Frank P Matthews
Want to take a look at our latest catalogue? View our downloadable PDF version instantly.
Out Of Stock
Good alternative to Cox with dense, crunchy flesh and slightly aromatic yet honeyed and sweet flavour. Read more
Description: Syn. Early Windsor. Alkmene is a dessert variety with a reliable crop, often considered a good alternative to Cox. Yellow-green fruit striped with red. Dense, crunchy flesh and slightly aromatic yet honeyed and sweet flavour. Alkmene is a good tree for decorative purposes as well as for its early yield, producing lovely pale pink blossoms that turn to white. The thick green foliage turns yellow-orange in autumn. Grown all over Germany, also commercially in the Netherlands, Belgium and England.
History: A cross between Cox Orange and Oldenburg, Alkmene was developed in the 1930s by M. Schmidt at the former Kaiser Wilhelm Institute, Brandenburg, Germany. Renamed Early Windsor Apple in the United Kingdom, in 1996. Received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in 1998.
Apple
Yellow-gold with orange flush and red stripes. Nutty taste, sweet and crumbly texture. An old favourite!
Non-browning apple for fresh eating and cooking. Delicious, crisp, sweet and aromatic. Behaves like Bramley.
Attractive red fruits, wonderfully aromatic, juicy and crisp. A highly flavoured Cox type that is easier to grow!
Aromatic flavour, crunchy, crisp and juicy. Can be picked and eaten from mid September over a few weeks.
Your tree will have been pruned prior to despatch so there should be no need to prune straight away. The only exception is a bare root maiden which will not have been pruned. Some varieties will benefit from being pruned later – please see the variety specific information.
We would advise watering your tree when planting and then regularly during the first summer in the ground. Thereafter the level of watering will depend on the soil and weather conditions. It is best to not let young trees dry out.
A free booklet with simple instructions will also be included with your order.
You can also find more information in the ‘Advice’ section of our website. Click here for ‘How to Plant a Container Tree’ and here for ‘How to Plant a Bare Root Tree’.
Trees should always be planted as soon as possible. The only exception would be bare root trees if the soil is very frozen or waterlogged, in which case heel the trees in until the ground is ready. Bare root trees must be planted before new growth appears in spring, this is usually in March.
If your tree is to be kept in a container, then we’d advise repotting into a larger container as soon as possible. Please check to see whether the tree is suitable for a pot before purchasing.
Yes, you can collect the trees from the nursery. Please select the ‘Collect’ option when placing the order. We will email you as soon as your order is ready for collection, we will then need at least two working days to prepare your order.
The delivery charge is calculated according to the number of boxes needed to send the trees. One container grown tree will need one box; bare root trees vary but we can usually get about three in a box. The total delivery cost will be shown when you place the order.
We currently do not deliver to any addresses outside of mainland Great Britain.
We will notify you by email when your order has been despatched. It will usually be delivered within three days from notification.
Our boxes are 2 metres tall and 30cm square.
We are unable to offer a scheduled delivery service as we cannot guarantee an exact delivery date. We can aim for a specific week if you let us know.
Our courier company will leave the package in the safest place if there is no one there, so there is no need to sign for the delivery.
Container grown trees are available from August and bare root trees are available from November. We always aim to deliver your order as soon as every item is ready for despatch.
If the whole order is ready when purchased, it usually takes between 5 and 10 working days to arrive.
See below for a guide on when bare root trees are usually ready for despatch.
Early November – Two year old plums, cherries, apples and then pears.Late November – One year maiden plums, cherries, apples and then pears.Late November/Early December – Ornamental prunus, sorbus, thorns, malus and then pyrus.
This is an estimate as the lifting of bare root trees is very weather dependant.
If you are unhappy with your tree when it arrives, please email sales@fpmatthews.co.uk within five working days and we will get back to you as soon as possible.