I got some Martha crabapple scions from the Home Orchard Society scion fair a few years ago and grafted them into my aronia bush. THey fruited but were bitter. THen I got some more this year and they were still very bitter. Has anyone else around here grown Martha crab and was the taste bitter? I wonder if the scion was mislabeled. I have tasted other pears and apples that I grafted onto aronia and it didn’t affect their flavor.
John S
PDX OR
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I see this post was started long ago, but I am interested in the Martha Crab and was wondering if anyone has any experience with it that they can share? It sounds like a great little apple
I prefer Wickson and Chestnut crabs. I also like Young American crab. Callaway is pretty good, too, but small and tart.
John S
PDX OR
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I grafted Martha from scion wood that I got from Fedco Trees about 5 years ago. I have only had a few apples from it over the last 3 years. The first 2 years the fruit was basically inedible, I don’t remember the exact flavor. This year I got a few and they were great, crisp with a good acid/sugar balance. Reminded me of a miniature Honeycrisp. I don’t know how long they store, as I ate them right away.
I would give your grafts a couple more years, or you could get new scions from Cummins or Fedco.
I saw you are in zone 8, which may affect flavor. Martha has its origin in Minnesota, and I read on this forum that apple quality can vary by zones.
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@TobyFlenderson @JohnS do either of you have scion you could share? Also, do your apples look like this picture? (From a Facebook post)
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Cummins has it but $13 for scion is just insane to me. I love em, but that’s insane.
Are you aware that they give you a stick long enough for 3-4 grafts? Not that it isn’t more than some other places but still
I could check. I won’t cut scions for a month and a half.
John S
PDX OR
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Yes, about like that. Some smaller or bigger.
John S
PDX OR
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Absolutely like I said I love them, but it would nice to have the option to buy a one-graft stick for $5 or something
I checked today and have a couple feet of Martha crab, some of it up to pencil diameter. If interested, let me know when you would want it cut and shipped. I usually cut scions here the end of February, but could harvest earlier of course.
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I’ll def reach out then, thanks! Do your apples look like the picture I posted above by chance? I spoke with John Bunker at Out on a Limb and he said:
“Martha: I did a phenotypic (from the fruit) ID of three very old trees in Skowhegan about 15 years ago. I thought I was correct. (I’m now uncertain.) The USDA in Geneva has what they call Martha. For awhile I had both grafted side by side but not currently. The two cultivars are nearly identical but (as I recall) have genotyped–DNA–as distinct. (I’ll have to re-check). I pruned out both for other reasons but now have the “Skowhegan Martha” regrafted into our orchard. It is by far the superior dessert fruit. I do not currently have the USDA accession. MHO (Maine Heritage Orchard) may have both.”
So, with that, I’m not sure which is the real Martha crab or at least which one that picture is of. Thanks for your help
My Martha crabs look like the ones in your photo. I bought my scion from Fedco about 5 years ago, if that helps.
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I know the person who took the above pic and I know he sourced the scion from Fedco. It was a shared order to save on shipping for the two of us.
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I meant to ask on here, does Martha have any disease issues? Would love to hear peoples experience