Apple blossoms

Our apple trees are finally starting to bloom. Our peaches, plums, apricots, and hybrids have already finished blooming.

Our Anna apple is in full bloom and really has a lot of blooms in comparison to years past and given that it is only three years old. Our Granny Smith is also starting to bloom, but it does not have anywhere near the number of blooms as the Anna. Our Newtown Pippin similarly starting to bloom, but I will not allow these blooms to fruit given that the tree is only one year old. I want the Newtown Pippin to direct its energy to building its root system and branch structure - not fruit.

The remainder of our apple trees have not yet started blooming.

The photograph below is the Anna. I had a hard time exposing this photograph so you could clearly see the blooms. Given the background in this photograph, they are difficult to see.

Posted by DallasFruitGrower at 09:34 PM in Apples, Flowers, Fruit, Garden photographs | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Pruning Apple Trees

Late winter is the perfect time to prune your apple trees (and all other fruit trees) while they are still dormant. In North Texas and the South, February is the time to do this pruning.

Pruning is a skill that I am still developing, but I thought that I would share some of the things that I have learned and read that you may also find useful.

Types of Pruning Methods

For apple trees, there are a couple of different ways to prune your trees. You will need to decide which method works best for you.

One method is the central leader method, which essentially shapes the tree into a traditional form with a main trunk. The tree in the photograph above appears to be growing on a central leader.

The second method is the open vase or open center method. This format does not have a main trunk but rather has three or four secondary trunks branching from the crotch of the main trunk.

For a suburban garden with limited space, my favorite pruning method is the central leader method for a more traditional looking tree with ornamental presence.

The photograph below is a tree that has been pruned to have more of an open center.

Strategies when Pruning

Some strategies when pruning apples include:

- remove downward pointed branches and shoots

- remove shoots growing straight up - watersprouts.

- remove branches growing inward that will block sunlight

- do not prune more than 1/3 of the tree canopy.

- make sure all of the branches will get plenty of exposure to sunlight and do not cover each other up

Central Leader Pruning

It is very important to focus on pruning for a good shape early in a tree's life, particularly the first three year. When you order a bare-rooted apple tree, you will often receive a whip that is a single, straight trunk without any branches or scaffolding. If you are working with a branchless whip, that first year's pruning will be crucial, because it will establish where the first level of scaffolding or branching starts.

Aggie Horticulture has a nice discussion on pruning - here. The following two diagrams are from the Aggie Horticulture / AgriLife Extension Office's discussion on growing apples in Texas. They provide a good visual for establishing your scaffolding.

First growing season:

Second growing season:

The following video discusses encouraging a central leader and scaffolding on two year old trees.

The next video gives a fairly good overview of pruning a tree using the central leader method. I like this video's treatment of pruning above the bud of a young tree branch to form the tree in a desirable structure.

The following video also discusses encouraging a central leader. It also talks about making pruning cuts in order to encourage branching or scaffolds.

Open Center or Open Vase Pruning

The following set of videos address pruning a tree into an open center or open vase shape. This method is effective for fruit production because it allows all of the secondary trunks to receive significant sunshine for fruit production.

Here are a few more videos in a 2 part series from the University of Maine, discussing the pruning of a mature apple tree:

Of course there are other methods of pruning your trees, such as espaliering. Additionally, if you are planting a high density commercial or U-pick orchard, some growers are using high density cordons like the one below.

Posted by DallasFruitGrower at 09:27 PM in Apples, Fruit, How-to advice | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Growing apple trees in Dallas and Texas - 2012

(1st row: Red Delicious, Sonya, Golden Delicious; 2nd row: Ambrosia, Honey Crisp, Granny Smith; 3rd row: Fuji, Jonagold, Gala - ©iStockphoto.com)

This is a re-post from last year that has been updated with additional information.

If you are planning to add some apple trees to your landscape, now is the time to start planning for them. Texas A&M recommends that bare-rooted apple trees be planted during the period between January 1st and February 15th and that containerized plants be planted between January 1st and March 31st.

In this post, I have listed some of the varieties that are good choices for North Texas and/or zone 8, in terms of climate and in terms of taste. These lists include both heirloom and newer cultivars.

