Sundowner Apple

Kevin! You better be careful, or I’ll drive out to your place at get that (really beautiful) Lady Williams because I’ll never find it anywhere but your place. Gosh that’s a pretty apple. Love having apples from June to January, we are so fortunate to have this great climate :apple: :green_apple: :apple:

That really is a great looking apple.

Not sure why they never caught on here; the quality is outstanding and they keep really well without refrigeration. They’re the closest thing to marketable size, color, and quality we grow, and every year the crop is like this. I sent scionwood to a couple large wholesale nurseries here in California for evaluation. You can probably expect to see a lot better low-chill apples available in the next few years as these nurseries retire their unprofitable, poor-tasting apple lines in favor of much better quality apples that are reliable bearers in hot climates.

1 Like

So, Kevin, do you have Lady Williams available? I am interested. I don’t live too far away, about 1- 1 1/2 hours. Willing to take a drive out to your place. Really just an excuse to see all your apples :slight_smile:

I’d like a Sundowner and Lady Williams for my greenhouse. Kevin put me down for a tree of each if you sell them. I’ve got a few laggards that could be replaced.

Here is my little Sundowner that came home with me. Has some nice scaffolding. Was going to top it, but my hubby saw it and asked if I was going to espalier it, since it already looked almost ready to go for espalier.

3 Likes

Sweet looking little tree! It does seem to branch in mostly one dimension.

No, Regina, branches all the way around, nicely scaffolded, actually. If I don’t espalier it, I will lop it off at the top, down to the 2nd tallest scaffold branch. Then, probably remove one or two of the weaker scaffolds for balance and air flow. It has a fair amount of apples on it as well, so a few of those may go as well. They are VERY productive and rather prolific, and pretty vigorous. So, will have to make sure to thin for size. Pretty happy with it. Now to find Lady Williams. Kevin, I now can blame you and Jennifer for more trees. Sigh… And with a severe drought, too. Both trees will be going into spots that already have drips from previous ousted trees, so at least there is a net neutral water cost.

True! I was looking at it on my phone, full sized I see what you mean. What ultimate size are you going to keep it at?

It will join quite a lovely landscape, BTW.

Well, either way, my trees are all 8’ and shorter, since I’m somewhat “height challenged” myself (5’4") and I have a pretty firm “No Ladder” rule in my yard if at all possible. So, espaliered or not, it will always be under 8’ :slight_smile:

Nice! That’s what I am aiming for too with all the new trees - I have exactly the same height handicap as you! My huge Spy tree is getting part three of height reduction next year…this is the last year I am braving that rassa-frackin’ ladder.
Hope you find a Lady Williams soon for that other open slot. Before another tree jumps into your cart (SO weird, when they do that.) :wink:

Sorry, I don’t carry any inventory through the year, benchgrafts will be available again in February, which I can only ship and have a 10-tree minimum. Sorry to do that, but its the only way I can stay sane through grafting season when my poor wife becomes an “apple widow” as I disappear into the potting shed for three months. Most shipments go to Texas and Hawaii nowadays, with Suriname strangely becoming an apple hotbed for international shipments.

PS- I’d leave all the branches on your tree and use hooks of rebar tie wire to pull them all below horizontal; the heavy fruiting of the tree will greatly help control the size, which is quite easy with Sundowner. It will fruit heavily every year.


One more photo of Lady Williams to tease you. These were picked in February, which is why you won’t see them in most of the country.

1 Like

Thanks, Kev. This is why I picked this particular little tree - the branches were very well spaced and attached at a great angle. I’ll put in an order for 10 trees, Kev and our CRFG chapter members will snap them up, no problem. You can put me down for them, and I’ll send you the order and $$ when you want me to. Anna is the same way - it fruits so heavily that I doubt either of mine will get very big.

Holy smokes I missed a lot in my internet free weekend…lol

I have not dipped into the grafting area yet. I suppose it is time to put my nose in a book and learn. Would there be a better root stock to use of the three - M-7, M-11 and unknown ultra dwarf?

Congratulations Miss Patty on your new arrival. Maybe I can find one at our nursery here too!

I mostly use M111 or Bud-9. Some of my trees have M111 root with Bud-9 interstems.
Learning to graft will open up another area of enjoyment. Good luck, Bill

What Bill (Auburn) said. I like M111. It is well-behaved for me, and provides a nice sized tree without a lot of suckering. It was interesting to look at all their apple trees there at the nursery. Nearly every single tree on M7 was full of suckers. None at all on any apple tree on M111. I picked my tree on M7 based on health of the tree, canopy development and also that this nice tree has no suckers. Seems like once they start, they are so hard to stop.

Kevin please tell more about pulling down with rebar tie wire. How anchored?

Hambone - Dr. Terence Robinson from Cornell give an excellent demonstration on multiple ways to tie down at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl1-9AIA1g8

1 Like