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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Apple suggestions

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  • From: Douglas Woodard <dwoodard@becon.org>
  • To: rmelrose@danvilleVT.net, North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Apple suggestions
  • Date: Sun, 03 Oct 2010 17:26:27 -0400

Also, Wolf River is *reputed* to do best on sandy soil.

Possibly the best Jonagold I have ever eaten, one notch below Cox Orange, was from the first crop of a young tree on heavy Napanee clay. It was of the original strain, unfertilized so low nitrogen. It was all over red, presumably due to the clay and low nitrogen. The tree was in zone 6a near Kingston, Ontario on Amherst Island in Lake Ontario.

Wayne is about as good fresh (my limited experience is with apples bought in Ottawa, probably grown in Eastern Ontario), also dual purpose, maybe a little vulnerable to fireblight in commercial growing. I have heard good things about Wayne grown here in zone 7a, probably on heavy clay.

I am a Cox Orange fan, and I read that Kidd's Orange Red, Holstein, and Rubinette are about equal and do well in continental climates and that the first two at least are fairly easy to grow (haven't read anything about Rubinette covering that angle).

The best Northern Spies I have ever eaten (just a bit below the best Jonagold) came from Prince Edward County, zone 5b/6a near Lake Ontario, and I suspect were grown on heavy clay (ones that I bought from a farm at Bloomfield on a sandy rise in Prince Edward County were not quite as good). Spy is also very well liked for cooking and juice, not especially disease resistant but not too susceptible either; a vigourous tree.

I presume that being an Ohioan you are growing Melrose.

I know only Gravensteins that I have bought in the farmer's markets. Quite ripes ones I liked, slightly better than good Spartans or Empires. Earlier picked ones I wouldn't bother with for fresh eating. It is reputed very good for pies and sauce. It is supposed to do very well in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia which I believe is mostly clay.

Doug Woodard
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada



On 03/10/2010 1:37 PM, rmelrose@danvilleVT.net wrote:

I am looking to add several apple trees and these are my first round picks:

Gravenstein
Grimes Golden
Smokehouse
Wolf River
Hudson's Golden Gem
Fiesta

I am in SE Ohio, zone 6 with very heavy clay soil most of it sloped. I am
looking for 1) apples with excellent flavor for fresh eating 2) interesting
apples for sauce and cooking 3) disease resistance

I am also looking for suggestions for crab apples good for canning and
making jelly.

Thanks!

deb


Deb, forget the Wolf River, unless you want a big apple, easy to grow, that
produces a bland but smooth apple sauce. For fresh eating it is the least
interesting of all the apples I grow -- similar old apples like Wealthy are
much better. If you like crisp apples (and Wolf River is quite crisp) try
Sweet Sixteen, Fireside or Zestar all of which have much more flavor. The
other suggestion people have made are good too. Similarly Gravenstein,
whilst it is okay, is really only interesting because it is early. Another
productive general purpose cooking apple is Red Baron, but you are two
zones warmer than me and have plenty of other options.

Richard
VT Z4.




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