Everyone has a different opinion as to which are the best tasting apples. And my favorite apple may be your least favorite, depending upon our varying tastes and whether we prefer a sweet taste, an acidic taste, or a combination of the two. When I was trying to decide upon the types of apple trees to plant in our garden, I purchased 10 or more different varieties from several grocery stores, and I put them to a blind taste test to all the members of my family. The highest rated ones were planted . . . after I made sure that they would perform well in the South.

Texas A&M's Tried & True

Texas A&M opines that the following varieties are suitable for growing in Texas. I have emboldened the varieties that I also personally believe have a good taste.

Gala "Originated in 1965. Cross between Golden Delicious x Cox's Orange. Red striping on golden skin gives a red orange color. Crisp, dense, aromatic flesh. Excellent quality. Stores well. Large, vigorous tree. Requires about 140-160 days from bloom to harvest. Requires at least 600 hours of chilling." *

To read a more detailed description of this variety, please visit - Gala

Fuji "Developed in Japan. Introduced in 1962. Cross between Ralls Janet x Delicious. Bloom well. Hard to thin. High quality apple with a poor appearance. Medium sized fruit with a tall, rectangular shape. A yellow-green skin with orange to red stripes. Crisp, juicy, white flesh with good texture. Requires about 140-160 days from bloom to harvest. Ripens mid-summer. Stores well. Vigorous, productive, somewhat bushy tree. Needs some annual detailed pruning. Needs pollinator. Susceptible to Bitter rot and red mites. Heat resistant. Requires 400-600 hours of chilling." *

To read a more detailed description of this variety, please visit - Fuji

Granny Smith "Originated in 1868 from some discarded apples which Mrs. Thomas Smith of Eastwood Ryde, Paramatta Rive, New South Wales, Australia brought from Tasmania. Medium to large, waxy, grassy-green fruit. Firm and bruise resistant. Hardy, crisp, juicy, white flesh. Fairly sweet with a somewhat tart taste. Excellent quality eating and cooking apple. Keeps good texture during baking, never gets mushy. Excellent shelf life. Very vigorous, annual bearing. Good productivity. Self-fertile. Requires about 170-210 days from bloom to harvest. Holds well in heat. Requires about 500-600 hours of chilling. Hardy in zones 5-8." *

To read a more detailed description of this variety, please visit - Granny Smith

Anna "Medium-size low chill apple for South Texas only. Has a slight red blush, crisp, good-flavored fruit. Noted for heavy production." *

To read a more detailed description of this variety, please visit - Anna

Braeburn "Red, highly flavored with an even sugar to acid balance. A heavy cropper that will usually need thinning to maintain yearly cropping." *

To read a more detailed description of this variety, please visit - Braeburn

Mutsu (Crispin) "Developed in Japan in 1948. Golden Delicious x Indo. Large, round, yellow fruit. Crunchier flesh; more juice and tartness. Distinctive, delicate, spicy flavor. Good dessert and processing apple. Excellent for applesauce and cider. Large, spreading, vigorous tree; reliable. Resistant to powdery mildew. Susceptible to scab, blister spot, and bitter rot. Requires 500-600 hours of chilling. Hardy in zones 4-8." *

To read a more detailed description of this variety, please visit - Mutsu

Pink Lady (Cripps Pink) "A cross between Golden Delicious and Lady Williams from the Western Australian apple-breeding program. Oblong, green fruit turns yellow at maturity and is overlaid with pink or light red. Fine-grained, white flesh. Thin skin, bruises easily. Hard to train. Ripens in October. Blind wood problems. Chilling requirements similar to Granny Smith (500-600)." *

To read a more detailed description of this variety, please visit - Pink Lady

Mollie's Delicious "Introduced in 1966. Summer apple not to be confused with Red Delicious strains. Attractive, large fruit with unique, slightly conic shape. Light yellow background about half covered with a red blush. High quality flesh. Good flavor. Stores for about 10 weeks in refrigeration. Vigorous, productive tree. Fruit tends to set in clusters, requiring 2-3 pickings. Excellent pollinator. Some disease resistance. Requires 400-500 hours of chilling. Best in zones 6-8." *

