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  • From: rmelrose@danvilleVT.net
  • To: Douglas Woodard <dwoodard@becon.org>
  • Cc: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Apple suggestions
  • Date: Sun, 3 Oct 2010 19:52:59 -0400 (EDT)

I would dearly like to grow Cox's but have not succeeded here, although I
put one (including variants) in every year or two. Of the three you mention
Doug, Rubinette seems the hardiest (not that this is relevant to Deb) in
the sense that I have it growing but have failed with the other two -- both
Kidd's and Holstein lasted only a couple of years for me and so never
fruited. Of course there are many variables, including grower-incompetence.

Richard
VT Z4.


On 3 Oct, Douglas Woodard wrote:
> 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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