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or espalier, try MM106 or MM116 rootstock. For larger trees, choose MM111. You can get smaller rootstocks such as MM26 and MM27, but these tend to produce a smaller crop of fruit with greater susceptibility to pests and disease.What are your favourite apple

We try to run our house along democratic lines. This, I'm convinced, is the right way to be, but it does mean that a final decision can be difficult to reach, especially on things we all care passionately about.The scruffy, peculiar-looking apple

on the apple trees is already showing its colours and the fruits are changing shade as they ripen. The pumpkins and butternut squashes, too, are showing a hint of colour and the sweet corn tassels have turned brown at long last, which means they should

Strummer and the Mescaleros (from their 2001 album Global A Go-Go; watch the video).John Chapman was a hard-boiled and slightly mad frontiersman who travelled from Pennsylvania through to Ohio, ahead of mainstream settlers, planting apple seeds and creating

The cause of the splits is invariably irregular watering. When the tree suddenly gets a hefty drink following a period of drought, the apples quickly expand, which often leads to the skin cracking. The fruit usually produces a corky, scab

When apple trees are in flower, the sawfly, Hoplocampa testudinea, lays its eggs in the developing fruit. In June, the larvae tunnel their way under the skin of the fruit and into the core, causing the apples to fall. When they're ready, they tunnel

Apple sooty blotch is caused by an overwintering fungus, which is typically found on trees or branches growing in shade and damp. It creates a splatter of dark, sooty spots all over the skin of the fruit, although the flesh isn't affected at all

Monty Don takes you through the process of planting early potatoes with suggestions for soil conditioning and spacing.springMore advice on growing potatoesBlog on growing potatoesChitting potatoes video projectGrowing potatoes in a binGrowing

Apple and pear scab is most prevalent in mild, damp seasons. The fungus overwinters on fallen leaves in the form of spores, which can be splashed by rain or carried in the wind to infect newly emerged shoots in spring. Overwintering can also occur

Wasps love feeding on soft, juicy fruit. They can break through the skins of grapes, peaches and plums, and quickly nibble out sizeable cavities, but fruit with tougher skins such as apples and pears must first be broken open by pecking birds before