Imperial Gala "Medium sized, oval to round reddish orange fruit. Extremely firm, very juicy, sweet, mildly aromatic, yellow flesh. Vigorous tree with long, pliant branching." *

Royal Gala "Developed in New Zealand. Matures to a bright overall red color rather than the orange red blush of Gala. Medium size, conical to round fruit. Bold red stripes over yellow background. Firm, juicy, fine textured, yellow-white flesh. Sweet, slightly tart flavor. Compact growth habit, prolific bearer. Requires heavy thinning to maintain fruit size and prevent biennial bearing." *

Smoothie "A Golden Delicious type apple with a clear skin. They have a very tender complexion, a little dew on the fruit in the morning and they are covered with russet. This visually makes them an undesired fruit, but if given a chance, taste good." *

Red Delicious "Skin color varies from red to red and green stripes. Crisp, sweet, and mild flavored. Stores well. Colors poorly in the heat. **

To read a more detailed description of this variety, please visit - Red Delicious

(Personally, I do not care for the Red Delicious that I have had in the past. Here is an interesting article on the history of the Red Delicious.)

Golden Delicious Yellow to green skin with yellow flesh and russet dots. Sweet, juicy and fine textured. Stores well. Susceptible to bitter pit, bruising, and russetting. Erratic in self-fruitfulness. **

To read a more detailed description of this variety, please visit - Golden Delicious

Holland Originated in Texas around 1923 at the home of J. W. Kincaid of Weatherford, Texas. Originally named Kincaid. The apple was once an important commercial variety in Texas. It is a productive variety which ripens early to produce a large, red, flavorful apple. ***

Jerseymac An early McIntosh type released by the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station in 1971. Tart and tender. Medium size. Ripens in early August.

Dorsett Golden "Yellow, low chill apple for South Texas only. Pollinator for Anna." *

Adina "Large fruit, sweet with distinctive taste." *

Ozark Gold "Yellow, Delicious-type dessert apple. Good pollinator." *

"This apple is a cross of A1291 and Golden Delicious and was developed at the Missouri State Agricultural Experimental Station and introduced in 1970. It is similar in flavor and appearance to Golden Delicious but ripens about three weeks earlier. It bears young and shows some disease resistance but is a biennial bearer. It is a large to very large apple with bright yellow waxy skin." ***

Starkrimson Red "Red, excellent quality, Delicious-type, widely planted in this Delicious area." *

To read a more detailed description of this variety, please visit - Starkrimson

* http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/homefruit/apple/apple.html http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/hillcountry/Apples/varieties.html

** The Home Orchard, C. Ingells, P. Geisel, & M. Norton, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Publication (2007)

*** http://www.bighorsecreekfarm.com/descriptions2.htm

Additional Varieties That Should Be Considered For Taste

The following apple varieties have reputations for outstanding taste and are also suited for Texas' southern climate. You should consider growing these in zone 8.

Ashmead's Kernel A juicy, aromatic apple with a sharp flavor that is both acidic and sweet. It is believed that several weeks of storage enhance its flavor giving its high acid content time to balance with the sugars. Skin is orange or reddish bronze with golden brown russetting. It dates back to the 1700s. ****

To read a more detailed description of this variety, please visit - Ashmead's Kernel

William's Pride This variety is reputed to have unusually good flavor for an early summer apple. The flesh is granular, crisp and mildly acidic. It is typically deep red over a green background which transitions to a yellow background. It is resistant to fire blight and powdery mildew and immune to scab and cedar apple rust. This apple was developed by the Purdue/Rutgers/Illinois fruit breeding program. ****

Goldrush This variety has a spicy flavor of intense acidity and high sugar content. It is a yellow green fruit with light russetting, sometimes having an orange blush on the sunward side. It may keep for six months or more. It is immune to apple scab and somewhat resistant to fire blight and powdery mildew. It is also a result of the Purdue/Rutgers/Illinois fruit breeding program. ****

