North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["loneroc" <loneroc@countryspeed.com>]

Hi Jim,

If you reach -40 C/F regularly you are in zone 2!

If you are not grafting the apples yourself or mail ordering them from the 
handful of nurseries that specialize in trees for the northernmost zones you 
are not doing it right.  There is generally no way of knowing what the 
rootstock you have is otherwise.

Claude's assessment of the available hardy rootstocks is about right.  I do, 
however, think that apples on Antonovka seedlings will work well for you if 
you get them from someplace like St. Lawrence or Fedco.  Anything they have 
that would cross  with the Antonovka to produce rootstocks is likely to be 
very hardy, too. Del Stubbs and Jim Fruth, both of whom frequent the list 
have orchards near Bemidji and Pequot Lakes respectively can tell you what's 
done well for them. In northern MN it's unlikely that you'd hit your lowest 
temperatures without some snow.  Edmonton has those lovely Chinooks (so I've 
heard, anyway) which can cause midwinter snowmelts.

Good luck!
Steve Herje, USDA zone 3/4, SW WI






----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Hogan" <whirlinghurly@yahoo.com>
To: <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2010 4:30 PM
Subject: [NAFEX] Apple tree's/rootstocks for zone 3


> I just joined a couple weeks ago so I wanted to say hi, and to ask a 
> couple questions about growing apples in the cold zones like northern 
> Minnesota. I've read all the literature form the U of MN which isn't bad, 
> but there seems to be conflicting information so here I am. Right now I 
> have 2 haralson and 1 crabapple tree which do well here. The only things I 
> do is prune them a little and collect apples. Not a lot of pests or insect 
> damage so they've been pretty easy. We bought them from a nursery long 
> time ago so I'm assuming a standard rootstock. I want to try some dwarfing 
> rootstocks and some other apple, but our nurseries around here don't sell 
> them so I'd have to look elsewhere.
> Basically I have 2 questions:
> What dwarfing rootstocks will grow well in the cold?We hit 40-50 below 0 
> frequently. I have about 18-24 inches of topsoil, with a softer clay pan 
> beneath it(meaning I can dig it out pretty easily) and we grow a lot of 
> corn, alfalfa and oats.
> Also from the U of MN info, doesn't look like a lot will actually grow for 
> apples, maybe sweet 16 and haralson. Do you have any others that you'd 
> recommend. I am mostly looking for eating and cider apples. The nursery 
> had beacon and chestnut crab, goodland and a couple others.
>
> thanks
> jim
>
>
>
>
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