I was the one who came here looking for advice, so take my advice with a grain of salt. From what I have gathered, thick-skinned, hard-flesh apples are most resilient to bugs. Perhaps the variety that has recieved the most attention in this regard is Arkansas Black or Yates, but there are others. You may have to store the apple for some time (months) before eating it. Also, Enterprise may be a good compromise between fungal disease and insect resistance. I am going to try out a bunch of different varieties (~20)- I’ll let you know how it goes in 5-10 years!
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I should add that Red Delicious is pretty disease free…but everything in the insect realm seem to like eating ‘delicious’ apples too. 
(Actually RD is not bothered by insects nearly as much as some apples are.)
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My limited experience having had a Liberty tree in the 1990’s,it is a good tree to have (if you like the taste, but there are too many apples that taste better, IMO).
I have Triumph, the Honeycrisp x Liberty, but I can already tell you it is not as insect or disease free as Liberty. But hopefully tastes better.
And if not, I’ll graft it over to something else.
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@BlueBerry I have a Triumph apple im planting this week. Can you tell me more about disease issues? If it’s not worth my time ill plant something else!
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No, sorry, mine still is not 3 feet tall…not quite as tall as the crooked tree before I cut it back hard. So, it’ll take some time.
I’ll say on G890 it’s not as vigorous as I might like. And, I grafted a ‘backup’ copy of the tree and ditto. But, the leaves appear to be scab free. Just minor cedar apple rust. No fireblight or other fungus observed so far. Still, the appearance of the leaves are not as nice as some such as Arkansas Black, Northwest Greening, wolf river, etc.
And, of course, there are none that resist all insects. Arkansas Black is about the best at it though.
As of the moment, the Univ. of Minnesota has as much to say as anyone…they say it’s ‘disease resistant’, but mostly I suspect they mean it has double resistance to scab.
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yeah im hesitant to take up a spot in my orchard for something unproven…YOLO I guess!
You stay using old timey heirlooms if you never try unproven things.
And that might not be all bad.
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hey @BlueBerry im looking at the Burford Red flesh apple, can you tell me anything you can about it in regards to ease of growing, flavor, etc? It comes from VA which is where I live and I like super tart apples so I might even enjoy it fresh eating. Thanks
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Sorry, I did graft this variety, but it didn’t live beyond one season in my pot culture.
So, I can’t help a lot.
It should be a very late apple, very dark red flesh and very sour. Blooms a red/purple. But, I never got it that far.
(I’d graft it again if I had scion, but I have 30+ other red flesh apples, so it’s hard to care for every one.
Maybe try a post in the topic Experience / red fleshed apples.
Maple Valley sells sticks of scion.
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Can’t recall the source person that shared Burford RF.
I’d graft it again if I had scion.
But not a big priority…as I have a bunch
of red fleshed cultivars.
Some disease resistant late ripening apple trees:
| Common Name | Zones | Pomiferous Harvest Period | Ripe in 6a |
|---|---|---|---|
| GoldRush Apple (Co-op 38) | 4-8 | middle of the fifth | Nov 10 |
| King David Apple | 4-8 | last half of the fifth | Nov 3 |
| Keener Seedling Apple | 4b-7 | middle of the fifth, hangs | |
| Sundance Apple (Co-op 29) | 5-8 | last half of the fifth | Oct 27 |
| Sheepnose or Black Gilliflower | 3-9 | middle of the fifth | |
| Redfield Applecrab | 3-7 | middle of the fifth | Nov 3 |
| York Imperial Apple | 4-8 | late in the fifth | |
| Snowsweet or Wilding (MN 1797) | 4-7 | last half of the fifth | Oct 13 |
| Claygate Pearmain Apple | 3-8 | last half of the fifth | Sep 29 |
| Golden Russet American | 4-6 | middle of the fifth | Nov 3 |
| WineCrisp Apple (Co-op 31) | 4-8 | middle of the fifth | Nov 3 |
| Nova Spy Apple | 4-7 | middle of the fifth | Oct 20 |
| Hudson’s Golden Gem Apple | 3-8 | middle of the fifth | Sep 20 |
| Blue Pearmain Apple | 3-8 | middle of the fifth | Nov 3 |
| Nickajack Apple | 5-9 | fifth | |
| Sturmer Pippin Apple | 4-8 | middle of the fifth | Oct 27 |
| Shockley Apple | 4b-8 | fifth | |
| Spice or Fenouillet Gris | 4-8 | middle of the fifth | Oct 15 |
| Franklin Cider or Mayo | 3-7 | middle of the fifth | Oct 13 |
| Hardy Cumberland Apple | 4-8 | middle of the fifth | |
| Enterprise Apple (Co-op 30) | 4-7 | first three weeks of third period | Nov 3 |
| Fallawater Apple | 3-? | first three weeks of the fifth | |
| Black Oxford Apple | 3-6 | first half of the fifth | Nov 10 |
| Bonkers Apple (NY 35) | 4-7 | first half of the fifth | Oct 5 |
| Arkansas Black Apple | 5-8 | early in the fifth | Nov 3 |