To read a more detailed description of this variety, please visit - Goldrush

Calville Blanc D'Hiver This variety dates back to the 16th century and is known for having a tart and rich taste described as effervescent. It often tastes better after storage. It has pale green skin that develops an orange color with light red dots where exposed to the sun. It can be susceptible to scab and powdery mildew. ****

To read a more detailed description of this variety, please visit - Calville Blanc

Rubinette An offspring of Cox Orange Pippen. A very good sweet and sharp balance of taste. It can be susceptible to scab and powdery mildew. ****

To read a more detailed description of this variety, please visit - Rubinette

King David Aromatic fruits have yellow to light cream flesh that is firm to hard. Crisp and juicy with spicy, ciderlike flavor. Medium to large fruit that is dark red with darker red stripes over a pale green undercolor. Tough skin with flesh that can be coarse, softening with storage. May be a cross of Jonathan and either Winesap or Arkansas Black. Good for dessert, cooking, and cider. Harvest in mid to late summer. Fruit can be harvested for several weeks. Blooms late. Low susceptability to fire blight and resistant to apple scab and cedar rust. ****

"Resembles Winesap in appearance and taste. Many uses - pies, cider, sauce or eating fresh. Found as a chance seedling in fence row in Washington Co., Arkansas in 1893. Medium size, deep red when full ripe. Hangs on tree well. Ripens about 1st Sept." ++

To read a more detailed description of this variety, please visit - King David

**** The Best Apples to Buy and Grow, B. Hanson, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Inc. (2005);

see also http://www.kuffelcreek.com/favorites.htm

Varieties With Reputations As The BEST Tasting

The following three varieties are reputed to be the best tasting ever. As I mentioned before, taste is a matter of opinion; however, it is remarkable how much is written about these varieties. There are several caveats to growing these trees because they are better suited to more Northern climates. Particularly, they may suffer more in our heat; they may be more susceptible to disease than the hardier varieties; and their taste qualities may not be as good as trees grown in a milder climate. Nevertheless, if you have the space and have also already planted some of the hardier varieties listed above, you may want to take the leap and plant a few of these as well:

Newtown Pippin: This apple is firm, crisp, juicy, and moderately acidic with a fresh taste. Loved by Thomas Jefferson and was a prized export to England from the United States in the 1800s. It is green in color becoming yellow to greenish-yellow with a reddish blush. It stores well. The tree is susceptible to scab and powdery mildew. Also known as Albemarle Pippin ****

To read a more detailed description of this variety, please visit - Newtown Pippin

Cox Orange Pippin: It has a crisp texture and a richly aromatic and semi-tart flavor. It became the most popular apple in England and dates back to the early 1800s. The skin has an orange red blush on a light yellow background. It is susceptible to scab. ****

To read a more detailed description of this variety, please visit - Cox Orange Pippin

Esopus Spitzenberg: This variety is rich, juicy, and more tart than sweet. Known as another one of Thomas Jefferson's favorite apples -- along with a lot of other people. Often ranks at the top of taste tests. The skin is red with speckles of yellow. This variety is susceptible to scab, mildew and canker. ****

To read a more detailed description of this variety, please visit - Esopus Spitzenberg

**** The Best Apples to Buy and Grow, B. Hanson, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Inc. (2005); see alsohttp://www.kuffelcreek.com/favorites.htm

Other Varieties Offered By Texas Nurseries or Suggested for Southern Climates

Some of the other varieties that I have seen offered by a few Texas nurseries or which are otherwise recommended for growing in the South, are listed below. The nursery descriptions are included. I am unable to offer an opinion as to the taste qualities of these varieties other than what is written here:

Einshemer: An "Israeli variety that produces bright yellow fruits with a semi-acid, sweet flavor." +

Jonared: "Very productive Jonathon cross. Improved Hybrid." +

Stayman Winesap: "Firm, crisp fruit with tangy flavor. Good for dessert or canning" +

Flesh is "finely textured, juicy, and moderately acidic with a sprightly, wine-like flavor." Greenish-yellow undercolor with light red stripes or crimson blush. It can be stored for 2 to 3 months. Can be susceptible to fire blight. ****

