Malus domestica ‘fiesta’
£30.00
Frequently Bought Together
Description
Quick Facts
- Common Name: Fiesta Apple
- Botanical Name: Malus domestica ‘Fiesta’
- Plant Type: Deciduous fruit tree
- Mature Height: 3–4m (as a standard tree; can be kept smaller with pruning or on dwarfing rootstock)
- Mature Spread: 2.5–3.5m
- Flowering Period: April to May
- Flower Colour: White to pale pink
- Fruit: Medium to large apples, yellow-green flushed with red/orange; crisp, juicy, aromatic, sweet with a hint of spice; harvest October
- Foliage: Mid-green, turning yellow in autumn
- Hardiness: RHS H6 (hardy throughout UK & Ireland)
- Soil Requirements: Moist, well-drained, moderately fertile
- Aspect: Full sun (essential for best fruiting and colour)
- Maintenance: Moderate (annual pruning and thinning recommended)
Description
Malus domestica ‘Fiesta’ is a modern classic in Irish and UK gardens—prized for its richly flavoured, aromatic apples and its reliable cropping year after year. Fiesta apples are medium to large, with a yellow-green background and a bold red or orange flush, offering a crisp, juicy bite and a sweet, subtly spiced flavour reminiscent of its famous parent, ‘Cox’s Orange Pippin’.
In spring, ‘Fiesta’ is covered in clusters of white to pale pink blossom, drawing pollinators and promising a generous harvest. The fruit ripens in October, with apples that are perfect for eating fresh, juicing, or baking. Fiesta keeps well in storage, letting you enjoy its flavour for weeks after harvest.
Vigorous and easy to grow, ‘Fiesta’ is partially self-fertile but will crop more heavily with a compatible pollination partner (group 3, such as ‘Discovery’, ‘Elstar’, or ‘James Grieve’) nearby. It has good disease resistance and is especially suited to home orchards and family gardens.
Plant as a specimen tree, part of a mini-orchard, or train against a sunny wall for a productive and beautiful garden feature. Its combination of blossom, fruit, and autumn colour makes it a true all-rounder for any garden.
Caragh Garden Notebook
Planting:
Space trees 2.5–3.5m apart for standards, or closer for cordons/espaliers. Plant bare-root or container-grown trees in late autumn to early spring (November–March). Choose a sunny, sheltered site with fertile, well-drained soil. Avoid frost pockets and waterlogged areas. Dig a generous hole, incorporate well-rotted compost, and plant at the same depth as in the nursery. Firm soil, water well, and mulch to retain moisture.
Space trees 2.5–3.5m apart for standards, or closer for cordons/espaliers. Plant bare-root or container-grown trees in late autumn to early spring (November–March). Choose a sunny, sheltered site with fertile, well-drained soil. Avoid frost pockets and waterlogged areas. Dig a generous hole, incorporate well-rotted compost, and plant at the same depth as in the nursery. Firm soil, water well, and mulch to retain moisture.
Soil Preparation:
Prefers moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil; pH 6.0–7.0 is ideal. Improve poor soils with compost or well-rotted manure before planting.
Prefers moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil; pH 6.0–7.0 is ideal. Improve poor soils with compost or well-rotted manure before planting.
Pruning & Care:
Prune annually in late winter or early spring to maintain shape, encourage fruiting spurs, and remove any dead or congested growth. Thin fruit in early summer to promote larger, healthier apples and prevent biennial bearing.
Prune annually in late winter or early spring to maintain shape, encourage fruiting spurs, and remove any dead or congested growth. Thin fruit in early summer to promote larger, healthier apples and prevent biennial bearing.
Pollination:
‘Fiesta’ is partially self-fertile but will crop best with a pollination partner from group 3 (such as ‘Discovery’, ‘Elstar’, or ‘James Grieve’).
‘Fiesta’ is partially self-fertile but will crop best with a pollination partner from group 3 (such as ‘Discovery’, ‘Elstar’, or ‘James Grieve’).
Harvesting:
Pick fruit in October when apples are fully coloured and come away easily from the branch. Fiesta stores well—keep in a cool, dry place to enjoy for several weeks.
Pick fruit in October when apples are fully coloured and come away easily from the branch. Fiesta stores well—keep in a cool, dry place to enjoy for several weeks.
Pests & Problems:
Generally reliable and disease resistant, but watch for aphids, apple scab, and codling moth. Good hygiene and regular checks help keep trees healthy.
Generally reliable and disease resistant, but watch for aphids, apple scab, and codling moth. Good hygiene and regular checks help keep trees healthy.
Propagation:
Not typically divided; propagate by grafting in winter for more trees.
Not typically divided; propagate by grafting in winter for more trees.
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