I am thinking of adding a dwarf Rhode Island greening apple on geneva rootstock to my backyard. I have a bramley seedling with amazing flavor but doesn’t hold shape when making a pie. Granny smith are said to not do too well here. Vancouver, WA… Zone 8.
I am wondering if anyone grows this variety and what they think of it. One nursery I contacted had this variety but only on stardard size rootstock because they said it needed the vigor of standard rootstock to do well. Any thoughts on this? Having trouble locating a tree here on the west coast… so I might graft it myself.
I had it for a short time but my season is too short for it and I pruned it. I know others like it for pie but for my money I really like Calville Blanc.
Thank you for your thoughts. I am in zone 8, Do you think it would do well here? Calville Blanc… I don’t know about this one but will definitely look up info. Did you grow the RI greening on dwarf or standard stock. I need to have “short” trees as I am 71 and definitely do now want to be climbing on ladders.
I grew RI Greening on a semidwarf - added it to my frankenapple when I first started grafting. It did fine.
My Calvile Blanc has been well-behaved: the scions seem to graft easily, growth is good and got decent bloom and fruiting in the third year. I would not hesitate to put it on a smaller rootstock, but then, I’ve never used the true dwarf rootstocks and I do all kinds of poorly informed things. So best check that out with somebody else!
I’m a big fan of RIG for baking and pies, and fresh eating too. I have a branch on a multi-graft here in zone 6 and it’s happy as a clam. I’ve also got CBd’H on m.111 rootstock that hasn’t fruited yet (it’s taking forever) but am looking forward to trying that as well due to the reviews of @marknmt and several others.
You’re right. But I don’t think you can make a wrong choice with either RIG or CBd’H!
@nwlady
I’m here in Vancouver wash. Granny Smith does fine here it just won’t get fully ripe. We don’t have a long enough growing season. Think green with some yellow skin on it as that’s as ripe as I seen it. A friend at work has it and I’ve seen chucks produce has local grown granny as well. My calville didn’t survive my dog. Before ordering from orange pippin/ Cummins nursery I believe is behind it. Try burnt ridge nursery there cheaper and in Washington so shipping isn’t as high. Also try Raintree nursery there in Washington too. Although in my experience burnt ridge is the cheapest and there easy to deal with on phone.
Hello Fullplate… So happy to see a few locals on this site. I do like Burnt Ridge. I have gotten a number of items from them over the years. Most recently a comic crisp on G 935. Good to know that cummins and orange pippin are connected. I was not aware of that. I have always been happy with what I have received from cummins. I asked cummins about an RIG for next spring but they are already sold out. I contacted Shipley Farms in Snohomish WA. The said they had RIG on Geneva rootstock. They are quite busy and said they would get back to me. Anxiously waiting. Looked at their website this morning to see about maybe a calville also. I wouldn’t mind trying both.
Again… so nice to see a “local” here.
RIG got as bad of Fireblight for me as did spitzenburg they were the worst i have tested so far sadly. I love eating the apples and get them at my grocer once a year.
I always find it funny when i am in the PNW and i never see FB strikes must not get warm enough
I bought my RIG apple tree from Albermarle Cider Works and they sell them under their Vintage Virginia Apples part of their company. They have a few different rootstock choices. I have not had good luck with the Geneva rootstocks. Out of the 4 I have only one is growing correctly. The Geneva rootstocks all split when I had a huge rain after a long drought. The rest of the rootstocks ( non Geneva varieties) did not split.
I mostly use the M111 because the roots have a better spread and anchoring in most soils. They do get larger than what you want, however, you can cut them back to make them the size you want. I am older as well. I am going to cut mine back and keep them a smaller size so I do not have to get on a ladder to get the fruit. I do not mind using one of those fruit picking poles to get some of the fruit. Too big of a tree and you waste fruity because you cannot and will not be able to pick it.
Im sorry FB is short for fireblight and usually its just a apple,pear,serviceberry & quince disease but it seems to really need warmth to really spread. I love how lush it is out where you live its very much the opposite of my denver climate and fireblight is my bane.
I get these apples about once a year and they are absolutely delicious and i very much wanted to grow them.
LOL… it is almost like I am rubbing in the fact I don’t get much flireblight … I didn’t even know FB stood for fireblight.
I do know the pain of fireblight. It sometimes wipes out my entire crop of plums. Seems to be getting worse every year. Global warming maybe?? It is so discouraging to see my plum trees full of blooms…pollinators fluttering and buzzing about and then a week or so later…everything dead!
I can tolerate not having plums… but no apples would be terrible!! I feel for you.
The pacific northwest is a wonderful place to be… move on up!!
thank you, Mike… good to know. I had not heard that about geneva root stock. I will look into that. I have a number of apples on G11 and haven’t had any problems so far. I know M9, M27 are quite popular in this area.
Yes… getting to old for ladders!! I need a “pedestrian” orchard. lol I came across that term recently. Basically, trees short enough that all work done from the ground… no ladders. Sometimes, if I have let a tree get too tall, I “pick” the fruit is a saw of loppers… fruit picked and tree pruned at the same time.
Stone fruit in general and plums in particular are not affected by fireblight. What you describe is most probably brown rot blossom blight caused by the fungus Monilinia laxa. On the other hand, fireblight that affects apples, pears, quince, and loquat is caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora.
Stan… Good to know! I was going by pictures and description. Brown rot blossom blight definitely describes what I see. Do you know how to combat this? I am only doing organic treatments. I will look into this. Thank you!
