Always enjoyed learning new things about fruit. I love the history green mantle nursery has of apples and pears on their website descriptions of old heirloom fruit varieties.
Thanks for the link , I had not heard of this nursery.
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Clark,
Good read. Thanks. Now I want the whole tree,neither Warren or Magness. The only thing is it takes so long for these pears to produce.
Heard of Grrnmantle but never order from it. Reviews of this nursery on Dave’s garden is not current.
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I ordered two bench grafts last year from greenmantle, and i’m going to order at least 4 or more this year.
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I went to Green Mantle’s site and read some of their stuff, and I was impressed. I found their comments to be thoughtful, (probably) well-informed, and informative. I really enjoyed reading about Albert Etter and John Magness and the dynamic in plant breeding that exists still. I wish I could write so well as that.
As for their quality as a nursery, well, no idea. I did find myself at odds with a statement they made about Liberty apples: “… and keeps well.” Hmmph. Or Hmpph. or Hmph. However you spell it, Liberty ain’t no keeper, unless you are comparing it to Transparent.
If nothing else the website is worth your time.
:- )M
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I will say I never had trouble keeping Liberty for several months.
I’ve ordered from Greenmantle several times over the years. The owner and his wife are nice folks on the phone. The benchgrafts are small, but he carries a lot of different varieties of apples. The benchgrafts he sent me have always done pretty well.
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I’m glad to hear that, and I hope you can tell me what I might be doing wrong.
I try to pick mine well before they fall using the “lift” test to judge whether they’re ready, and then put them unwashed in poly bread bags. Then after the bags are tightly closed with a twist tie they go into refrigeration, aiming for about 34 F but probably running a little higher.
I will say that windfalls don’t keep nearly as well as picked apples, and also will say that their habit of ripening unevenly makes judging them a little harder.
I had a lot of hail damage this year, but that doesn’t seem to affect keeping quality at all, although it deforms the fruit badly.
Right now we’re eating Liberties that were picked in the middle of September and most of those still seem good. Windfalls are already mushy.
Thanks for your thoughts.
When those pears start producing I have a feeling based on others testimonies that they are worth it. It might be best to plant a couple of standards but its hard not to plant a couple on ohxf333 for faster fruit. To be honest I’m adding 100 333 trees this year because of the reasons you mentioned.
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Wow Clark. How much acreage do you have?
I have 5 acres dedicated to my orchard currently. The rest of my land is in other stuff. By the end of the year I hope 6 orchard acres.