To read a more detailed description of this variety, please visit - Stayman

Jonathon: "A favorite for home orchards. Moderately tart and crispy." +

Firm, crisp, juicy, and very aromatic flesh. Flavor can range from mild to tart with its acidity. Thought to be a seedling of Esopus Spitzenberg from New York. Bright yellow overlaid by bright red skin. Can be susceptible to fire blight. ****

To read a more detailed description of this variety, please visit - Jonathan

Arkansas Black: "Purplish black fruit, crisp and juicy." ++

Hard, very firm flesh, with a course, almost woody texture. Mild but balanced taste which is more sweet than acidic. Resistant to fire blight and cedar apple rust but susceptible to scab. ****

To read a more detailed description of this variety, please visit - Arkansas Black

Grimes Golden: The course flesh is crisp and tender with a spicy, sweet flavor. It has a high sugar content. Dating back to the early 1800s, it is believed to be a parent of Golden Delicious. The skin is greenish-yellow with some russetting. ****

To read a more detailed description of this variety, please visit - Grimes Golden

Idared: Juicy Moderately crisp with a mild flavor that is tart to moderately acidic. This apple is often used for cooking or cider. Red fruit on a greenish white under color. ****

To read a more detailed description of this variety, please visit - Idared

Mammoth Blacktwig: Crisp, firm flesh that is juicy and mildly tart. It is believed to be a Winesap seedling originating in Arkansas. Fruits become sweeter as they mature. It is red over a yellow background. It is susceptible to scab but resistant to fire blight and cedar apple rust. ****

Ralls Genet: This apple is "dense, crisp, and tender with a flavor that balances tart and sweet." It has a sweet aroma. It dates back to the 1700s from Virginia, and it is a parent of Fuji. It has greenish-yellow skin streaked with shades of pink, red, and crimson. It is a late bloomer. It can be susceptible to scab, blossom blight, and bitter rot. ****

Summer Champion: Crisp, juicy, and moderately acidic developing a balanced flavor with old time apple taste. It originates from Arkansas. This is an early season apple. The skin has pink to red stripes over a yellow green undercolor. ****

Winesap (original): Winelike flavor with acidity. Considered to be sweet, tart, and juicy. It stores well. It originated in the early 1800s in New Jersey. It typically is dark red in color. ****

To read a more detailed description of this variety, please visit - Winesap

+ http://www.bobwellsnursery.com/

++ http://www.womacknursery.com/apples.html

**** The Best Apples to Buy and Grow, B. Hanson, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Inc. (2005)

Rootstock

When selecting your trees, it is very important to look closely at the rootstock upon which the trees are grafted. The rootstock will dictate how large the tree will get. You do not want to plant a tree that will get too big for the space in which you are placing it. You will be very disappointed and, along with the additional work entailed, the additional pruning to keep its size in check may adversely impact fruit production. Some of the more common rootstocks are:

Dwarf tree (6-9 feet): M-9 or M-26 rootstock

Semi-dwarf tree (12-15 feet): MM-111 or M-7 rootstock

Full-sized tree (20-25 feet): seedling rootstock

However, it has been suggested that these rootstocks will grow smaller trees in hotter climates like Texas. Consequently, an MM-111 that typically will grow to 12 to 15 feet, may only grow to 8 to 12 feet. See this posting for further discussion - rootstock.

Cross-Pollination

While a few varieties are self-fertile, you are going to want to plant at least two varieties of apple trees to ensure proper cross-pollination and fruit set. Please note that triploid apples are essentially sterile and will not serve as a pollinizer. If you already have crab-apples, those can often serve as pollinizers.

To ensure good cross-pollination, make sure that you have two varieties that will bloom around approximately the same period of time, e.g. early bloom, mid-season bloom, late-season bloom.

