North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Alan Haigh <alandhaigh@gmail.com>]

>Alan, I don't have cold storage facility, and none of my apples are still
>in fine shape in Feb.... But Cortland are among those that keep well. What
>I meant in my previous note is that its best is by the end of November, 2
>months after picking.
>Claude

Claude, I'm not talking about a cold storage facility.  I store a lot of apples in my well house which is built into a hill.  It functions about like a root cellar with a pretty wide range of temps through fall but generally staying under 50F.  If I put Cortlandt in there it would be soft in a week or 2 so I guess your cooler climate helps them.  Actually Cortlandt as grown here grows soft just as quickly in a refrigerator.

It is still hard for me to believe that there are no apples that will grow where you are that won't stay crisp into mid-winter if stored in a cool place- I assume Honeycrisp and even Zestar would.  Any russets that perform there should also hold up more than just a couple months.  I pull crisp Goldrush apples out of my well house in March.

>Ginda
>eastern MA, zone 6
>where critters consumed pretty much everything I grow this year.  At 
least the tomatoes >have finally started producing faster than the 
chipmunks can eat them.

Ginda, it might interest you to know that squirrels will often avoid hard, tart apples like Goldrush and Arkansas Black.  I have a client who often loses all other fruit but these types even though he's got huge apple trees filled with literally tons (or what could be)  of Macoun and Yellow Delicious as well as ample peaches, apricots and other varieties of apples on smaller trees.  

>I rather stupidly bought 'Gravenstein' (a favorite) before checking into how
>any chill hours it requires. As I have moved from Berkeley to South
>Pasadena, CA, I fear this area won't get enough chill to set fruit most
>years. My favorite apples are Yellow Newton Pippin and Gravenstein. I like a
>lot of tart with my sweet. I'm assuming apples like 'Anna' and 'Dorsett
>Golden' don't really have this taste. However, if I grafted scions onto a
>low-chill apple rootstock, would they set fruit?
 
Megan, Over at the orchard forum on Gardenweb the word is that chilling hours are a myth for apples although I can't speak from personal experience.  I've read posts from several growers who have luck growing many varieties other than Anna and Dor. G. in warmer climates than yours (including in the African tropics).   One such grower is in Riverside CA for example.

If I was you I'd try Pink Lady and Granny Smith but if you want a list of apples that have been proven reliable in your climate I suggest you take your question to the forum I mentioned.  Wish I had access to Granny Smith that are truly ripe- here they rarely get better than the store bought ones from WA.  I bet you could grow some perfect ones.