pre-trained apple tree in a 12L container on M26 rootstock
Product photo
2-year pre-trained apple tree in a 12L container on MM106 rootstock
Product photo
1-year apple tree in a 3L container on M9 rootstock
Product photo
Cordon apple tree in a 12L container on M9 rootstock