Here is a chart regarding bloom times:

Early Bloom Midseason Bloom Late Bloom

Beacon Akane Baldwin

Chestnut Crab Arkansas Black Ben Davis

Cole's Quince Blue Pearmain Bramley's Seedling

Idared Braeburn Connell Red

Irish Peach Calville Blanc d'Hiver Criterion

Jonamac Canada Reinette Enterprise

Liberty Chenango Strawberry Fuji

Maiden's Blush Cortland Golden Delicious

Mantet Cox's Orange Pippin Golden Noble

Margil Empire GoldRush

Mcintosh Esopus Spitzenburg Horse

Nova Easygro Fireside Hubbardston Nonesuch

Oriole Freedom Keepsake

Parkland Gala Lady

Paulared Granny Smith Lobo

Red Gravenstein Grimes Golden Macoun

Smokehouse Haralson Melrose

Spartan Honeycrisp Mother

Summer Rambo Hudson's Golden Gem Northern Spy

Swaar James Grieve Peck's Pleasant

Twenty-Ounce Pippin Jefferis Pristine

Wealthy Jonagold Ralls Janet

White Winter Pearmain Jonathan Rome Beauty

Wickson Kidd's Orange Red Simirenko Reinette

Wynoochee King David Spigold

Yates Kingston Black Tolman Sweet

Yellow Transparent Lubsk Queen Whitney Crab

Zestar Macfree Winter Banana

Melrose York Imperial

Minnesota 1734

Mollie's Delicious

Mutsu (Crispin)

Newtown Pippin

Pink Lady

Pink Pearl

Pound Sweet

Prairie Spy

Red Baron

Red Delicious

Redfree

Rhode Island Greening

Ribston Pippin

Ross Nonpareil

Shizuka

Spartan

Spencer

Splendour

Stayman Winesap

Suncrisp

Sweet Sixteen

Tompkins King

Tydeman's Red

William's Pride

Wolf River

Zabergau Reinette

Triploid Varieties

Arkansas Black Jonagold Sir Prize

Baldwin Karmin de Sonnaville Spigold

Belle de Boskoop Lady Stayman Winesap

Blenheim Orange Mutsu (Crispin) Summer Rambo

Bramley's Seedling Rhode Island Greening Turley Winesap

Gravenstein Ribston Pippin Zabergau Reinette

Hibernal Shizuka

Remember that the Triploid varieties are not effective pollinators.

* The Apple Grower, Michael Phillips, Chelsea Green Publishing Company (2005).

Considerations When Planting

This is not intended to be a guide for planting an apple tree. If you are looking for that kind of guidance, I recommend that you visit this link for a pretty thorough "how-to" primer.

Nevertheless, when you plant your trees, I encourage you to add compost, Mycorrhizal fungi, and Actinovate to the backfill when you are planting.

In Texas, apple trees can be susceptible to a soil-borne fungal pathogen known as Cotton Root Rot (Phymatotricum omnivorum). Actinovate contains beneficial microrganisms that prevent Cotton Root Rot.

Many varieties of apples can also sometimes succumb to fire blight. The best way to avoid fire blight is to not use fertilizer with a high nitrogen content. Excessive amounts of nitrogen encourages fire blight. If fire blight does show up, cut the infected branch off as soon as you can and destroy it.

Finally, in caring for your apple trees, I have found that the occasional spraying of Garrett Juice or compost tea seems to ward off problems for me.

Ideas on Nurseries

If you are looking for an instant orchard, your choices are limited. Check now with your local nurseries to see what varieties they are or will be caring this Spring and in what sizes. I typically only see 5 gallon containers in my local nurseries.

Bob Wells Nursery will often carry 5, 10, and 15 gallon trees, so you can try that.

Edible Landscaping also sometimes carries larger sized specimen.

If you are a more patient person and are willing to plant a smaller tree, there are a lot of options out there. Some of them include:

Texas Nurseries:

Nurseries Outside of Texas

Chestnut Hill Tree Farm

Kuffel Creek Apple Nursery

Cloud Mountain Farm

Burnt Ridge Nursery

Greenmantle Nursery

Southmeadow Fruit Gardens

Orange Pippin Fruit Trees

Urban Homestead

Vintage Virginia Apples

Sampling Apples

Starting with your local organic grocer is a good way to explore the different flavors of heirloom apples.

You can also taste some of the less commercial heirloom varieties through these mail order companies:

Applesource

Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm

Kilcherman's Christmas Cove Farm

Lakeside Orchards

If you have planted apple trees in Texas that are bearing fruit, please post a comment and share your experiences along with your favorite varieties for Texas.

