Chance Seedlings - Yet to be discovered in your backyard.

[Appleman]

Are they fairly confident on the CAR resistance?

What is the table quality of this apple?

Hello Sandbur. Always a pleasure to see your posts. I am certain the Franklin Cider is resistant to CAR as this is coming from testing done at the Stark Bro's nursery and is so stated in their catalog: “This new variety will likely supplant ‘Kingston Black’ (the current bittersharp cider apple benchmark) because it’s far easier to grow, is a prolific annual producer and shows no signs of scab or cedar rust,” says Cameron Brown, Stark Bro’s president and CEO. “It’s going to change the cider industry.” Added the following read: https://www.millernurseries.com/about/news/article/new-apples-2017

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

That's a good looking tree, I'll need to pick some up sometime. Are they available anywhere else this spring or is next year the soonest they can be purchased?

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I just spoke to Cummins and Starks. Cummins has none and don't know when they'll be able to get more. Stark said they only have availability to wholesale customers now, and Franklin will be available for retail sale in their Spring 2018 catalog. I just hung up the phone.

 

[buckvelvet]

I just spoke to Cummins and Starks. Cummins has none and don't know when they'll be able to get more. Stark said they only have availability to wholesale customers now, and Franklin will be available for retail sale in their Spring 2018 catalog. I just hung up the phone.

Did it seem as though Cummins would have some for spring of '18?

 

[Bowsnbucks]

They didn't know. They can't propagate them - only Stark's has the rights to it. Cummins buys them from Stark's and then sells them to the public. It all hinges on what Stark's does to make them available - either to Cummins or anyone else.

 

[Appleman]

That's a good looking tree, I'll need to pick some up sometime. Are they available anywhere else this spring or is next year the soonest they can be purchased?

Your best option would be to purchase them at the Stark Bro's Wholesale division. They have a good number of them available on B118 for 2018. Other rootstocks are available but of the dwarfing type normally used in a high density orchard. Cummins Nursery does carry them, but in much smaller quantities.

 

[Appleman]

They didn't know. They can't propagate them - only Stark's has the rights to it. Cummins buys them from Stark's and then sells them to the public. It all hinges on what Stark's does to make them available - either to Cummins or anyone else.

You are correct. As the Originator and Patent holder of the "Franklin Cider" Stark Bros has been granted exclusive licensing. They have the option to sub-lease in the future, if they so decide to do so. They propagated around 13,000+ trees for 2018, and around 3836 of them are still available on B118. The best avenue would be to purchase through their wholesale division. They do require a 50 tree minimum order, but usually is not that difficult when combining the order with friends and family.

 

[Appleman]

I just spoke to Cummins and Starks. Cummins has none and don't know when they'll be able to get more. Stark said they only have availability to wholesale customers now, and Franklin will be available for retail sale in their Spring 2018 catalog. I just hung up the phone.

I just got off the phone with Ken Lane, Chief Marketing Officer at Stark Bro's, he said any customer who orders 50 or more trees can purchase directly through the wholesale division. The number to call is: Phone: 800.325.4180

 

[Appleman]

Was it quite a ways removed from your 'apple plot' planting Bill? What I mean is do they think the FCA is a self fertile type, a diploid, triploid, etc...

The "Franklin Cider" is a diploid which means that it can contribute viable pollen to pollenate other trees and can in turn be pollenated by other trees. The "Franklin Cider" is consider an excellent pollinator for varieties like Honeycrisp. I photographed and recorded the bud phenology stage from dormant to petal fall showing these stages to be almost time identical when compared side by side to Honeycrisp. (This was conducted over a 3 year period.

 

[buckvelvet]

Nice Bill! You've studied the heck out of this thing! Would you say the FCA is around a 2 'in apple and/or crab?

 

[chickenlittle]

Maybe I'll add a tree to my 2020 plan if I can find a place to buy one.

 

[buckvelvet]

Maybe I'll add a tree to my 2020 plan if I can find a place to buy one.

You made me spit my drink out!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Thanks, Appleman, for the info. When I spoke to Tino at Cummins today, he said he had just talked to you on the phone before I called.
I don't have need for 50 trees. I only want 2 or 3 for my camp for deer apples, and your description of Franklin sounds like it would be perfect ( high brix, DR, annual cropper, etc. ). I don't know anyone close enough to even combine orders with. I'll have to wait for retail availability next fall - according to Stark's.

 

[Appleman]

Nice Bill! You've studied the heck out of this thing! Would you say the FCA is around a 2 'in apple and/or crab?

