[NAFEX] Glockenapfel, Belle de Boskoop, CO hardiness
Douglas Woodard
dwoodard at becon.org
Thu Dec 18 05:52:32 EST 2008
With apologies for the late reply:
I see that two Wisconsin nurseries offer trees of Belle de Boskoop and
Cox Orange:
http://www.edibleforestnursery.com
http://www.maplevalleyorchards.com
Two U.S. sources of apple fruit say they have trees of Glockenapfel:
Lamb Abbey Orchards of Union, Maine
http://www.lambabbey.com
<orchard(at)lambabbey.com>
http://eastmansantiqueapples.com
Wheeler, Michigan
Possibly propagating wood could be obtained from one of them.
In 1980 and 1981 I bought Cox Orange apples from the late Mr. Vowinckel
in Prince Edward County, Ontario, in the southeast of the county (by
Milford if I recall rightly) on the shore of Lake Ontario in zone 6a.
Prince Edward County is the peninsula which projects into the lake from
its north shore near its east end. After the test winter of 1980-81 he
told me that he had lost half of his Cox Orange trees (on MM111 I think)
to that brutal winter, which had not only severe cold just after
Christmas but a very warm prolonged thaw in February followed by very
cold weather in March. However some Goldcot apricots near me on Amherst
Island survived, though not by much. A little farther north in Prince
Edward County and in the apple growing regions on the mainland near the
lakeshore in zone 5b, the Northern Spy crop suffered, and the Rhode
Island Greening crop was reduced by 90% with some trees killed.
Robert Osborne of Corn Hill Nursery in southeastern New Brunswick (zone
4b) and Siloam Orchards just north of Toronto near Uxbridge (zone 6a/5b)
have both described Cox Orange as tender with them.
My guess is that Cox Orange in Minnesota Zone 4 might survive a run of
favourable winters, but might also be killed at any time. Cox Orange is
notoriously unsuited to continental climates with hot summers.
Of Cox quality apples which might be hardier than Cox itself, Ashmead's
Kernel is reported by Edible Forest to have been damaged at minus 42
degrees F. Holstein and Erwin Baur (Bauer?) are reported to be seedlings
of Duchess of Oldenburg so may be fairly hardy. Tumanga is reputed
hardier than Cox. Laxton's Epicure (in England picks end of August and
keeps about a month) is a cross between Cox and Wealthy with some
Wealthy tree characters, though I know of no North American sources.
Ribston Pippin used to be grown in zone 5 in Ontario though its season
became earlier in the warmer Niagara Peninsula.
I have no idea how hardy Kidd's Orange Red is but it is reputed to suit
Continental climates.
The late Fred Janson considered the prairie-hardy August apple Mantet
(bred at Morden, Manitoba in zone 3b, a Tetofsky seedling thought to be
possibly pollinated by McIntosh)) to be in the same quality ballpark as
Cox. I think the article in which he expressed the view was in Fruit
Varieties Journal between 20 and 30 years ago.
Your inquirer might be well advised to try some of the higher-quality
Minnesota bred apples like Sweet Sixteen, Keepsake and Regent, if she
has not already done so. The Canadian Norkent (zone 2b?) has been
compared to Gala.
If she is disposed to learn to graft she might also consider that
topworking on a fully hardy framework greatly improves the recovery from
cold injury and cumulative yield. Shelter from cold drying winter winds
is important, as are shelter from low-angle late afternnon late winter
sun, and air drainage (planting on slopes) to avoid the coldest
temperatures in still winter nights with clear air allowing radiation
cooling. Painting with white interior latex paint to delay coming out of
dormancy can be helpful. Well drained soil and management of pruning,
fertilizing and watering to encourage coldhardiness are also helpful.
I have no personal experience with any of these fruits (barring Spy,
Wealthy and R.I. Greening) except Cox Orange, and none with its tree.
Doug Woodard
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
derry&bill wrote:
> I've received an email from a home gardener in Minnesota. She grew up in
> Switzerland and her father had a few apple trees. She wants to know:
>
> 1) if Glockenapfel, Belle de Boskoop and/or Cox's Orange will grow in
> zone 4?
> 2) is there a supplier of these varieties in the Eastern US?
> 3) is there a supplier anywhere else in the US?
>
> Thanks for any information you can give me.
>
> Derry Walsh
> south coastal B.C.
> where a Arctic front has just moved down and we're experiencing -6°C
> (21°F) and there's a forecast of -13°C (9°F) on Friday. Brrrrrrr.
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