Discovery

Discovery is probably the most well-known early English apple variety, ripening in late August. It is very easy to grow, and has excellent natural disease resistance.

Discovery is grown commercially on a small scale in the UK, but it has a very short shelf-life, and shop-bought apples can be disappointing if not picked at exactly the right time. For this reason Discovery is definitely a variety that is better grown in the garden, and preferably eaten straight from the tree - although it will keep in a fridge for a week if necessary.

In some years there is a hint of strawberry flavour, which adds to the summery appeal.

Discovery also excels as a variety for juicing, as it produces a very well-balanced sweet/sharp juice

Growing and Training

Discovery is very easy to grow. Being an early-season apple, it can ripen in a short growing season and is therefore a good choice for northern areas. It is a reliable cropper even as far north as Caithness.

It is also good choice for growers in areas of high rainfall. Although a very "English" apple, Discovery is known to be very cold-hardy, and able to tolerate temperatures much lower than those usually found in the UK.

A characteristic of Discovery is that the tree will often drop quite a lot of apples near maturity. It's best to wait a bit longer if you can, rather than taking this as a cue to start picking.

Discovery is also one of the best varieties for organic growers or gardeners who do not want to spray their trees - it has excellent natural disease resistance. The apples are invariably clean with a good finish.

History

Discovery is a seedling of another popular English early apple, Worcester Pearmain, found in Essex, UK, in 1949.

Discovery characteristics

• Gardening skillBeginner
• Fruit persistenceNormal ripening
• Self-fertile?Not self-fertile
• Pollinating othersAverage
• Pick seasonEarly
• Picking periodmid-August
• Keeping1 week
• Food usesEating freshJuice - One of the best early-season varieties for juicing
• Country of originUnited Kingdom
• Period of origin1900 - 1949
• Fruit colourRed

You might also like these varieties

• 
  Katy
  Katy is an attractive and versatile early apple variety from Sweden, very easy to grow.
• 
  Rosette
  Probably the best-flavoured of the pink-fleshed apple varieties, and produces lovely pink juice.
• 
  Scrumptious
  Scrumptious is a modern award-winning early-season English dessert apple.
• 
  Worcester Pearmain
  Worcester Pearmain is a well-known early-season English apple, noted for its strawberry-like flavours.

More about apple trees

Apples are very versatile, and all varieties can be eaten or used in the kitchen. However varieties specifically grown as eating apples tend to have the best flavours for eating raw.

The main thing to decide when choosing an eating apple is when you intend to eat the apples. Early season apples are typically ready in August, and generally don't keep very long. Mid-season apples are ripe in early September, while late-season apples start to become ripe in late September and October. Many of the late-season varieties can also be stored in a fridge or cold shed for several months into the winter.

Some apple varieties are self-fertile, but most are not. However in most areas of the UK you do not need to worry whether your apple trees are self-fertile or not, as there will be other apple trees in nearby gardens to help with pollination.