First, you’re welcome and I’m sorry 
I have not used much in the way of species crabs at all, just prunifolia. We have one native species that is supposed to grow on the coast here. I do think people should do that. I probably won’t mess much with them just because my plate is full and I only have so many apple generations left to go. It is a really exciting niche to pursue. I mean that is where really new unique traits are likely to be uncovered.
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Mark Albert used to talk about how the point of knowing stuff is to share it. I weirdly have not acquired Burfords somehow. I’ll get a stick from my friend this year. Typically RF apples seem to be pretty scabby. Land in norcal is actually really cheap right now, just not the big nice pieces that I can put to good use and not where I want to be nearby here.
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I think you are doing important work. You’ve taken a novel direction and you are showing there is a lot of opportunity in that direction. Congratulations! I hope you will devote some of your free time to writing in-depth about your experiences. You’ve forged new territory that we could all benefit by learning from it. I’ve been involved in fruit and vegetable research for decades and I think what you are doing is exciting stuff. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. I’m looking forward to learning more.
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Whats your most savory apple that has at least medium size?
I was reading some of the descriptions for Amberwine and Wickson the other day and they sound really cool.
Curious, Have you ever tried any apples with an aromatic quince-like flavor?
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I would look at Vixen which is an etter apple and Amberwine, which is a cross between Williams Pride and Vixen. Vixen has thrown really interesting offspring with WP, but I have not crossed it with anything else. Both of those are on the smaller side, but not small like crabs or anything. Another one for breeding might be Amberoso. It is not that great IMO, but it is savory and again kind of medium sized. it is also very productive and consistently so. Freddy Menge may have more that would fit that description, but I haven’t fruited much of his stuff here yet. I have not really noticed quince, but I’m not a big quince person, so I may just have failed to make the connection.
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I started a grassroots apple breeding book. It is mostly written, but it is more the issue of actually refinining it for print and making it all happen.
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Following
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With all due respect. For repeated crossing, it is advisable to use varieties created according to serious breeding programs and which convey traits well; this is important. Pinova, Honey Gold, Belorusskoe Sladkoe, Elstar. Modern varieties must have a leader crown and genes for purity, which is more important than taste. Tastes change and are different for everyone. The photo shows my pear hybrid. Мраморная + Маслянная Ро.
Excellent crown and winter hardiness, but small fruits 50-70 g. It is difficult for one person to get something serious, so crossing with varieties from the breeding program is necessary. Good luck!
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Such a great project - been following on youtube for >5 years now, been a patreon member for ~3 years. Excited to see the second generation crosses start to fruit and hope your 2025 auctions and sales go well. Looking forward to the vanilla pink scion I just ordered this morning (and leek seeds as always)!
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Do you sell trees or wood for grafting on your apple projects?
I’m also very curious that Vanilla Pink looks marvelous
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He has a website where you can buy publicly i think soon (he also had figbid.com auctions last week for more rare varieties that go for $60+ a cutting… if you are curious what those were: here you go:
https://figbid.com/Browse?FullTextQuery=skillcult&ViewStyle=list&StatusFilter=completed_only&ListingType=&SortFilterOptions=0
).
People who support his work get early access (hence why below url has a pass to login today). Here is his website (specifically the scionwood page):
https://skillcult.com/store/apple-scion-wood
You can sign up here to support his work if you want access today:
https://www.patreon.com/c/skillcult/membership
$25 per month got access 2 days ago,
$10 per month got access 1 day ago,
$5 per month got access today i believe,
$3 per month got access today tomorrow,
and pubic sales are then a day later from now if you want to wait a bit.
Note: Whatever level you pick, don’t view it as one-time payment for scion sales, stick with the plan. As its a bit frowned upon to signup for a higher level just for that month (definitely frowned upon if you signup just for scion sales and cancel it the next month, but even if you will lower the subscription later its still frowned upon [i guess that doesn’t apply today since you can’t go from $3 to a lower level, but applied esp to the $25 level a few days ago]).
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See armyof12monkeys reply below, but all of that is in the post as well.
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thanks for answering that. All the information is actually in the post. today is 5.00 and up tomorrow 3.00 the next day public.
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You are my mentor and the reason I got into grafting and expanding my orchard. I recommend your grafting series to all those from newbies to experienced folk.
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We will have 2 breeding projects here. First is to improve the failings of Georgia’s Blairmont apple. Which has a lot of pluses but has issues as well. Like getting it to annual bearing. And giving it a bit better storing.
The other is to create a disease resistant rootstock for the hot and wet south that is M26 size and free standing. And very low care for home orchards or farm sales use.
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@SkillCult , your channel is one of my favourites on Youtube. As we’ve discussed here in messages, I have a few of your seedlings growing (Appleoosa x Wickson) and some pollen crosses with my novamac apple (my favourite variety/the best growing in my area) (Redflesh Blend x Novamac, Savory Blend x Novamac, Royalty Crab x Novamac, Winesap x Novamac, William’s Pride X Novamac). Early days yet, but I’m excited to see what I get in a few years!
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Humbling task and work. Those of us who struggle to just grow the tree and learn all those necessary skills are humbled by such prolific work. It is a multi (human) generation project.
Reminds me of Elmer Swenson’s grape work. Finally a large group took over caring for the many trial vines when he got old(er) and saving them by dispersal to other growers. I am not sure but I hope the results were further coordinated after that.
Following your bliss you help us all.
Bless and thank you.
Now, for a newbie question. Are traits “lost” from the apple genome as you do this or are they just moved into the background?
Since an apple cross that might be untasty to our mouth or eyes may still have other useful traits “uncovered”. Or are you actually breeding out an undesireable trait.
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I am dispersing all my best stuff as I go. The issue would be more losing stuff that is in progress. I’ll try to make sure that doesn’t happen. Ideally, breeding projects would at least wind out to something of a conclusion even if not continued, meaning that what is planted gets to fruit and be assessed and put out there.
I know almost nothing about genetics, so i’m the wrong person to ask that question, but I would think that some genes are actually dropped along the way? Dunno. My approach is very unsophisticated.
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It certainly is exciting and addictive to breed plants. There is always something different or better around the next corner…
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