The Rossignol farm crabapple

[steveb4]

is has been suggested that i start a new thread on this apple i discovered growing on a local farm one of my co workers owns. please post comments here instead of on Clarks crab thread. t.y.

[JerrytheDragon]

Where is local?

[Audi_o_phile]

Northern Maine, on the border with Canada.

[Audi_o_phile]

From the thread on Clark’s Crabapple:

@steveb4

a lady that works with me has a farm outside of town. i went to buy some milk and cheese from her yesterday and she showed me their single apple tree that is growing on a open hill. it has a beautiful form and i could smell it before i got to it. its a red fleshed crab that has apples about the size of a egg. she says it sets so much fruit that the branches nearly touch the ground. its a good fresh eater and makes the best apple sauce and butter. she wants more of it so next spring. im going to graft a half doz or so on seedling rootstocks for her. its growing on thin soil over ledge so its very precocious and drought tolerant, funny thing is its got green leaves and white blooms which is unusual for a red fleshed red skinned apple.

The Rossignol Farm Crabapple was getting a lot of traction in that discussion.

[steveb4]

another thing id like to point out, the tree is growing on a very windy, unprotected hill. the -40’s we got 2 winters ago it survived without damage and the winter of 09’ it survived unscathed the -50f all time record low with no damage. this tree looks to be about 70yrs old but likely much older considering where its growing. it even has a drastic tilt to the south east due to the n.w winds. its also never been pruned or sprayed.

[Richard]

@steveb4

likely much older

There’s a lab test for that, not sure if it is applicable to all plant genera.

[Chills]

please keep us posted on how easily it grafts and its growth rate…

I’m sure you’ll have people wanting to try it themselves… (wink)

Scott

[smsmith]

Sounds like it should be winter hardy in the lower 48

Tough old trees like that deserve to be propagated.

[applebacon]

you & art should deff have that thing.

[steveb4]

and at least half of Canada. -50f is z2.

[Everett]

Forgive me if this has already been asked, but are we sure it’s a seedling? Did you check for grafts or ask the story of how the farm came by it?

[steveb4]

yes i did. she said it was there when her great grandfather bought the land in the 50’s. i highly doubt its any kind of graft as up until the last 30 yrs. no one around here knew what a graft was. trunk is smooth the whole length. ive seen lots of wild old apple trees around here and all are seedlings.

[Masbustelo]

I’d be interested in a few scions next year.

[steveb4]

well a little more info here. i missed my window to try this apple at its peak. the kids ate the hell out of them and the horses eating the fallen. i did go and try them about 2 weeks ago. they were very good with pear notes and yellow flesh. the apple was about the size of a large egg. i will go back next spring and get some scion wood as well as doing some pruning for her to rejuvenate this tree. also plan to graft some seedling as well. while there this afternoon the kids pointed out another old tree that was half dead on the other side of the pasture. this one had big yellow apples with a light red blush and white flesh. reminded me of zestar but was bigger, sweeter and less acidic. was very crisp like zestar. some were on the ground but the tree still had quite a bit in it and the kids had been eating them now that the crab was done. its a pretty late season apple for us. im curious what they are and will be getting scions of that one as well next spring. apples on this one were pretty clean for not being sprayed. was sweet enough that the yellow jackets/ birds had ate holes in some. i got some pics to post that the wife will put on here when she gets home.

[steveb4]

they average about the size of a large fist. these were on the ground. the ones on the trees had some green to them still. a nice big dessert apple. Dorothy states it makes great pies but i prefer a tart apple for that.

[steveb4]

any guesses what these might be? they look alot like Jonagold. never tasted one so i cant make a taste comparison. likely just a seedling but the flavor is one of the best fresh eating apples ive tasted but i havent tasted alot like some on here have. ate 4 riding around grouse hunting with my dog Buster this AM. i gave him the cores and he surprisingly ate them. dog approved!

[AndySmith]

Look a lot like the Ginger Gold I picked this year (on the left):

[steveb4]

ive had ginger gold. this is bigger, sweeter and more complex than that and it doesnt have that long stem like ginger gold has. its also squatter and doesnt have the 4 bumps at the bottom of the apple.

[smsmith]

Any evidence of a graft on the tree? Did you check with the owner to see if they may know anything about the tree?

[hobilus]

@Richard

There’s a lab test for that,

If you know anyone in the ecology or forestry dept at a local university, you could see about borrowing a dendrochronology coring drill. It sounds like you might need some magnification to count the rings