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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Best Very Late Apples

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  • From: "Jim Freeman" <jf@gctruck.com>
  • To: <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Best Very Late Apples
  • Date: Thu, 7 Oct 2010 16:21:04 -0400

Hello Anton,

I would agree with your assessment of Granny Smith. Ours ripened off
about three weeks ago (the reason why I did not include them in our late
late list) and still had a "Champagne Granny" type flavor - Not too
sharp, not too sweet, just right. Ninety percent of the people at the
stand still preferred the sweeter Fujis. Re Pink Lady, we grow ours on
Bud9 or Geneva roots, which are said to extend some fireblight
resistance up the scion. I know of the 100 we planted over the last two
years, we have not lost one to fireblight yet. Probably just lust luck
so far, as 5 of our Cameo on M26 experienced sudden death to the root
this summer, that was diagnosed by the extension agent as fireblight.

I have four cultivars of Pippin and Esopus Spitzenburg, but have not
allowed them to fruit yet. I am curious how they perform, as I love the
ones grown in the mountains of NC. We also grow most of the published
PRI apples and have yet to find any that do not please; only none of the
rest mature anywhere close to as late as Goldrush for us. Glad to hear
Honeycrisp does well for other Southerners. One difference on Mac, we
have had great success with Hampshire Macintosh here. I don't know if it
is a "real" mac, but it has great color, flavor and keeps well here. By
next spring, we will have over 100 varieties in the ground, if anyone is
interested in swapping scionwood. I will update the website after we get
them in the ground.

Jim
www.freedomfruit.net

-----Original Message-----
Message: 9
Yup, I've grown all of those down here & my experience agrees with yours
in several ways... Newtown Pippin (& Winesap) are too early down here to
be considered a very late apple (actually they're all ripe before
Yates). Pink Lady is >highly< susceptible to fireblight (at least
here). Granny's do ripen very well here. I've never eaten a Granny
Smith of better quality than those grown on our Georgia farm. They were
also a bit more blushed than what you find in the store. Much sweeter,
too, though without losing the tart, just in balance. Unfortunately,
both it an Arkansas Black also will succumb to fireblight as well,
though it may take a couple of decades.

Our neighbor had some very nice Winter Terry apples last year that were
very good. They seem to be in the same season as Yates, but larger and
more flavorful. I've not grown this cultivar myself.

Anton
North Carolina, low 40's tonight.

------------------------------
Message: 10
Jim,

We had a few trees of Newtown Pippin on our Georgia farm (a bit down the
slope from you- probably half of a hardiness zone). They were very
productive, but year-after-year were of poor quality. They looked
attractive, they just tasted like cotton (crisper though). I've had
Newtown Pippins grown in the Northeast & California & both were
excellent.

Honeycrisp also does very well for us here. It's a summer apple here
and like you say, it rarely colors well, but it is large, crisp and more
flavorful than ones I've tasted in its native Northland. It's actually
one of my family's favorites.

Apples that do well in the Midwest seem to do well here as well. Most
of the PRI selections that are well-liked by the Midwesterners have done
well here as well, just with an earlier season. This includes Pixie
Crunch, which is my family's year-after-year favorite.

Other Northern apples that have done OK here include, Pitmaston
Pineapple (OK, it's from the Old World, but still a cooler climate),
Liberty and a Cornell numbered selection that has momentarily. Esopus
Spitzenberg, though shy bearing like in most locations, does ripen to
high eating quality here & hasn't had too many disease problems either.

Other ones that do badly for one reason or another include Macintosh,
Tydeman's Orange, Wolf River (all low quality here).

Anton
North Carolina Piedmont, Zone 8




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