Cox Orange Pippin - ©iStockphoto.com

Posted by DallasFruitGrower at 11:00 AM in Apples, Fruit, How-to advice, Resources, Varieties to Plant | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Apple root stocks

If you are interest in growing apples in Texas, an important consideration is always the type of rootstock that your tree will have. Some rootstocks are hardier than others. Some do better in our clay soils. Rootstock also dictates how large your tree will eventually become.

Read the following posting by Kuffel Creek about rootstocks - Rootstock Article.

He posits that rootstocks will underperform in size in a hot climate like California -- or by extension, Texas. Consequently, he contends that an M111 that should grow to 12 feet, will only grow to 8 to 10 feet in a hot climate. That is a good size for a suburban yard.

Posted by DallasFruitGrower at 05:49 PM in Apples | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Story in Organic Gardening Magazine About Growing Heirloom Apples

I thought this was a fun, light read about one author's efforts at growing heirloom apples in the Northeast that was published by Organic Gardening Magazine:

Heirloom Apples

These uncommon heirloom apple varieties are rich with flavors that intrigue and delight.

By Deborah Madison

Photography by Christa Neu

heirloom apples offer more variety and better flavor than commercial varieties

A few years ago, I saw an ad that showed a grid of apples. Their varied shapes and colors made them intriguing but, according to the ad, problematic. One was too square, another too lumpy, a third too long, and a fourth too dull looking. The way to solve all these "problems" was to turn them into juice, the product being advertised. That way, one would completely bypass their quirky personalities. The goal was to eradicate difference in favor of sameness.

But it's the differences among apples that we should value, especially the old, late-season varieties for which high praise is due. There have been passionate fans and growers of apples for generations. For example, The Apples of New York, published in 1905, lists hundreds of varieties, with full descriptions and illustrations of the fruit documented. One looks at all these age-old heirloom varieties with their wildly differing shapes and colors, stripes and spots and unfamiliar names, and wonders, where did they go? Mostly, they died out, the victims of changes of taste and mass marketing. But some fine apples remain, which is why we must support antique-apple orchardists, who continue to grow and propagate the heirloom apples varieties, and who might even ship them to us to taste or to grow in our own gardens.

This past apple season, I had the good fortune to have a surfeit of exceptionally fine apples. Each time I bit into one, I was reminded what a luscious, complex fruit the apple can be, well worthy of its iconic status in America. Unfamiliar to me (though common to friends on the East Coast) were some of the earlier apples:

'Cortland', 'Empire', and 'Macoun'. Later, other varieties arrived from apple farms around the United States, treasures that included 'Esopus Spitzenburg', 'Ashmead's Kernel', 'Calville Blanc d'Hiver', 'Maiden Blush', 'Cox's Orange Pippin', 'Grimes Golden', and the very small 'Pitmaston Pineapple'.

They were too special to enjoy alone, so I hosted a small apple tasting. We sliced the apples into wedges, thoughtfully nibbled, and then gave our impressions. Later, we enjoyed the remains with cheeses and roasted nuts. You might organize a similar gathering with friends and family, or for your local community garden.

Go here to read the remainder of the article.

Posted by DallasFruitGrower at 10:02 PM in Apples, Fruit | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Article on Growing Apples for Cider

Here's a fun article on growing apples in Virginia for making cider from the Charlottesville c-ville.

Professor Apple

Tom Burford and the return of Virginia hard cider

BY GILES MORRIS

It is tempting to imagine that the resurgence of Virginia hard cider had its genesis in a single moment: Monticello’s Director of Gardens and Grounds Peter Hatch and Virginia gentleman Tom Burford kneeling together with their grafting knives to re-propagate the Virginia Hewe’s Crab apple tree in Thomas Jefferson’s north orchard.

