Rust varies a lot in how severe it can be. I have had pretty good luck myself, only minor problems on the leaves, but if you have a lot of cedars it can get really bad.
Recently I have been doing one spray of myclobutanil after petal fall, so I don’t get any CAR to speak of now.
I have one GoldRush left in storage… they are still super crunchy and could last for several more months.
Scott
Scott,
Your user info indicates you are in Maryland, Zone 7a. Can you be more specific as to your location?
Summer heat is obviously an issue for you. There are some noticeable differences in summer temperatures with location in this area (I’m in Northern Virginia). For example, there are places that have average overnight lows in July in the low 70s and others that have average lows in the mid-60s and both are in Zone 7a.
Although I’m certainly no expert on apples, I would hazard a guess that an overnight low of 72 versus an overnight low of 66 could make or break a decent number of apple varieties.
Additional info on your climate and / or location (from which climate data can be looked up) would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Andrew
Scott is in Baltimore.
I’m on the north side of Baltimore. I probably have a little extra heat thrown in thanks to all the pavement around me, and my main orchard is on a south-facing hill which throws in some more. I agree zone does not tell you everything, but its a pretty good first cut.
For most varieties I don’t think a 66 vs 72 average low is going to make or break anything. Its more the number of roasting hot days and nights where it never leaves the 80’s. That heat bakes out the flavor and texture from many varieties.
Scott
I saw on another forum that you are growing the Newt Grindle apple of Maine. How is it doing for you? Taste any fruit yet?
so sorry for you.
What ever gravitated you towards the growing of fruit? My goodness, I’m definitely not one for the crazed American proliferation of firearms, but certainly hope you are “equipped” for the area.
I’m sorry, but I literally hate Baltimore, it is, in and of itself, purely reflective of every single thing that is wrong in America.
I’m in some ways glad you’re there…at least I can say there is something good in there.
Where you born there…is it your homeplace? Nobody actually moves there…do they?
Seems to me there have been a couple of semi-trolling posts from you lately, everything OK sir?
Hey Matt
I got one apple off of my Newt Grindle. Wasn’t impressed, it had some watercore but it was the 1st apple the tree has produced. I had grafted it in 2013 on B118 rootstock and planted it in the spring of 2014, so I shouldn’t have let any apples mature yet, but… 
it produced several apples this spring and I left one grow. I’m looking forward to better apples as the tree matures. Here’s a pic of the apple.
You should visit Baltimore sometime, Appleseed. Its a mostly a very prosperous place, but with a few parts of town you never want to step foot in. Don’t believe what you see in the news. I had one crime incident in the last 15 years, some kids took a bike from our garage.
Thanks, but no thanks. I’ve visited Baltimore many, many times Scott and worked there too several times. I’ve not had the fortune of seeing the prosperity, but I’ll certainly take your word for it. I don’t bother with the news anymore.
233 murders, 298 rapes, 3,734 robberies, and 4,460 assaults were reported in Baltimore—a total of 8,725 violent crimes
Ranks 8th in the country for the most violent crime per capita. Not surprising to me at all.
It does do a little better than it’s next door neighbor Washington, DC.
Almost like Disneyland.
For those looking for some unusual apple varieties, Big Horse Creek Farm nursery in North Carolina just today opened up their website for fall 2015 purchases, quantities are quite small so you may want to act quickly if you are interested, Chris.
Hello Scott,
Wow! Very valuable information. I’m new at growing apples. Had my first crop on Macintosh and Golden Delicious this year on Espaliered trees. Hopefully next year, on my Yellow transparent, Red Delicious, Fuji, Gala, and Jonathan. My wife is English and misses English apples so I’m planning on getting an Ashmead’s Kernel and Saint Edmunds Russett. Per your description it looks like Blenheim’s Orange would be a good one for us. Have you tried Saint Edmunds Russet here in Maryland? Thanks!
Paul (Columbia, Maryland)
Hi Paul, welcome to our group! Its always good to see another Marylander.
I grew St. Edmunds Russet but I didn’t get enough apples off it before the tree succumbed and I decided not to replace it. The demise of the tree was not its fault. But, its similar to Ashmead’s Kernel in being a small russet so it probably not required. Bramley would be another big English apple, or if she likes Cox try a Rubinette which grows well in our area.
Thank you! Are you right in the city of Baltimore?
Barely, I’m 100 feet from the border.
Oh, another good Cox-like apple is Kidd’s Orange Red. Its more aromatic but less sweet/sour then Rubinette; both of those are easy to grow unlike Cox.
Scott, Are you close to Columbia? I’m going to do the trees espalier over a 7’arch. I was thinking of doing a Rubinette on one side of the arch as I am sure that is close to many English apples in taste. I am also toying with the idea of doing a two variety tree on the other side of the arch that would include Ashmead’s Kernel and another variety to pollinate the Kernel. Would Reine des Reinettes work as far as being the second tree to pollinate the Kernel. I cannot find it on the Orange Pippen website. Also, could I find sion wood for the Reine des Reinettes? Thanks!
Paul, I am on the other side - north. You should be fine for pollination, one apple 50’ away is enough. Reine des Reinettes is another good apple to consider, its similar or same as King of the Pippins which is a classic British apple. I always have assumed same and in fact my RdR I should call King of the Pippins as thats what name I bought it under from Southmeadow. Many places should sell it, I think Big Horse Creek may even have a tree of it now for fall shipping.
What a fantastic comprehensive list! This will definitely influence my variety selection especially since I’m in the mid atlantic as well. I just attended the 2015 Apple Tasting at Monticello and found the best tasting apple to be Zabergau Reinette wowee it was just divine, complex, juicy a little spicy but in a demure way. I’m so glad to find this site, so many knowledgable folks sharing information.
Yes, there are many fantastic apples out there. The hard part is picking which ones to grow out. I did try to grow Zabergau but it was in 2002 when I was just starting and I put the tree in a far too shady spot and after a few years I dug it up.
I keep updating my list of favorites, here it is now FYI.
General top at this point plus or minus a few
1) Hooples Antique Gold
2) Gold Rush
3) Suncrisp
4) Rubinette
5) Pitmaston Pineapple
6) Adam’s Pearmain
7) Blenheim Orange
8) Ashmead's Kernel
9) Freyburg
10) Reine des Reinettes
11) Mother
12) Kidds Orange Red
13) Nonpareil
14) Newtown Pippin
15) Swayzie
16) Bonne Hotture
17) Pomme Gris
18) Golden Russet (American)
19) White Winter Pearmain
20) Golden Nugget
21) Wickson Crab
22) Maigold
23) Abbondanza
24) Wagener
25) Hawaii
26) Ribston Pippin
Overall top including growability, reliability, storage, usefulness, etc.
1) Hooples Antique Gold
2) Gold Rush
3) Rubinette
4) Suncrisp
5) Reine des Reinettes
6) Adam’s Pearmain
7) Kidds Orange Red
8) Newtown PippinScott,
What is your favorite low acid, sweet, crunchy, and fragrance apple.
Tony