I like your apple list. Your criteria for apples is basically the same as mine. My only semi-exception is I am trying to find a few that I can grow that are from the Kentucky region- my family is originally from there. My growing region is more 5b than 6 as shown on a lot of growing maps. I have to watch the actual times the apples ripen. We can get snow and freezing weather in early to mid November. So many Southern apples get ripe in November or later. They would never get truly tasty if I had to pick them that much earlier.
The main things for me:
- disease resistant- mostly scab- really bad here because of the wet weather we have
- must taste good- like apples should- not just sweet
- heirloom varieties - not interested in all this cross breeding varieties that so many of the more modern apples seem to be
- more varieties that are not the same old things the local nurseries have- not that many different varieties from local orchard to local orchard
I have a couple of varieties that are sort of grown locally. I did this because we had a huge drought one year and bushels of apples were $58-68. I refuse to pay that much for apples I can grow myself.
At that time a lot of local nurseries were buying apples from other out of state nurseries just to have apples to sell. It was a crazy time that one year. Prices have come down but they are not as low as the prices were pre drought.