I’m narrowing down 2 dozen apple trees I need to pick out from the attached list of 1 and 2 yr old trees. The trees are primarily on mm111 rootstock. 111 does very well here in Kansas heavy clay soil. Help me pick out 24 trees total. 3 of a specific kind of tree is perfectly ok. I have an extra orchard I need to plant up. A friend of mine is selling these trees to me at a deep discount as a favor. Fireblight is a big problem here. Flavor and disease resistance can be difficult to balance out. Would welcome any advice. Thanks
I don’t know how they would do in your neighborhood Clark and I don’t know about their fireblight resistance, but I would Calville Blanc for sure, just because it’s a universally admired cooking apple -the standard, if you will. I’d have Jonagold because I love 'em.
Gold Rush, Grimes, Spitzenberg, Ashmead’s Kernel intrigue me from descriptions here, but I’ve never had them, more’s the pity.
I’ve started thinking of you as Clark Kent because, from everything you take on and the energy you bring here, you must be Superman in disguise …
Thanks for the great advice! I love working on these projects Mark. The apples will be worth the labor planting them. Some of these apples may not be a good fit for Kansas but one I saw that likely is would be staymans which originated 50 or so miles from here. I’m not sure about its disease resistance.
Hope you’ll include at least one Black Limbertwig. Believe you’ll really like it. Little known, just now getting a bit of notoriety for crisp, complex taste and disease resistance. This sounds crazy but I’d do 10 Goldrush, 10 Black Limbertwig, 2 Red Limbertwig and 2 King David. The latter two varieties I’d watch like a hawk for FB but they’re worth the gamble.
Some of those have special attributes. York Imperial is the top apple-sauce processing apple in Pennsylvania. Okay for fresh eating too. But it can be disease prone.
Harrison is said to make good cider.
The ones I mentioned above are my faves from your list for fresh eating or eating after storing.
Spitzenburg and Black Limbertwig are worth trying based on glowing reports, but I cannot corroborate as I’ve yet to taste them myself. Bonus: Spitz allegedly keeps until Christmas. Black Limbertwig is said to keep longer than that.
Hi Clark. A couple of other things I’d like to know before making any picks for you: Other disease/bug problems in your area? Intended use (cider, fresh eating, cooking, etc)? Length of your growing season? What type of apples do you like (maybe the most important)?
Perhaps you’ve already taken all these into account and limited the list to just those that meet your needs. But if not, it be important to know all these things (or at least some of them), in order to suggest varieties you’d like.
I would recommend:
GoldRush – M111 as many trees as you can (although a little rotter in SW MO but I did not spray much). A nearby orchard had perfect fruit.
Enterprise - M111
Grimes - M111
My young Ashmeads Kernel and Golden Russet fruited for the first time this year. The taste was good and did not have much disease so far but I liked other more modern varieties like GoldRush, Enterprise, Sweet 16, Pixie Crunch, Zestar much more. Also, Freyburg was fantastic as well as Golden Delicious. I would stay away from M26.
@Matt_in_Maryland,
Fresh eating , canning , cider, apple sauce, dried apples, winter storage @Steve333,
problems: PC, Coddling moth, CAR, blackrot
My growing season: late April - Early November (typically)
I don’t like mealy apples but all others I enjoy. @hambone,
I grow some black twig (not sure if it’s the same as Limbertwig), Arkansas Black and a couple of goldrush now but I know those are great apples that are highly disease resistant and they store well. Those latter 2 you mentioned I don’t know much about but they sound good. @SMC_zone6,
I love cider! @figgrower,
111 is great rootstock! @scottfsmith,
I hear really good things about those apples but I’m concerned about the disease resistance of some of them. I’m really tempted to try one of each you mentioned and gamble a little! @andrew_SWMO,
Since your one state away I appreciate that feedback based on your experience because that means a lot. @Jason
Goldrush on M111 always comes up and I think it’s great advise
Thanks for all the advise everyone I really appreciate it!
Clark, the two I have had disease issue with are Spitz and King David, both with fireblight. The other ones have been fine. Well, I am not growing Northern Spy, I have Spigold. I’m not sure how well Northern Spy would do for you so that one is just a weak recommend.
Hi!! I have Motts Pink, ‘Dave’s Garden’ report says it is a mite magnet. Not so. It is a squirrel magnet, but it is the best tasting apple I grow, so far.
Scott,
I have another 4 handwritten lists he sent me that are inventory from his actual grow out rows. These rootstock are all 111. Here are a few apples from the handwritten lists below
Green Newtown Pippin
Yellow Newtown Pippin
Saint Edmund’s Russet
smokehouse
breakwell
dabinet
ben davis
Kingston black
smokehouse
horse
Baldwin
russet king
chestnut
yarlington mill
cliford
summer Rambo
pumpkin russet
Egremont Russet
Haralson
swiss limbertwig
Coconut Crunch
