Thanks Scott for your update, can I copy?
I’m getting too old and lazy to do the work some of you do to catalog the trees you grow, here’s an abbreviated list.
5. Kidd’s Orange Red. I forget how nice this apple is because it is quite early in south central Iowa. Rich, sweet taste, and a week or so long harvest. This is a large 3"+ apple for us, not a long keeper.
4.RdR, Was an earlier apple this year for us, mid Sept. Amazingly complex, not as well balanced as Karmijn or orleans reinette. Tarter and less storage life.
3. King David. An absolute amazing apple. When properly ripe, people can’t resist it. Polishes like a deep, red, jewel. Sweet and crunchy, just enough acid to keep it balanced, very few cultural issues.
Nos. 1/2 were so close in performance this year…
2. Karmijn de Sonnaville. So complex, so rich, so strongly flavored, slightly more acid than sweet. Of all the apples I grow, this is the one I look forward to the most. Best out of hand apple, crispy, not too big, drop dead gorgeous with the bits of russet, orange and red overlay. It does split some in hot, dry years.
- Chieftain. Still today, crunchy and sweet, bright red, no disease or cultural issues. This is my fave for cooking, even with Caville Blanc next to it, Chieftain is better. you can taste it’s parents, RD and Jonathan, but it’s such a good mix of both, neither overpowers. This is a really, really, good apple.
Others that had good years,
Empire, Razor Russet, Caville, Westfield, Baldwin, Baldami GD (best of all my GD’s).
Bad years, Orleans Reinette, Wickson, all my early apples (Lobo was the best).
I’m exhausted, I’ll take a nap! Until next time, God bless, Chikn.