I’m starting this thread to be a place for us to chat about Skillcult crosses. How are past year’s seedlings doing? Why are you excited about the seeds you bought from him this year? Have you had success with his pollen?
I have a few McIntosh x Pinker Lady seedlings sprouting already. I made this cross with his pollen, which seemed to work well. Cherry Crush pollen seemed by far to be the most productive for some reason, so I have a lot or McIntosh x Cherry Crush. I’m hoping to breed and/or grow out some good north-hardy red fleshed apples, some better early apples, and some uniquely flavored apples eventually.
Am excited that my Skillcult seeds for this year have shipped!
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Mac x Pinker Lady sounds like a good cross. I like the flavor and tartness of Mcintosh but they tend to go mealy, which I really dont care for. Hopefully the texture of PL wins out and you get some pink flesh too.
I got some pinker lady pollen last year, but had back luck with the timing of the bloom and my pollinations. It started raining about 4 hours after I made pollinations with PL, and literally didnt stop for a week. I suspect the pollen washed off and by the time the rain ended the blossoms on the trees I wanted to pollinate were in bad shape. I did have luck with other pollen though. I have some williams pride x HellaKitty and williams pride x appleoosa seeds to start this year.
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Any photos of this year’s or previous year’s seedlings? 
Thanks, I thought so too. I love the flavor of tree-ripened McIntosh, but after about a week, the texture goes downhill considerably. I am hoping Pinker Lady improves the texture and McIntosh adds at least a bit of acid balance to Pinker Lady (pink flesh would be a fun bonus).
Bummer about the rain after pollination. That certainly seems like a reason your Pinker Lady didn’t take. The pollination I did right before derecho winds didn’t seem to stick as well either.
Looks like we may be working on some similar goals, so it will be fun to hear how your seeds do! Some of the seeds I bought from Skillcult are William’s Pride crosses. 
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Here is my list of Skillcult seeds by year. I’m looking for small intense apples and early apples. I haven’t done any pollinating yet, but hope to this spring with a high brix roadside crab I found.
2024
6 Trailman x Cherry Crush,
3 Trailman x Wickson,
4 Trailman x Cherub,
1 Cherub x Pinker Lady
2 Tomboy OP
2025
Tomboy Crab x Golden Russet
Tomboy Crab x Chestnut Crab
Wickson x Golden Russet
Wickson x Subrosa
Kerry Pippin x Cherry Crush
Chestnut Crab x Roxbury Russet
Tomboy Crab x BRFAE
2026
WILLIAMS’ PRIDE X BITE ME!
BRFAE X TRAILMAN
REBEL GIRL X PINK LEMONADE
TOMBOY CRAB X GOLDEN RUSSET
WILLIAMS’ PRIDE X BECCA’S CRAB
WILLIAMS’ PRIDE X CHESTNUT CRAB
CHERUB X TRAILMAN
CHERRY CRUSH X CHESTNUT CRAB
(SWEET 16 X RUBAIYAT 13/1) X CHESTNUT CRAB
HELLA KITTY X SAORIT
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Well, we had over a foot of snow, which allowed rabbits to eat the top off of some of my seedlings from this year, but they should bounce back (although they’ll potentially take longer to fruit, ugh).
Here are a few of the seedlings this past summer:
Most hopeful for the chestnut crab x musketeer, amberwine x golden russet, and rubiayat x sunrise crosses.
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My seeds/seedlings by year:
2025
Amberwine x Golden Russet
Chestnut Crab x Amberwine
Chestnut Crab x Musketeer
Chestnut Crab x Roxbury Russet
Rubiayat x Sunrise
Rubiayat x ?
Wickson OP
? x Golden Russet
Have 1-2 of most of these, many were partially chomped by rabbits but should bounce back.
2026
My crosses with Skillcult pollen:
Fireside x Cherry Crush
Fireside x Jellybean Cider
Fireside x Pinker Lady
McIntosh x Cherry Crush
McIntosh x Pinker Lady
Seeds ordered:
Cherry Crush x Sunrise
Chestnut Crab x Jellybean Cider
Chestnut Crab x (RubxPP 15/2)
Chestnut Crab x Vanilla Pink
Sunrise x BRFAE
Sweet 16 x King David
(Sweet 16xRub) x Chestnut Crab
Vanilla Pink x William’s Pride
William’s Pride x Jellybean Cider
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With the description of pink parfait’s texture I’m bringing that into my roster. But since I’ve never had one myself that’s placing a lot of worth on other peoples opinions. I have pink par grafted in so i’m haping to form my own opinion sooner than later.
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Lots of potential in those bags! Now the hard part…waiting.
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I daresay those are all some good options. Hope you get something really cool out of at least one of these!
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Soaking them tonight, then into the fridge they go. In a few months I’ll start checking them obsessively 
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Haha I like that you took a picture of your order arrival, because I instantly soaked mine and threw them in the fridge. I’m obsessively checking my own crosses already, so I understand.
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I just love the names of @SkillCult original crosses. Fresh new names that stand out. Kind of reminds me of going into my local dispensary. Hope to trade some scions with some growing his apples soon. They seem like real winners. I don’t think I have it in me to bid in patreon on seed drops. That also reminds me of seeds from my favorite ganja growers. Exclusive gone in a flash seed drops often on patreon. lol
Either way I am happy for you seed poppers that got your seeds, and happy for him he has such a following. Good thing apple trees live longer than the ganja.
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Motion for you to cross nodhead and hella kitty. It could be the noddykitty!!
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There are still some seeds available in his store if you’re interested:
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So far 15 of my crosses with Skillcult pollen have sprouted (5 McIntosh x Pinker Lady and 10 McIntosh x Cherry Crush). I’m thrilled!
I have about 20 McIntosh x Cherry Crush seeds that I don’t plan to plant this year; I’d be happy to trade for these if anyone is interested.
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Are those this year’s seeds (from apples ripened in 2025)?
I just purchased the following, which I plan to plant near Cooperstown, NY:
- CHESTNUT CRAB X MUSCAT DE VENUS
- MUSCAT DE VENUS X GOLD RUSH
- CLARION X MUSCAT DE VENUS
- GOLD RUSH X DUTCH MASTER
I have no idea what I am doing!
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Yes, some of the seeds I didn’t dry and put right into damp sand in the refrigerator after eating the apples.