While the image isn’t quite true to life, it represents the way Burford has used the return of Thomas Jefferson’s fruit trees to Monticello to spread his own message: People should be making cider out of obscure apple varieties, because a long time ago they were worth their weight in gold. Newtown Pippin, Harrison, Hewe’s Crab, Roxbury Russett, Ashmead’s Kernel, Esopus Spitzenburg, Red Limbertwig. The names evoke a world of abundance, specificity, and sophistication that characterized the apple trade when cider was king. Today, there are only three commercial cider producers in Virginia.

A modern day Johnny Appleseed, part philosopher and part planter, Burford wants to put hard cider back on the dinner table, and he thinks teaching people to grow the right kind of apples is the way to do it. “The barriers are access to cider making varieties. Demand is greater than supply. And here is another pitfall. If we begin to use less than appropriate varieties we are going to produce inferior ciders,” Burford said.

To read the rest of the article, go here . . .

Posted by DallasFruitGrower at 11:53 AM in Apples, Fruit | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ripening Fruit Update

Our pome and stone fruit continue to get bigger. In the first week of May, you can see in the photograph above that our apples are already looking fairly mature.

The photograph above is of our asian pears that are also doing well.

Our three types of thornless blackberries -- Navajo, Arapaho, and Oauchita -- are loaded with immature berries. In the photograph above, you can see how the flowers turn into the berries.

The fruit on our blueberry bushes also continues to mature. I hope plenty ripen before the birds get them all.

Finally, I have included a photo of some medlar blossoms that have been pollinated and are fruiting.

Posted by DallasFruitGrower at 09:30 PM in Apples, Blackberries, Blueberries, Fruit, Garden photographs, Medlars, Pears | Permalink | Comments (5)

Bloom report for the week of March 21, 2011

Almost a week and a half has passed since my last bloom report, and a lot has happened in a short period of time. As you can see from the photograph above, our Compact Stella Cherry has started to bloom. There are not as many blossoms on the tree this year for some reason. I am hoping that more blooms are going to open over the next several days; otherwise, I am going to need to investigate what changes could have resulted in fewer blooms. This winter, we planted four Royal Lee and Minnie Royal trees from Bay Laurel Nursery. Thsese tress went straight to leafing out without any blooms. A photograph of the Compact Stella and one of the Royal Lees are set out below:

Compact Stella beginning to bloom

Royal Lee transplant in 1st year

As with my cherries, my pear trees and asian pear trees did not produce very many blossoms this spring. Rather, they primarily went straight into leafing out with only a few blossoms. I do not think this was the result of overpruning, but I will do some research and speculating, and then I'll report back why I think this happened. Nevertheless, my Magness pear has produced beautiful blooms. Similarly, the few blooms on my asian pears, Hosui and Shinko, are also lovely.

Magness pear

Shinko asian pear

Some of my apple trees started to bloom this past week. Particularly, my Anna, Granny Smith, and Fuji have started to bloom. The photograph below is from the Anna.

Here are some early buds on the Granny Smith:

My other apple varieties have not started to flower yet, including the: Gala, Braeburn, William's Pride, Wynooche Early, Spigold, Cox Orange Pippen, and Goldrush. I do not expect the six new apple trees that I planted this winter to flower: Mutsu/Crispin, Esopus Spitzenberg, Newtown Pippin, Calville Blanc d'Hiver, Rubinette, and Ashmead's Kernel.

Posted by DallasFruitGrower at 10:50 PM in Apples, Cherries, Flowers, Fruit, Garden photographs, Pears | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kuffel Creek Apple Nursery - Testing Apple Varieties for Warmer Climates

If you are interested in growing apple trees in the South, Kuffel Creek Orchard has an interesting website identifying some of the apple varieties that have done well in Southern California's warm climate in their own testing - Kuffel Creek.

Here are two YouTube videos discussing some of the testing that they are doing:

Episode 1:

Episode 2:

Posted by DallasFruitGrower at 08:21 PM in Apples, Fruit | Permalink | Comments (1)

Bloom Times for Apple Trees

Here is a list of approximate bloom times for apple trees. This listing should help you in deciding on your apple trees to make sure that you have two trees which will pollinate each other. You want at least two trees pollinating around the same period of time. If you have the space, you really want to have two cultivars for early, mid, and late season. That way, you will extend your season of ripening fruit.