North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Joe and Ellen Hecksel <jhecksel@voyager.net>]

Charles Paradise wrote:

> Can someone calculate out the chance that this variety would mature in the 
> north in zone 5?
> Charles Paradise
> Massachusetts/zone 5
Hi Charles:


Nearly 100%.  Fruit trees shrug off light frosts.  I think it takes a 
sustained period of 26 F or less to knock off the leaves and risk 
freezing the fruit.

I live near Lansing, Michigan.  According to the weather service, 
Lansing is zone 5 and has a 140 day growing season.  The weather service 
predicts first killing frost for Lansing as about Sept 21.  Bartlett 
ripens about Sept 10 so I expect Blake's Pride would be ready to pick 
the last week of September.

Just for points of reference:  nearly all other Zone 5 cities are good 
for 155 growing days so Lansing is trailing the pack.  We are still able 
to grow Golden Russet and Northern Spy apples.  Geneva, NY lists both 
apples as ripening in late October.  That is one month after the average 
"killing" frost.

By good fortune, I happen to have a small tree (8') of Blake's Pride. 
It is very spurry and I expect it to be quite precocious.


--
-Joe Hecksel
My personal web site: http://my.voyager.net/~jhecksel
Bumper crop of racoons, rabbits and woodchucks this year.  Send rain.