To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: [NAFEX] advice
Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2003 20:37:25 -0500
I received the following from my son who lives in zone 7.
"Dad,
While I know that judging apples is a subjective business and it is
impossible to get more than a few people to agree on any given apple, I
wondered what you or your associates on the apple list think of the
following varieties:
Arkansas Black
Ashmead's Kernel
Belle de Boskoop
Braeburn
D'Arcy Spice
Gravenstein
Pink Pearl
Sierra Beauty
I understand that Arkansas Black, Belle de Boskoop and Gravenstein
produce sterile pollen and will need pollinators. Also, Gravenstein and
Pink Pearl flower early and Arkansas Black flowers late so they probably
will not be a good mix. If you had to choose three from this list
considering the pollination needs as well as the apples overall, what
would they be? What substitutions might you make? If you could choose
ANY three apples to grow together, assuming you liked tart apples, what
might they be?
My plan was to try growing them as espaliers, probably two but possibly
three tiers and spreading 12 feet or less. How dwarf will I want them
(111, 106 or B9)? Any considerations with the above apples?
Finally, do you know anything about "Trees of Antiquity"
(http://www.treesofantiquity.com/)? Any nurseries you particularly
recommend?