I can say this…I lost some dwarf apples in containers to drought last fall on Geneva roots…but have many more on B-9 and only lost one I believe. So, B-9 can take more dry weather it appears.
G30 and G202 I didn’t note any losses, but these are ‘simi-dwarfs’.
Campfield probably won’t bloom for me this year, but maybe next.
Just got my Bud 9’s. They look really good.
Harrison has been extremely vigorous for me in zone 5 with a LOT of upward shooting branches. I would estimate it is top quartile in terms of disease resistance (wrt foliage, I haven’t had an apple crop yet from this tree).
Two years ago my campfield had a fireblight strike. One of three trees out of approximately 40 to get hit. I pruned off the strike and no residual damage occurred however. I didn’t get any fire light strikes in the orchard last year.
I sent the scions, look for them around the end of the week guessing.
Re: fireblight I have had little problem with that in general so I don’t have anything to add on that. My Harrison right now is getting oystershell scale, it seems more susceptible than the neighboring trees. Hopefully my dormant spray will do a number on it.
Got them! Thanks much, they look great.
Got it. Thanks! I now have the trio (assuming they make it through my grafting!) Harrison, Granniwinkle and Campfield.
Are any commercial cideries blending Harrison and Campfield or Graniwinkle? Would like to find some that approximates mid-atlantic cider in what the 1800’s? I haven’t seen it yet.
There’a an article from a couple of years ago in the NYT about folks who are working on this:
I don’t know how far along they are.
The possible Poveshon discovery is interesting. Wouldn’t mind getting some of that scion.
I have seen several Harrison ciders but never the classic mix. I am sure it will be along soon though. I have enough Campfield this year that I hope to get some fully ripe to see how they taste. Still a few more years for cider though…
So glad you posted this- I had entirely missed this article and the fact that all four famous Newark Cider varieties are officially back from the dead. A rare piece of good news.
Happy to be able to relay it!
Scott - very interested to hear your taste test of campfield. Mine from last year didn’t really get better as the season progressed. They Tasted like a raw potatoe well into the late fall. and I was totally wiped out this year by a severe late May frost. Will have to wait for next year…
My Campfield is on M111 bought in 2015, no blooms yet. But, I did graft it onto B9 this year.
The raw potato taste means it was not ripe yet. It is rich and sweet when ripe. Hopefully your season is long enough there.
This year things look to be super early after all the summer heat. Some pawpaws are ripe now, those are never ripe in August.
Scott we’re you able to taste a campfield? I’ve read conflicting reviews on them. Some old literature says they belong on the dinner table as much as a shoe and morp in Colorado says they are a good eating apple.
No, it was a small crop and some animal got them all. It is a very late apple.
I looked it up in Downing and it rates a “good” there so it doesn’t sound like a shoe.
CAMPFIELD.
Newark Sweeting. Sweet Maiden’s Blush.
A capital New Jersey cider apple, ranking next to the Harrison. It forms a fine large tree, with straight, spreading limbs, and is very productive. Fine for baking and stock feeding.
Fruit of medium size, roundish, rather flattened. Skin smooth, washed and striped with red, over a greenish-yellow ground. Flesh white, rather dry, firm, rich and sweet. Good. April, May.
That said, I am not convinced that these old cider apples are properly identified today… too many years and neglect in between. Hewes for example is certainly incorrect, the modern one is a fall apple and the original is much later.
Wow good info thank you Scott. I read that the current Harrison may not be the correct apple either. It may be a seedling of the original. I guess we’ll never know. I do know the 2 Harrison trees I have grow like no other variety. They also put out more vegetive wood than any tree I grow as well. But man they are slow to produce. Hopefully the wait will be over soon.
I have been thinking the same thing. How are a few guys able to find and positively identify hundreds of varieties that were thought to be extinct?
