Do you have theses growing ? What do you think of the fruit ? Belle de Boskoop, Freedom, Enterprise, Bramley’s, Sundance, Kidd’s Orange Red , Sweet sixteen…and any favorites you have that are CAR resistant.
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I have Kidd’s (wonderful fruit) and Sweet Sixteen (Good but not yet distinctive on my tree). One of our favorite apples is Liberty, said to be quite disease resistant. We’ve had no problems with any of our apples here is western Montana.
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Liberty is disease free…but I don’t care for it’s flavor.
Fuji is rust free for me.
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CAR resistance or lack thereof is interesting to me. I’ve got red cedars in the area, but not a huge number. I can grow most any apple and only get a few CAR spots on the leaves and the fruit isn’t impacted at all. Other fruit growers I communicate with have large numbers of red cedars and a great many apple and pear varieties are impacted greatly.
I just had my first Liberty this year and I was impressed…if it was the only apple I could grow I would not be at all upset about that. Its not so much that the widely disease resistant varieties are ‘talked down’ , but they are certainly not ‘talked up’…this is a great apple ! Now I can’t recall the best apple that I have ever had, i suspect I am yet to taste it…Im partial to russets and I love Mutsu…and I recall really liking a Braeburn I once had (although I’ve had others since that were kind of meh )…all quite different…but Liberty suits me just fine. Now I havent yet tasted some of the ones that I suspect are going to be favorites…like Goldrush, Lord Lambourne (not sure how i would get a hold of one of those ) and Ashmead’s Kernel and Rubinette… which I am still waiting on.
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I have a friend who is surrounded by red cedars (almost literally). He can grow a good number of varieties. I think you may find that what proves CAR resistant in one area may not be the same in another area. I don’t know if there are different “strains” of CAR or not, but it certainly seems to be the case. If you like Liberty, it is about foolproof for CAR. It is also free from scab and I’ve yet to see one hit by fireblight. Birds here seem to be highly attracted to my Liberty tree. Not sure what the deal is there, maybe the deep red color?
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Mine certainly were “fire engine red” even more bright than that. I wonder if they are the same ?..i have read descriptions and also seen pictures that seem to decribe either 2 different apples or the apple has a wide range of presentation in colour…I would not describe them, as some have, as a “deep red”…mine were definitely BRIGHT red like a red light…in no way leaning toward burgundy colouration. …more on the lighter side …and mine also had that longish angular look of a red delicious. …but i see other pictures of a deeper red more squat apple…it cant be the same apple…
Good point on the differences in CAR.
The host tree is the cedar (actually “juniperus Virginiana”) here, and if there are no infections on the cedars, then probably not on the apples. Some years worse for sure.
But, other trees get CAR…you can hardly grow serviceberries/juneberries in central North Carolina because of CAR.
Absolutely. Most hawthorns around here are impacted by cedar rust. This year was the worst I’ve ever seen. Most of the hawthorns dropped their leaves by the end of August. I kill as many red cedars as I can, but I can’t kill them on neighboring properties. I have also wondered if the creeping and low junipers are sources. I haven’t seen the galls on those species, but there are so many around here I could never check them all.
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We live in an area that is agricultural…like everywhere , well almost everywhere on Earth (if you look at overhead maps) it is deforested…a natural mix of a wide variety of hardwood (and softwoods) cleared for farming has resulted in these …what I call “scrub” Eastern Red Cedars…technically not cedars but tree form Junipers…and they surround us and upwind to the west where our prevailing winds come from they are everywhere…in broad blocks and swaths hundreds of meters wide…so there’s no chance here of NOT being bothered by CAR. Im turning my attention more to CAR resistant varieties only…although I will continue to baby my Rubinette and Ashmead’s and whatever else I’ve chosen based on taste test popularity.
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I haven’t been impressed with Liberty and its inconsistent quality, although it’s very productive and some apples have been great. The worms love it, so maybe it serves a purpose as a nice bait tree.
Jury is out on freedom. Not a full impression yet. It’s definitely not “free” from spraying as it got hit by worms too.
Enterprise has a good taste, and maybe improves with storage. Thicker skin. Not so bothered by pests. Possibly close to a true no-spray apple.
