I believe Ashmead’s fruit has high enough sugar in the Inland NW to handle temps down to 23°F while hanging without damage. I cannot verify it because squirrels stole any still awaiting picking.
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So, just cut some random branches from random seedling crabs, and attempt to graft them to the rootstock at one end, and to the trunk at the other?
Can i do that in the summer? Wait for early spring “grafting season”? Some other considerations?
I could, of course cut a stick and graft it within 15 minutes.
(I also have a lot of Jonathan twigs i could cut, as there’s a large, healthy Jonathan on M111 in the front yard.)
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@Ginda i was thinking of inarch which would be digging up a seedling and using the whole thing. Given that you have access to the bark of both, you could use a “bridge graft” with scion like you mentioned. i think the first few weeks of May would be ideal. It makes sense to me to harvest the scion dormant, but I haven’t got any first hand experience with this yet I only researched a bit for the mother in laws girdled apple tree. Video of example on cherry: https://youtu.be/_rk5elRwBNY
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A tree in an orchard near me had been badly damaged, nearly girdled. I bent a couple pencil thick root suckers, cut accordingly & inserted into the bark above the girdling. Tree lived.
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Could you share the list for the Canadian Maritimes and New England regions? Thanks!
How has Golden Russet performed for you? I will definitely be grafting Baldwin this spring.
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In Jolicoeur’s treatise, for New England: Steve Wood, Farnaham Hill Ciders, western New Hampshire, zone 5, recommends: For low acid varieties: Dabinett, Chisel Jersey, Ellis Bitter, and for low acid with soft and rather than astringent tannin, his favorite is Yarlington Mill (though warning of fireblight susceptibility), and also Somerset Redstreak, Harry’s Master’s Jersey, and Major.
For high sugar/high acid varieties, he uses Esopus Spitzenburg, Wickson, Ashmead’s Kernel, Ribston Pippin, and Golden Russett. Says he also uses Kingston Black, and Stoke Red, adding he does not think Kingston Black blends well, so he uses it only for single variety cider.
For a “mixed” orchard, Wood would also have Idared, Golden Delicious, and Elstar. He is also Calville blanc d’hiver for cooking and fresh eating, but not for cider particularly. Says he has been displeased by Michelin, and warn about some Tremlett’s Bitter, Foxwelp, and Yarlington Mill that are propagated in America, but not the true variety,
For a short list of six, Wood recommends: Dabinett, Yarlington Mill, Esopus Spitzenburg, Golden Russet, Wickson, and Calville blanc d’Hiver to get overall varieties for cooking, eating, processing, and cider.
For the **Canadian Maritime Provinces: John Brett, Tidewiew Cider, **, in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, zone 5, for cider blends, recommends Golden Russet, Ribston Pippin, Bishop Pippin (Yellow Bellflower), Cox’s Orange Pippin, Northern Spy, Thomkins King, and Jonagold.
For eating apples, Brett recommends the same as above, and adding Crispin (Mutsu), Golden Delicious, Cortland, Empire, and McIntosh…****
I don’t have enough experience with Golden Russet to make any recommendation for my Zone 3 location in Montana.
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Thanks JohhnyRoger!
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With your growing conditions and taste for older apples, NB, you might think about taking a look at Court of Wick. Here’s the description from Bernwode Fruit Trees in the UK:
COURT OF WICK Said to have arisen at the Court of Wick, at Yatton in Somerset, but it probably existed much earlier and it is also called Wood’s Huntingdon, because it was reputedly introduced in 1790 by Wood of Huntingdon. A late September, crisp, dessert apple with rich, sweet, yellow flesh. The ripe apples have a complex flavour. The skin is splashed red, with gold russeting. It stores until December. The trees are very hardy and are said to withstand cold wind. Free spurring and good for restricted forms. Pollination Group 5 [Emphasis mine]
I’m not growing it myself at this point, so no direct knowledge, unfortunately, but there seem to be a good number of positive reviews out there.
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JinMa: A quick look shows I could get a scion of Court of Wick on this side of the Atlantic. It would help set seed for Orléans Reinette (if this mystery graft is actually OR), which is triploid and would be last of mine to begin blooming. C of W might also overlap Claygate bloom in this collection. Anything that flourishes in the soggy Somerset climate would be a long shot for me so close to desert. Might try it on a branch & see how it works. Thank you & Merry Christmas! (This being the third day of Christmas.)
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I don’t grow it, but a few orchards near me do, and it seems to be very successful in central Massachusetts. I also knew a guy who had a mature tree in the Catskills that he didn’t manage at all (no pruning, no spraying) that produced a nice crop every year, including a surprising amount of “clean” fruit. (He also had insect damaged fruit, of course.)
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Thanks Ginda. That’s good enough for me. I think it likes the New England climate.
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I grow English Golden Russet as well as Bullock (grafted on the EGR.
The tree is in a partial shade, not an ideal location. Mine has never produced high quality fruit like some have raved about. It is alright to me. Hoople’s Antique Gold is a better russeted to my taste.
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The WA state U ag. station says Gen30 runts out at 30% of standard in eastern WA. My experience bears that out. My trees on G30 top out untrimmed at 9 & sometimes 10 feet tall.
It isn’t popular with nursery workers since it pushes fewer root suckers than most from stooling. I am content to stool 4 or 5 shoots per root; my needs are less & G30 has otherwise done well for me.
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I read it requires the G30 to be staked. Do you stake your G30’s?
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I have not needed to stake Gen30 at all, in very sandy soil. How I wish I had staked Gen41 even in the 8th leaf!
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So far no stakes, and few side branches. That’s all I got so far. Plan to plant a couple in clay mud and see if they live. Next few days when I get back to orchard.
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Tried Kanza club apple. Very good texture, juicy, some acid. Pricey, but free from a friend. I like the Michigan Empires, jonagolds and suncrisps
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I ate a lot of apples and Kanzi is one of the best. What I like about it is that I never get tired of it. I can eat Fuji for 2 weeks and then I can’t stand it. Kanzi I can eat for 2 months straight and I will still bite into one with joy. It also stores very well, easily till April. I had 6 crates, still 1.5 left. Just a perfect all around apple
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These are still just club apples. No nursery sells the Kanzi tree yet, correct?
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@NuttingBumpus I’m right near you in eastern WA and have been thinking of one more tree- is there a heavily russeted apple that’s good here? I’ve only been east of the mountains 6 years and am still figuring out what will get through the dry/cold swing.
I’ve got a granny smith, a gravenstien, an orleans, and two “apple” trees here. (one was labeled only apple, and was a gift, the other was here when I arrived)
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