Measures a consistent 2.75 inches in diameter.

 

[Appleman]

I want to let all who have read this thread that my motives telling you about the "Franklin Cider" is not to self-promote. I don't need to because I think all of you have gathered now, after reading the links I provided, the Cider Industry demand for the Franklin will far exceed availability. What does motivate me is sharing a passion to grow the best Apple Tree Plot possible for my wildlife projects. I have over the years looked at hundreds of chance seedlings hoping to find the perfect apple. It was the good fortune to recognize the Franklin for its potential use in the cider industry and the attraction it has for wildlife. I fully understand its attributes and I can say for certain it will prove itself to be one of the best for my wildlife projects.

 

[Native Hunter]

I want to let all who have read this thread that my motives telling you about the "Franklin Cider" is not to self-promote. I don't need to because I think all of you have gathered now, after reading the links I provided, the Cider Industry demand for the Franklin will far exceed availability. What does motivate me is sharing a passion to grow the best Apple Tree Plot possible for my wildlife projects. I have over the years looked at hundreds of chance seedlings hoping to find the perfect apple. It was the good fortune to recognize the Franklin for its potential use in the cider industry and the attraction it has for wildlife. I fully understand its attributes and I can say for certain it will prove itself to be one of the best for my wildlife projects.

Appleman, I don't see your thread as self promoting at all. I just appreciate you sharing the information. I understand your excitement in finding something that meets your habitat plan needs so well.

One question - I know this would be a guess, but what would you expect the drop time to be in Zone 6b in Kentucky?

Thanks - Steve

 

[Appleman]

Appleman, I don't see your thread as self promoting at all. I just appreciate you sharing the information. I understand your excitement in finding something that meets your habitat plan needs so well.

One question - I know this would be a guess, but what would you expect the drop time to be in Zone 6b in Kentucky?

Thanks - Steve

The Franklin Cider has only cropped on the parent tree located on our family property. The start date for which fruit starts to fall is around Oct 1st here in Vermont. The tree gives up a little fruit at a time each day and still has fruit hanging in late January. The fruit of this tree is highly favored by deer as evident by the deer trails leading to the tree. Most apples are cleaned up within a day or two, which is another good signed of its preference. One key note worth mentioning is of the hundreds of wild trees on our property, it is the only one with fruit still on the tree in late January.

 

[Appleman]

Appleman,

Most of us know apples will not grow true to seed but, what about two seeds from the same apple? Are they true twins?

Although all seeds share the same genes of the variety it was grown on other factors come into play which changes the genetic coding of the seeds. Pollen grains carried by bees could have been sourced by a crab apple or apple tree located from around the area. These pollen grains are carried or attached to pollinator's (bees) and transferred to the flowers. Most apples that I have worked with have 3 to 5 seed chambers. Some chambers can have more then one seed in it. There is a chance a "true twin" within the same apple can exist, but it would have to be the same pollen grains donated from the same flower to the same flower pollenated. You brought up a very interesting question and I may stand to be corrected on this one. Weigh in on this one for me please someone..

 

[Buckly]

I have noticed the amazing fact that deer will prefer some trees almost exclusively over others. I have a food plot with 12 fully mature apples around it and the deer will go to one particular tree pretty much for a month before moving on to different trees. I have tasted all these apples and they all taste the same to me but, obviously the deer taste something different. I will note that this tree is much smaller than the others being probably 10-12 foot tall while all the others are 30 ft plus. I have another one of these smaller trees in another part of the property and notice preference to this smaller size tree over the rest also. Drop times for most of my trees (which I have hundreds) are from October 1 through December although I have one tree out of the hundreds that drops in July.

 

[chummer]

I have noticed the amazing fact that deer will prefer some trees almost exclusively over others. I have a food plot with 12 fully mature apples around it and the deer will go to one particular tree pretty much for a month before moving on to different trees. I have tasted all these apples and they all taste the same to me but, obviously the deer taste something different. I will note that this tree is much smaller than the others being probably 10-12 foot tall while all the others are 30 ft plus. I have another one of these smaller trees in another part of the property and notice preference to this smaller size tree over the rest also. Drop times for most of my trees (which I have hundreds) are from October 1 through December although I have one tree out of the hundreds that drops in July.

All my apples(20 trees) drop pretty close together and they definitely prefer two over the rest. One of the two is in the wide open, close to the road. They sprint to that tree right before dark until the season starts. The other is in the back of the field but still wide open. They walk past other trees in cover to get these two trees. There is no doubt for what ever reason those are the two preferred trees.