Ellis Bitter

Ellis Bitter is a traditional heritage West Country cider apple producing a mild medium bittersweet juice with soft tannins. 

It is best suited to blended cider making, where its balanced character adds smoothness and body.

Features

• Medium bittersweet cider apple with soft tannins
• Produces mild, juicy cider fruit
• Best suited for blended cider production
• Early ripening cider variety
• Vigorous tree with upright-spreading growth habit
• Produces good crops on a biennial cycle
  

Origins / Notes

An old cider variety believed to have originated on a farm in South Devon during the mid-1800s. It later became widely grown throughout the West Country and Herefordshire for traditional cider making.

Disease Resistance

Some susceptibility to apple scab and fire blight.

Pollination Season

Mid-season

Harvesting Season

Early to mid-season harvest, typically September.

Storage

Best used soon after harvesting for optimum cider quality. Eating and pressing window is immediately after harvest while juice remains fresh and balanced.

Need help choosing your Rootstock?

Please refer to our Rootstock Guide in the first instance.

Need help selecting your organic apple tree?

You might want to have a read of our Guide - How to Choose the Right Apple Tree - that gives an overview of all the decisions you'll need to make and tips on how to make them

Whereas varieties determine the type of apple you get, the rootstock determines the growing characteristics, vigour and ultimate height of the tree.

Selecting the right rootstock for your site and preference is just as important as the variety you chose. The different rootstocks we graft with and their uses are listed below.

M26 – Semi dwarf. Up to 3m high. Requires staking. Used for bush trees. Suitable for small gardens & allotments, for training into cordons & espaliers. Startsbfruiting after 2-3 years. Space bush trees 2-4m apart.

M116 – Medium. A semi-vigorous rootstock, with trees growing up to 3-4m high. Good for wet soil conditions. Start fruiting after 3-4 years.  Space trees 3.6m with 4.5m between the rows.

MM106 – Medium. A semi-vigorous rootstock, with trees growing up to 3-4m high. Good for half standards, espaliers, cordons. Start fruiting after 3-4 years. Space trees 3.6m with 4.5m between the rows.     

M111 – Large. A vigorous rootstock, with trees growing up to 4m high. Tolerates wet ground, more exposed sites, higher altitudes, and shallower soil conditions, has good disease resistance. Good for farms, larger smallholdings. Start fruiting after 4-5 years   Space trees 4-6m apart with 6m between the rows.

M25– Very Large. A very vigorous rootstock, with trees growing up to 6m (20ft) high. Grow as full or half standard. Ideal in poorer soil in exposed sites. Not ideal for the most gardens unless the soil is poor. Start fruiting after 5-6 years.  Space trees 4.5m apart with 6m between the rows.

Mid Season

For more information about pollination groups, please click here.