The British love apples. So much so that we consume over 120,000 tonnes of them every year. They are a staple of our diet and when we think about five-a-day at least one of those portions is sure to be an apple.

Whilst many Brits are content to get their apple fix from their neighbourhood greengrocer or supermarket more of us are attempting to grow our own. After all, nothing ever tastes sweeter than homegrown fruit.

Growing apples used to be the preserve of orchard growers or those with large gardens. Not anymore. Thanks to clever growing techniques horticulturists have developed a range of dwarf apple trees which every gardener can enjoy - whether you have an acre, a patio or a balcony.

These easy to grow fruit trees are always popular with our customers. So, whether you’re an experienced fruit grower or have just decided to grow your own; here are our top 5 dwarf apple trees for your patio. Or for the garden if you’re fortunate enough to have space.

Dwarf patio Gala apple tree

Gala is the best-selling eating dessert apple in the UK. Seen by many as traditionally British it actually originates from New Zealand. Nevertheless, it is widely grown on these shores and is hugely popular with home gardeners.

This Gala tree is perfect for the apple lover. It produces sweet and juicy fruit in late summer or early autumn. This tree will only grow to around five feet tall with a spread of around three feet. So, it’s ideal for the patio. The tree you’ll receive will be growing in a five-litre pot all ready for putting into your own container. There’s no better way to begin growing your own apples than with a  dwarf Gala apple tree.

Dwarf Braeburn apple tree

Only marginally behind the Gala in terms of sales the Braeburn is an apple you’ll find in every supermarket. Again, originally a native of New Zealand the Braeburn is a crunchie sweet dessert apple. Though you can also cook with it.

If you have some space on the patio you have enough room to be able to  grow your own Braeburn apples. The dwarf Braeburn you’ll receive from Direct Plants has been grown on a high-fruiting patio standard stem. This means you’ll have a tree which produces loads of fruit but which will only grow to four or five feet tall.

Dwarf Granny Smith

Still a popular apple the Granny Smith is always a favourite with home gardeners. And all gardeners should get great results with the tree they receive from Direct Plants. This  dwarf Granny Smith is fully hardy and, importantly for the novice fruit grower, it is self-fertile. Ideal for the patio the tree will reach a mature spread of 5x3’. The apples can be picked as late as October and will produce a terrific crop year after year.

Dwarf Redlove apple

How about something different? The  Redlove apple is, as you’d expect, glossily red and ultra-tasty. This new hybrid apple was first grown in Switzerland but is now available to UK gardeners.

The Redlove is a fully hardy deciduous tree. It has an average growth rate and because it's grown on a dwarfing stem it will only grow to around five feet tall. As well as the delicious fruit the tree itself is highly attractive. It has striking green and purple foliage and beautiful flowers in late spring. It will truly be a wonderful focal point for your patio.

Dwarf Bramley apple tree

The fifth in our selection of dwarf apple trees for your patio is that wonderful old favourite the Bramley. The Bramley is of course the classic British cooking apple. If you’re a fan of apple pies or crumbles this is the tree for you. The tree you receive from Direct Plants will arrive at your door in a five-litre pot. The  Bramley tree produces masses of blossom in spring with the large apples arriving in late summer / early autumn all ready for picking.

Although we’ve picked out five dwarf apple trees for your patio, we stock many more varieties of apple as well as other fruits including pear and cherry. You can see them all here. If you need any more information on any of our fruit trees you can contact us on sales@directplants.co.uk and we’ll be only too happy to help.