I regret to say I now find what appear to be some scab marks on the leaves only of Lamb Abbey. A light amount on lower leaves.
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My 2nd year Shockley lost the battle of Fireblight, Then surgery induced drought. Then this week’s 100 degree temps.
Now I’m down to a very sick 3 year Dorsett Golden and the lousy Moonglow pear that has underwhelmed and degraded ever since it went into ground.
The rest seem to be doing well to ok.
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I’m too new at this to have a pat answer. I’m gonna name a few dessert apples and a few cider apples.
Dessert: Liberty, Egremont Russet, Jupiter. Different flavors for sure.
Cider: Franklin, Red Byrd Bitter, Stayman Winesap. I suggest these as varieties capable of a single-variety cider.
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In Iowa, definitely egremont russet and windfall golden.
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Because of surrounding wild vegetation I spray all my apple trees although this year I have not sprayed since May. Don’t know that the folks that live in more suburban settings have less insect pressure though. I have noticed that in the past that the insects attack a Stayman Winesap much more. Lots of rots this year on most of my apples maybe because of excessive rains although the Gravs seem okay.
I will say that Gravenstein needs spraying otherwise there will be some worm damage. Does not split as in the Stayman Winesaps and is much more productive than Honeycrisp. Poor pollination may be a problem with Gravs since it does not pollinate itself. Generally does not need thinning.
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Do you have another apple that blooms same time as Gravenstein? If memory serves it blooms early or early-mid, while Winesap and its seedlings generally bloom later.
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Your right as the Gravenstein does bloom early around the same time as my Stayman Winesap and supposedly Braeburn. The Winesap blooms somewhat later. Then the very last to bloom is the Honeycrisp.
Yeah, I know, questionable pollination. Probably should add another pollination tree, but I get enough of apples from the five trees. Even after the deer, squirrels and raccoons get their share.
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You might consider Pristine, especially in light of what @Ahouse422 noted about it above.
From what I recall, Winesap and many of its offspring are triploid. Also some parent/offspring combinations (which might effect Winesap & Stayman) make poor pollination partners, so If your Braeburn or Honeycrisp trees lack flowers, that could restrict your crop.
To give an update on Pristine as far as fireblight goes, fireblight was rough this year in my no spray orchard. I lost a few dwarf trees to it and large sections of some others. Pristine still didn’t have a single strike. Enterprise, Winesap, and Pomme Gris also didn’t have any strikes in my dwarf rows where blight seemed to be the worst. They ripened late June to very early July again.
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I will second Liberty being a bug magnet, both for Codling Moth and Apple Maggot. We have it on several different rootstocks. Maybe because they redden up so early? Eventually took out Keepsake for the same reason.
I wouldn’t grow any apple without strong resistance to Apple Leaf Blotch disease (formerly Marssonina) that defoliates my Goldrush and really clobbered Chestnut Crab. As of now I can’t tell if such an apple exists, will know more by end of season. Sundance foliage clean as a whistle so far.
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My Golden D is the worst for Marssonina and necrotic leaf blotch. The trees with the cleanest leaves in my orchard are the Victoria Limbertwig (1st place) and Williams Pride (2nd place). Ark black is ok and the Swiss Limbertwig is kinda trashy.
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Eden, Hudson’s Golden Gem, Cox’s Orange Pippin
I just picked the last six Lamb Abbey apples today, 2 Sept. Been enjoying them every day for eight days already. They’ll keep my taste buddies pleased until Gold Rush comes in, six or more weeks from now.
Has anyone grown SweeTango apples yet? I’m sort of an apple connoisseur. I eat all the new varieties I see at the market. SweeTango is the best apple ever invented. It easily eclipses the Honeycrisp. The eating window is smaller though. At a grocery store you will only want to eat a SweeTango up until November/December. After that it doesn’t have the longevity (it losses its crispness). It’s just the perfect apple. Super crunchy, an explosion of juice when you bite into it, sweet & sour tanginess. Perfection.
Snapdragon is a nice Apple. The apple literally taste like Apple Cider. It has notes of apple cider spices in it.
SweeTango is under patent and a club apple so it is not available for home growers at this time.
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Cold climate. Northern Spy as best pie apple ever and can’t buy anywhere.
Then probably Norkent. Crazy productive. So far low bug and disease pressure. Crisp, juicy and flavourful. Several month storage tolerance which is fantastic for an August apple. Main issue is it drops easy when ripe.
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I agree, the Northern Spy is the best pie apple hands down. I have a NS apple in my orchard and it gives me some great apples. This year I had ZERO apples on it, bummer.
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I make sure every good year to slice a bunch and then vacuum seal them in 8 apple portions and put at the bottom of my freezer. I ensure I have 8 pies worth at least to tide me through a non-productive year. Enough for pies for Easter and Thanksgiving.
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Interesting. I have been reading a UK blog where apparently a few folks are living a life based on how historic anglo-saxon monastery life was. Including the all important apple orchards. Seems their trees are not always exactly keeping them with full tummies.
Kudos to their determination though.
Bramleys do not last in store well. They have the superb keeping Hambledon Deux-ans; but it is not a big cropper as a young tree apparently.
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