Best apples to grow in Virginia

General Fruit Growing
#1

Hello - i know there’s endless threads to read (and i’ve been reading for quite some time) but I would like to create one specifically for Virginia apple growers. For those of you with experience, what have been your best performing apple varieties in the state? Virginia has almost 3 entirely different climates (I am at 2k elevation in SW VA) so I know that is a big factor. I particularly am looking for good fresh eating varieties that can be grown without spraying. I don’t care about perfect apples, bugs etc, but i do care about fireblight and other issues that have potential to take out the entire tree (or orchard).

I am only a couple years into growing but this is what I am attempting:
Goldrush
Grimes golden
Galarina
Aunt Rachel
Royal Limbertwig
Red royal Limbertwig
Victoria limbertwig
Smoky Mtn Limbertwig
Brushy Mtn Limbertwig
Black Limbertwig
Monty’s surprise
Liberty
VA Beauty
Bramley Seedling
Keener Seedling
William’s Pride
Candy crab
Clark’s crab
Arkansas Black
Yates
Rusty’s Favorite
Enterprise
Kerr crab
Trailman crab
RubyRush
Chestnut crab
Kidd’s Orange red
Mary Reid
Black Twig
Florina
Triumph
King David
Black Oxford
Bonkers
Red Cinnamon
Spartan
Sansa
Akane
Sundance
Devonshire Crimson Queen
Ashmead’s Kernel
Winecrisp
Kandil Sinap

Pears:
Ayer’s
Harrow sweet
Clark’s small yellow
Warren
Seckel
Moonglow

#2

Scott has a big apple thread with all the varieties he has grown over the years. He is in MD, but it’s the same environment. I use his list as a reference for what works.

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#3

Shockley was grown North to the Virginas commercially. It is well flavored but a tough skin keeper style like many early commercial varieties. Held up well in barrels and crates bouncing across all creation.

A prepper’s dream.

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#4

If you don’t care to spray, plan to bag them in ziplocks.

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#5

You can’t go wrong with Fuji and Gala. They have been far less effort than some of the others for me. Can almost go no spray with them.

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#6

Yes. That is the paradox involved. Most apple tree growers grow because of Fuji/Gala…lol…not wanting them.

But the Beauty of Apples is the choice involved.

#7

Myers Royal Limbertwig is my personal favorite and has been easy to grow here in southcentral Pa. Also Crow Egg (Northern) is a favorite eating apple with visitors to my orchards.

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#8

I have high hopes for crow egg, guyandotte pippin, and hollow log. Was crow egg a tastier apple for you than hollow log?

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#9

ive been reading the Crow egg is highly susceptible to fireblight…have you found that to be true?

#10

I’m in the Shenandoah valley of VA at 1400 feet although my orchard is further down on a slope towards a creek, problem with late frosts. (New 7, old 6B)

My successes have been summer banana, razor russet golden Delicious, red delicious, Arkansas black and old fashioned LT. Lots of other grafts with smaller harvests including pink pearl, king David, winter banana, ambrosia, Bevan’s Favorite (early). The LT and Arkansas black were pretty bullet proof of the group. Bevan’s Favorite is a July apple so pretty clear too. Asian pears did great this year. No fireblight this year but I did spray streptomycin early. I do some spraying but mostly kaolin clay.

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#11

My Hollow Log has not impressed me, But it’s not set a large crop yet. It has good reviews so expect it to improve. The Crow Egg was a favorite of this year’s taste testers. :slight_smile: I’ve only tasted a few Guyandotte Pippins but they were a pleasant apple to eat.

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#12

No fireblight on my Crow Egg this year and my orchard was hit heavily.

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#13

I have hollow log 2nd leaf. Hoping for good things to come.

#14

Do you know where you got your Crow Egg trees/scion from? I am looking at ordering from 39th Parallel orchards. The more I learn about apples the more I’m convinced loads of people aren’t growing the supposed same things! Big Horse Creek farms description and pictures of Crow’s Egg (Northern) is what I’d like but I can never reach them.

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#15

39th parallel is one of my favorites for great quality scions, high success rate, and super customer service. I recommend you give them a try!

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#16

My scion came from Big Horse Creek but I’ve gotten other varieties from 39th Parallet that were of high quality.

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#17

Can you tell me about your Hollow log some more…have you seen fireblight on it? I have been looking into it since you mentioned it, thanks!

#18

Tree is too young for fruiting. No issues thus far. I’m especially hopeful given the late blooming and early cropping aspect.

This flavorful and colorful apple originated in Rutherford County, North Carolina at an unknown date. Its name derives from the fact that it was discovered growing as a wild seedling near an old hollow log. It is a very late bloomer thus escaping most late spring frosts. As described by Valdesian Nurseries of Bostic, NC, in the 1920’s, it is a “large fruit, deep yellow in color, tender, crisp, very juicy and with a most delicious, aromatic, spicy flavor.” Ripens late June and can be picked into August.

Big Horse Creek Farm

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#19

Here’s the 1858 catalog of Staunton Nurseries which after the Civil War relocated to Baltimore and Richmond as Franklin Davis Nursery. This list has a lot of descriptions of apples that were popular in the area and a long list of others they can offer as trees or grafts.

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#20

Not fruit trees but shade trees and ornamentals. This the 1928 catalog of Augusta Nurseries in Mount Sydney VA. The photos of houses in the Valley is cool to see and its also cool back in those days really nice catalogs went out with good quality images.

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