Grow a Little Piece of Castle Farm: A limited number of Norfolk Royal Apple Trees are now available for you to plant at home 🍎

There’s something rather lovely about picking an apple from a tree you’ve grown yourself. And now you can grow a little piece of Castle Farm in your own garden! For those of you who have visited the PYO Orchard in September, you'll know these apples are particularly special! 

LIMITED NUMBER AVAILABLE

We’re delighted to have a limited number of Norfolk Royal apple trees for sale in the Castle Farm Shop – a rare and delicious heritage variety with a special connection to the farm. Each tree is currently 2 years old. 

A rare Castle Farm favourite

The Norfolk Royal is a traditional English eating apple, originally discovered as a chance seedling in Norfolk in the early 1900s. It produces attractive red apples with crisp, juicy flesh and a deliciously sweet flavour – perfect for eating straight from the tree.

Here at Castle Farm, Norfolk Royal has been part of our story for more than 50 years. Our orchard was planted in 1969, by my grandfather, and today it remains one of the special varieties grown here.

It’s not an apple you’ll find in every garden centre either. Norfolk Royal is now considered a rare, heritage, variety, making it a rather special addition to your garden – and a lovely way to grow something with a genuine connection to our farm. Each tree has been grown from a cutting taken from our Orchard. 

Perfect for smaller gardens – and little gardeners

The trees we have for sale are dwarf trees, so they’re much more manageable than a full-sized orchard tree. They’re ideal for smaller gardens or orchard areas. 

Rootstock:M26 Semi-dwarf, 3-4 metres in height when mature. 

Their smaller size makes them particularly good for children, too. Blossom appears in spring, apples develop through the summer and, come early autumn, there’s the very satisfying job of picking your own fruit.

Planting your Norfolk Royal Apple Tree

Apple trees are relatively easy to look after. Give yours a good start and it should reward you with blossom and fruit for many years to come.

You can see a full guide to growing Apple Trees here - RHS Guide to Apple Trees. 

🌱 Planting & care – a quick guide

• Choose a sunny spot: Apple trees do best in full sun, ideally somewhere sheltered from strong winds.
• Give it good soil: Choose a well-drained position and avoid areas where the soil stays waterlogged.
• Plant at the right depth: Position the tree at the same depth as it was growing previously, keeping the graft union – the knobbly join near the base of the trunk – above the soil.
• Give it a drink: Water thoroughly when planting and keep watering during dry spells, particularly for the first couple of years.
• Keep the grass away: Leave a clear area around the base of the tree so that grass and weeds aren't competing with it for water and nutrients.
• Add a mulch: A layer of well-rotted compost or other organic matter around the base will help retain moisture. Keep it clear of the trunk.
• Stake young trees: A sturdy stake will help support your tree while its roots become established.
• Don't rush the fruit: Young trees need time to establish. It's better to encourage strong roots and healthy growth than a heavy crop in the first year or two.
• Give it a little prune: Pruning helps maintain a healthy shape and encourages good fruiting. Young trees are generally pruned during the dormant season, from late autumn through winter.

One thing to remember…

Norfolk Royal needs another compatible apple variety nearby for pollination. If you already have an apple tree (or crab apple!) in your garden, check its variety and flowering group – or look around your neighbourhood! Bees can happily do the travelling between nearby apple trees. The Norfolk Royal is Pollination Group 3 Will be pollinated by large number of common varieties. 

Continue the heritage

There’s something particularly satisfying about growing an apple with a connection to a real working farm – and even better when you can eventually walk into the garden and pick one for yourself.

Our Norfolk Royal Apple Trees are available from the Castle Farm Shop while stocks last.

Come and choose yours, plant it, watch it grow – and in a few years, you could be biting into your very own Castle Farm Norfolk Royal. 🍎