Williams Pride Ripening

I need to get a handle of the expected ripening sequence of Williams Pride compared with other early apples.

Can someone suggest when Williams Pride should ripen compared to Red Free, Ginger Gold, or Gala?

At least according to my reference calendars (geared towards zone 5/6) Williams Pride before all those others you have listed. Starting with Williams Pride around the 1st of August. Grandpa’s Nursery and ACN have some pretty thorough calendars on their websites.

I don’t have Gala, Red Free or Ginger Gold. I am in central MA, zone 6a.

My experience with William’s Pride for the past 5 years is that it starts ripening from late July/early August. Also, not all apples on the tree ripen at the same time. It takes about a month between the first and the last pick.

It has a biennial tendency to me. It was loaded last year and skipped this year. I like this apple. I hardly have a water core issue. I know Scott Smith, in MD does.

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Grandpa had Williams pride on their calendar with same dates as Pristine so I better get them picked! Although they tasted almost ripe, I thought they were a little later than Pristine which I just finished picking.

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When I see a ripening time in a colder area I do a one to two week earlier adjustment. That would put it ripening in a good place for me (mid July). I’m assuming that Pristine will ripen just prior to Williams Pride and after that I have others that will take over through November I hope. If all goes to my plans I should get a small sample of these two in 2017.

I had a bad water core problem on my first crop. but I the boron and the calcium I sprayed this year may have helped.

When I learned that most commercial growers in my area add calcium to all the normal cover sprays, I stating doing it too.

Just out of curiosity, when you need to add micronutrients like boron, calcium, manganese, ete.

Do you by each product separately? Would you mind sharing the brands you use?

This is the first year I have seen yellowing on plum, apple and pear leaves. They do look like mineral deficiency.

That is my experience Bill, Williams Pride at my place are ripening and dropping from the tree now, my Pristine hit its peak ripening stage about a week ago.

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Thanks Chris. I have both of these apples and they should fruit in 2017. Bill

Me too. Going to pick all of my Williams Pride tomorrow. May have waited a little too long to pick them. Also have a heritage apple called Williams Favorite that seems to be ripening about the same time. Hope they are good!

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Not sure about all the micronutrients, but I apply boron during first cover in the form of Solubor (21% boron). During the other covers I add calcium the form of Brexil calcium (15% calcium, .05% boron) at the 1#/acre rate. Got the idea and the rate from a commercial apple spray manual for my part of the country (south east).

Blue,
Thank you. Hope those will will work for your trees.

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Yes, mine are ripening now, so mid-July. A good apple, but the skin can be a bit chewy.

Pristine are also ripening now. Consistent with last year, as I have July 11th as the ripening date for last season. I like Pristine a little better.

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In my location, they are not ready yet.

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SE Michigan here. Pristine are ripening. I hand picked the pale yellow ones yesterday, 07AUG18. They had dark seeds and wonderful! WilliamsPride are getting there but seeds still white and although the apples are near completely red, still quite green in taste.

Zestar! just has a white dot left on the seeds. It ripens closer to Pristine than does WilliamsPride. And the consistency of WP…cottony,cardboard,spongy, tough are the adjectives I’ve heard, make it a distant 3rd place in favor behind Pristine and Zestar!