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I believe I read that Liberty was fairly open at the calyx end…maybe Freedom too ?
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You know, they call it Cedar Apple Rust, but whenever I see pictures of it on "cedar " trees , they look like junipers, i have yet to see a picture of CAR on a white cedar…in fact I have a whole line of privacy/windscreen ornamental cedars I planted when we moved here 'emerald ’ something was the variety, i never see any disease on them nor do I see it on the white cedars growing along the road’s drainage ditch that runs through the little sugarbush forest that is downwind of us. Just a thought.
You won’t see it on white cedars. Only on junipers. Around here, eastern red cedar (not a true cedar, they are junipers) is the main culprit.
so it really should be called juniper apple rust then…as they are not true cedars…
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I understand Haralson has been a big apple in your area for decades…I wonder what you think of them ?..my trees (3) are quite healthy comparatively speaking, and they produced their first apples this year, I sometimes have to pick some of my fruit early to ensure that I get to try it at all as the chipmunks and racoons are an issue…I will admit I picked early and the first fruits may not be representative but I found them quite starchy and not very flavourful.
I also have Minnesota 1734, Frostbite and Wealthy which I thought you might know something about ? …and Goodland ?
Here is Burford’s list on the subject, and my experience doesn’t provide me with any arguments.
Ark Black, Ashmead’s, Empire, Enterprise, Freedom, Fuji, Golden Russet, Granny Smith, Grimes Golden, Hawaii, Jerseymac, King David, Liberty, Limbertwig, Macintosh, Melrose, Ralls, Rox Rus, Spartan, Stayman (old strain), Saint Ed Pip, VA Beauty, Wil Pride, Winesap (old strain), Yates.
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I have a few Winesap ( i dont know how you tell, or even ensure what strain you are getting…there seems to be many…I’ve read that Stayman’s is superior but also read it is comparatively problematic re disease) and mine are almost completely clear of CAR…Interesting about Ashmeads…mine are so so re CAR…( also an odd, leggy growing pattern…not easy, having to prune parts off due to breaks in the bark that I would rather leave in place for better shape and vigor ) Not interested in Empire or Spartans they are so overly common here…dont care for Granny much, have a William’s Pride ( what do folks think of it ? …mine is new) Limertwig and King David have piqued my interest but I understand the latter is a southern apple…in fact I think both are ? but KD I think is not great for 5b…and maybe Ark Black too ?..looked at a similar looking apple Black Oxford…Fuji’s I understand are not easy…? Melrose also piqued my interest…I think I took it off my list because both parent apples don’t really turn my crank…although that doesn’t mean the offspring wont.
Applenut, who hasn’t contributed here for a while (unfortunately) listed it as among his favorites at his site in Santa Cruz CA. I suspect it will work well in many climates with a reasonably long season. I’m waiting for grafts to fruit here. Only got wood 2 years ago. It would seem to be an improved Winesap.
Stayman is not a type of Winesap, even if it has it in its name. It’s a completely different, sweeter, softer (not soft, crisp) apple that ripens about 10 days sooner, IME.
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Haralson does well here and at my buddy’s place who is surrounded by red cedars. Very winter hardy as well. It’s not my favorite apple for fresh eating, but since you appear to like tartness more than I do you may very well enjoy them. Frostbite also does well for me and at my friend’s place. His gets more CAR spots, but the fruit hasn’t been impacted as of yet. Neither of us have Wealthy. I had one here a few years ago and it did get some CAR spots. A winter with week after week after week of -20 to -28 temps killed that tree. I don’t have MN 1734 and I don’t think he does either. I’d need to ask him about Goodland. I don’t have it, and I don’t think he does either…he does have Norland.
Side note on Frostbite, that apple is the weirdest tasting apple I’ve ever had. I am not sure whether I love them or hate them. I only had a few this year, so I hope for more next year to figure out what I really feel about them. I’m leaning towards “love”…but they are weird for sure.
I am growing about 65-70 varieties of apples and maybe 8-10 varieties of pears. My buddy has a good number of varieties as well, including a number of seedlings. Plenty of apples and pears can co-exist with CAR
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