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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] crabapples, and haskaps

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  • From: Douglas Woodard <dwoodard@becon.org>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] crabapples, and haskaps
  • Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:14:52 -0400

Melissa, regarding apples and pears, do you object to spraying on the grounds of toxic risk, the necessity for precise timing, or just effort?

Are you willing to use a non-toxic spray like Surround for curculio? Are you willing to use traps (like the red sticky spheres for apple maggot)?

Are you familiar with the scab-resistant apple cultivars?

You might want to contact organic growers (commercial or home-use) in your area. The chair of the NAFEX apple testing group lives in New York State (latitude of Ithaca, longitude of Oneida) and I believe he grows more or less organically. Bill MacKentley, the proprietor of St. Lawrence Nursery (Potsdam) might be able to make recommendations if you phone him in a quiet time (maybe November to early winter).

Remember that there is more to growing organically than not spraying.

Curculio pressure varies a lot with site. Woods nearby tend to be risky. Chickens (or turkeys?) can be helpful.

If you are not acquainted with a large variety of quality apples, it might not be a good idea to have too specific ideas about what you think you like.

Doug Woodard
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada



Melissa Kacalanos wrote:
I've been enjoying the lively discussions of obscure
fruit on this list. My husband and I just bought a
house with a big yard, and we're eager to rip up the
useless lawn and plant more interesting plants next
spring. You're all giving us lots of great ideas.

Crabapples have been discussed recently by people who
enjoy eating them fresh. I'd never considered any sort
of apple for our garden, since the usual apple
varieties can't be grown organically in this area
(central NY, zone 5), and I don't want to have to
bother with spraying. How do these crabs for fresh
eating do against pests? Are they more resistant than
the usual apples?

Assuming these crabs are more resistant to pests, do
they really taste good? I realize that's a very
subjective question, of course, so I'm going to
calibrate my tastes for you all with a familiar apple.
My favorite apple of the commonly available varieties
is 'Granny Smith' because that's the crunchiest and
most flavorful. (I like 'Gold Rush" even better, but
that's more obscure.) Are there crabapples with a
crunch and taste sort of like that?

[snip]

Melissa
Central NY, zone 5




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