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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] what should I plant

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  • From: Ed Fackler <ed.fackler@gmail.com>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] what should I plant
  • Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2010 14:29:09 -0400

I agree with Alan's assessment of "...much less appreciative of Honeycrisp flavor" comment as well as Cortland's rapidly disappearing flavor.  And it (and Fuji) are simply murderous to prune (or they were for me anyway).

And indeed Suncrisp has been overlooked by many as a truly wonderful complex sweet/tart (slight Cox-like) apple and needs to be stored a bit prior to eating.  Even in bad growing years (extended overcast/rain post bloom), Suncrisp will develop its wonderful flavor when many (if not most) others flavor is radically reduced.

Zestar grown in Zone 5 and north is exactly as Alan describes,  but I'd add that in some years it has a faint vanilla backdrop in its flavor.  Further south this apple simply can't develop much of anything.

Ed, S. Indiana very dry and still hot..

On Fri, Sep 17, 2010 at 2:18 PM, Alan Haigh <alandhaigh@gmail.com> wrote:
I think apple addicts are much less appreciative of Honeycrisp then the general public because we eat so many apples that we thrive on flavor distintions as much a texture distinctions and Honeycrisp is merely "pleasant" on the former issue but clearly exceptional on the latter.  I still feel that even for a a's Honeycrisp is an essential apple in a northern orchard, even if just to please friends and family.  My wife doesn't eat a ton of apples, but she raves about Honeycrisp so I tend a crop for her and guests primarily- and I'm in Z6.
 
For northern growers especially but also others that want an extremely tastey early I highly recommend Zestar.
 
Sure Cortlandt is fine off the tree, but a few weeks later- completely worthless in my book so I would only grow it for cider.  I agree that Macoun is so good that even its short shelf life doesn't fatally damage its worthiness.
 
As I've often stated, for me the most important apples are those that are still wonderful in mid-winter into spring because they're the ones that get eaten the most.  I don't know what varieties fit this description that can be grown in shorter seasons than mine but a lot of new varieties are bred to store very well.
 
My favorite this year "discovery" is Suncrisp which should have plenty of time to ripen further north if it can survive the winters.  Its flavor actually reminds me of Ashmead's Kernel based on just 2 apples from a very young tree not favorably sited.
 

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