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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Glockenapfel, Belle de Boskoop, CO hardiness

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  • From: Douglas Woodard <dwoodard@becon.org>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Glockenapfel, Belle de Boskoop, CO hardiness
  • Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:52:32 -0500

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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