It resembles some of the Galas and ripens about the same time. The stem is different and I think it may predate Gala which was patented in 74’. I was thinking it was possibly a Northern Spy seedling that was often used for rootstock.
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Here’s an online apple identification key that might produce an answer.
http://www.applename.com/id.aspx
Hope this helps.
Your apple does sort of look like a Gala (color) or a Jonathan (splotch on top). Also shaped a bit like Red Delicious. What a mystery…
Stayman Winesap is an awesome October apple, which originated in Kansas, but your apple looks nothing like it.
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39, contrarian that I am I bury the graft whenever possible. I’ve read of burying the graft to gain a bit of cold hardiness, (not really why I do it) in the aftermath of a devastating freeze event that may have been a planter’s motivation. I wouldn’t be surprised if you eventually sort out that it seems to be a known named cultivar. Beyond that it is a pretty apple. When does it come ripe?
Sorry, ripens with Gala so fairly early huh. Should’ve read everything.
When you bury the graft of something like 7 or 111 the consequences may never materialize. It depends on whether the scion freely roots from bark and its level of vigor and probably how long it takes to send out roots. Once a tree is fully fruiting it is less likely to return to full youthful vigor.
I would be careful not to bury scions of varieties like Red Delicious, Gala and Northern Spy that generate root primordia as a matter of course all along the older bark, unless a lot of vigor was no problem and I had all the time in the world to begin harvesting fruit.
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What a great list!
Does this delay fruiting beyond what is typically seen with the roostock?
I can see this method being valuable in the far north where tree size is stunted and winter-kill is often an issue. In a warmer climate you could end up with a monster sized tree. There are old seedling trees in my area that have multiple trunks that can easily be 20+" in diameter near the base and 30+’ high. Of course I have one seedling that has only one 6" trunk at around 12’ high. A true seedling is a crapshoot. In this case you’re cloning a know variety, but I’m not sure were you could get information on its relative vigor if it were on its own roots.
AJ, all of what you say has merit and I don’t have enough in the way of observations to offer definitive rebuttals or defenses,but doing as much as I can to get our collection of heirlooms on thier own roots appeals to me. Here along the Wasatch Front there are an abundance of apples kept under 10’ tall with careful pruning and the limits of our climate. These trees are unstaked,don’t lean, and don’t throw suckers(unlike every tree I’ve ever planted on M7), so at most it seems they are on M111. This is what gives me the confidence to see where this may lead. To me the biggest risks are wooly aphis that the m series is untroubled by, collar rot and whatever other perils I haven’t considered. The work of Hugh Ermen, is what has inspired me to try and use these grafted trees as a sort of nurse root. In our yard (sadly about planted out) there is an old Lodi tree that is at least 25’ tall and a couple others that are far too large, but for all that nothing I’ve planted in the past 4 years ,with the graft buried or not, has shown excessive vigor. As for delayed fruiting it doesn’t look as if it will be an issue, we have trees that have been in the ground for 2 years with buried grafts that have fruiting spurs. Should be a delightful spring… but spring is like that.
[quote=“Vinegaroon, post:34, topic:4250”]
As for delayed fruiting it doesn’t look as if it will be an issue, we have trees that have been in the ground for 2 years with buried grafts that have fruiting spurs. [/quote]What is the rootstock?
Primarily M111 a few antanovka and a couple of B118, the B118 have Sweet Sixteen on top and if anything is going to prove too much I think those will be the ones.