Does anyone have experience with this apple?
Any other apple recommendations for zone 9b, presumably southern California?
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Thank you Richard for creating the appropriate title name, I didn’t know why my message ended up with the White Pearmain apple title ?! Yes, southern CA.
I think I got the gist - I commented on this someone else’s post.
I have a graft of it up here on the Marin coast, but I haven’t had what I’d consider to be a representative sample so far. This year I’ve got a decent load of apples set, so I should be able say more in the fall.
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You replied in the White Pearmain topic. If you wish to start a new topic, go to the main forum page and click “New Topic” near the top right 
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It’s main virtue, I suppose, is that it is a good russet that ripens relatively early. It is not a very useful variety here, it seems, because the birds peck it to death. But you have completely different weather so the only useful info I have for you is that it ripens earlier than any other Russet I grow. All the more common ones ripen fairly late in the season. For an early apple it is highly flavored.
Fruit Berry and Nut Inv. give it a rave review, calling it the most beautiful of Russets and in the top 10 of all English apples for flavor. Maybe the birds have been pecking all the best ones here- they tend to do that.
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I have it. I grafted it on Bud 9. Vigor seems to be average. General disease resistance is average or better. I had my first apple this year and I like the flavor. It’s also called St. Edmund’s Russet. I wish I had better information but I haven’t had the tree long. Here are some links.
edit Not sure if you seen this list for apples that do well in California and the tropics.
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Thank you for creating the proper title for my question! Some folks here replied with many good resources!
Alain, I think you are right that SEP apple is a russet and ripens early. Another virtue I gathered from the Gardener’s World 2012 ? episode (GW), the owner claims that it’s a great table apple, and stores relatively longer than other russets. The owner said “Everyone should grow this apple” had me interested to learn more. [https://www.treesofantiquity.com/] sells it, and its description sounds fitting to me. But the owner in the GW lives north of England, probably a zone 5. I am in zone 9/10, thus, I wanted to hear from some folks who already have this tree, my summers are extremely hot and dry. Thanks for adding resources, I have lots of info to read now!
Hello mroot! Yes, I forgot the owner featured in the Gardener’s World 2012 inferred the flavor is good! Do you mind me asking what zone is your area? My main concern is our hot and dry weather (and decades of drought has persisted! Two winters now, southern CA received 1/10 of its ave rainfall). You have given great links for my research, thanks!
I am located in central Illinois on the hardiness zone 5/6 border. It’s hot and humid in the Summer here. We do get a fair amount of rainfall in the Summer especially compared to arid regions of California. Corn and soybeans are commercially farmed here without any irrigation.
Wow corn and soy are farmed without irrigation!!! Ahaha, no such thing here in SoCal. Thank you! I think I better consider an apple tree more suitable for Zone 8-9 (I hate to admit I am bordering zone 10) only bc I have had success with Old Roses of the1800s cultivars. St EP also will need 2nd apple tree for pollination purposes, not sure I have room for it.
We had our St Edmunds Pippin produce this year. Unique color, not overly crisp and definitely a pear like flavor to the fruit we harvested. I would give it about an 8 out of 10. It does show good disease resistance as well at least in our area.
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No one seems to have responded to your concern about another cultivar to offer pollen to St. Edmund P/R. I love St. Edmunds, altho am not growing it.
May I suggest grafting to one limb something that does well in my summertime dry heat? Lamb Abbey does well here, is hugely tasty and not so vigorous as to give you fits by dominating your tree. LAP will keep to Christmas or January.
Another that might do well is GoldRush. Both bloom in the middle of the pack in my yard, with GR lasting one day longer for bloom time. It also is of quite modest vigor. Mine keep thru May.
If you want a baking/sauce apple, Maiden Blush has very low chill requirements, is prettier than Transparent or its seedling Lodi. MB is seriously tart, ripens about the same time as Lamb Abbey (which begins 24 August for me). Its one drawback might be prolific vertical branching, which needs attention each year.
You are so kind to shed so much info! THANK YOU! I will check out Lamb Abbey as I have not heard of it yet. When you said grafting to one limb, this means one tree apple will eventually have two types of fruits? Woohoo! I am so novice with fruit trees! The Maiden Blush sounds so good to use in cooking, but its vertical habit would discourage me. Still your information is gold! I will keep it in once I get closer to making my decisions.
Saint Edmund’s Russet is listed as partially self-fertile. You should get a smaller crop even if you don’t have another tree to pollinate it. I actually think one of reasons I got it originally was it was partially self-fertile.
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Wow! Partially self-fertile? Ok, this makes it easier to make a decision, you don’t suppose you can point me to where you bought yours? Thanks
I grafted mine from scionwood onto Bud 9 rootstock so I didn’t buy a tree. I think Cummins nursery has carried it as a tree in the past and Maple Valley Orchard has it available as a benchgraft (maybe trees too). There are probably other sources. It isn’t super common but isn’t a really rare apple either.
I got a pair of bench grafts from Maple Valley years ago. Nice price if you are willing to care for something fragile until it has taken on some growth. Nice selection of root stocks, too. I recommend & use Gen890, but G969 & G210 will probably do well for you.
You might also get St. Edmunds from Greenmantle in California. Check their website. I got a bench graft from them about the same time as the pair from MV. Less stock options, though.
Grafting just one branch a couple years after your tree is established is easy, makes a fuller crop & offers you a chance to learn a useful skill & get another apple in your own yard without handling another tree.
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