Bramley’s Seedling is an excellent cooking apple, but for the average gardener it is quite a challenge to grow. Firstly, it is a very strongly-growing tree, and it will need a lot of room when worked on the standard rootstock MM106. If grown on M26, it is a very easy tree to manage. However, Bramley on the rootstocks EMLA 9 or M26 is bound to fall over once in full cropping mode, if not supported and tied to a treated stake of 3 inch diameter and 6 foot height. I have seen many Bramley trees in that situation over the years.
Bramley is relatively slow to come into cropping. Once established it crops very well and as a cooker it is hard to beat. Bramley is a triploid variety, and so it needs two diploid pollinators. Good pollinators are Grenadier and Howgate Wonder.
If the tree is pruned too hard, fruit quality suffers; brown spots in the flesh, called bitter pit, may then be a regular occurrence. It is advisable to aim for moderate growth. The best method of pruning is simply to remove crossing branches and dead wood.