| Kinnaird’s Choice Apple | 4-? | early in the fifth | |
| Sauk River Winter Apple | 4-8 | early in the fifth? | |
| Heliodor Apple | 4-9 | early in the fifth | |
| Ashmead’s Kernal Apple | 4-8 | early in the fifth | Oct 20 |
| Bramley’s Seedling Apple | 4-9 | early in the fifth | Oct 10 |
| Grimes Golden Apple | 4-8 | early in the fifth | Oct 6 |
| Hunt’s Russet Apple | 3-? | start of the fifth | |
| Big Ten Apple | 4-7 | late in the fourth? | |
| Freedom Apple | 4-7 | early in the fifth | Oct 20 |
| Hubbardston Nonsuch Apple | 4-8 | early in the fifth | Oct 20 |
| Pilot Apple | 2-? | early in the fifth | |
| Wolf River Apple | 3-8 | early in the fifth | Oct 6 |
| Belle de Boskoop Apple | 4-7 | early in the fifth | Sep 29 |
| Liberty Apple (NY 55140-19) | 4-8 | early in the fifth | Sep 29 |
| Burford Redflesh Apple | 5-8 | late in the fourth, early fifth | Oct 20 |
| Virginia Beauty Apple | 4-8 | late in the fourth, early fifth | |
| American Limbertwig Apple | 5-8 | late in the fourth, early fifth | |
| Spartan Apple | 3-8 | late in the fourth, early fifth | Sep 29 |
| Chieftain Apple | 4-8 | latter half of the fourth | Nov 3 |
| Sweet Sixteen Apple | 3-7 | last half fourth, continues weeks | Sep 22 |
| Court Pendu Plat Apple | 4-8 | late in the fourth | Nov 3 |
| Galarina Apple (X-4982) | 4-7 | late in the fourth | Oct 9 |
| Niedzwetzkyana Apple | 5-9 | late in the fourth | |
| Egremont Russet Apple | 3-8 | late in the fourth | Sep 29 |
| Florina Querina Apple | 5-8 | late in the fourth | Oct 20 |
| Gilpin Apple | 4-8 | fourth | Oct 20 |
| Crimsom Topaz | 5-9 | late in the fourth? | Oct 13 |
| Pixie Crunch (Co-op 33) | 3-9 | late in the fourth | Sep 20 |
| Black Limbertwig (Old Fashioned) | 5-8 | late in the fourth | |
| Belmac Apple | 4-9 | late in the fourth | |
| Peak Attraction Applecrab | 4b-8 | late in the fourth? | |
| Tallow Road Teaser Apple | 3-8 | ||
| RubyRush Apple (NJ 150) | 4b-7 | ||
| Jonafree Apple (Co-op 22) | 3-7 | middle of the fourth | |
| Royal Limbertwig Apple | 5-8 | middle of the fourth | |
| Nova Easy Gro Apple | 2-7 | middle of the fourth |
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Disease resistant details of later ripening apple trees:
| Name | 1. Apple Scab | 2. Fire Blight | 3. Powdery Mildew | 4. Cedar Rust |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galarina | Very Resistant | Very Resistant | Very Resistant | Very Resistant |
| Sundance | Immune | Very Resistant | Resistant | Very Resistant |
| Liberty | Immune | Resistant | Resistant | Immune |
| Keener Seedling | Very Resistant | Very Resistant | Very Resistant | Very Resistant |
| Freedom | Very Resistant | Resistant | Resistant | Resistant |
| Bramley’s Seedling | Very Resistant | Resistant | Resistant | Resistant |
| Claygate Pearman | Very Resistant | Resistant | Resistant | Resistant |
| RubyRush | Very Resistant | Resistant | Unknown | Resistant |
| WineCrisp | Immune | Resistant | Resistant | Susceptible |
| Florina Querina | Very Resistant | Resistant | Resistant | Highly Susceptible |
| Enterprise | Immune | Resistant | Moderate Resistance | Resistant |
| Goldrush | Immune | Moderate Resistance | Resistant | Susceptible |
| Crimson Crisp | Immune | Moderate Resistance | Moderate Susceptibility | Moderate Susceptibility |
| Jonafree | Immune | Moderate Susceptibility | Resistant | Susceptible |
| Pixie Crunch | Immune | Resistant | Susceptible | Susceptible |
| Scarlett O’Hara | Immune | Susceptible | Resistant | Resistant |
| Nova Spy | Resistant | Very Resistant | Moderate Resistance | Susceptible |
| Spartan | Resistant | Resistant | Resistant | Unknown |
| Chieftain | Resistant | Resistant | Unknown | Unknown |
| Redfield | Very Resistant | Resistant | Unknown | Unknown |
| Court Pendu Plat | Very Resistant | Moderate Resistance | Very Resistant | Resistant |
| Black Oxford | Resistant | Resistant | Resistant | Very Resistant |
| Hudson’s Golden Gem | Resistant | Resistant | Resistant | Resistant |
| Grimes Golden | Resistant | Resistant | Resistant | Resistant |
| Hubbardston | Resistant | Resistant | Resistant | Resistant |
| Gilpin | Resistant | Resistant | Resistant | Resistant |
| Campfield | Resistant | Resistant | Resistant | Resistant |
| Belle De Boskoop | Resistant | Resistant | Unknown | Unknown |
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Of your lists, I can tell you Redfield shows no signs of mildew susceptibility out this way, where some red maples get hammered by it. A tree more people should try IMHO.
Nice lists. BTW Claygate is well worth growing also, becoming one of my favorite apples, alongside GoldRush & Lamb Abbey (little known & not on your lists).
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Thanks for the input
Those are two very different apple varieties.
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@ZombieFruit Hey there, I see this post was 2 years ago and I’m wondering if you have any experience with Milo Gibson now in regards to disease resistance?
To make a long story short, I do not have Milo Gibson growing, so I cannot report anything about it. Sorry.
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