Apple Tree Type

[buckvelvet]

Gents I have 60 root stock coming soon and some in field grafts to complete. I have reservations about the types that are deemed susceptible to disease. These are all for human and deer consumption of which 90% will end up at my hunting property. I will spray them as religiously as I can but don't want to set my self up for failure.

Whats are your thoughts?

Thanks You!

 

[greyphase]

My thoughts? Some of those varieties that are rated as susceptible or very susceptible have been around for 100 years or more so really how bad can they be? You would think that if they were so hard to grow they would have faded away with time. Each of our orchards are "individual" due to they locations. My apple tree growing "experiment" is to see what works and what doesn't in my area. I'm sure there will be trees that fail. I won't sweat it and just learn from my failures. All that said I do "lean" toward more disease resistant varieties, but if a disease prone variety "tickles my fancy" I'll give it a try.

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Just go for it. I have had Anaros growing in my orchard for 7 years and no issue I also have Black Oxford for 2 years but I grafted those and have had Honeycrisp and no issues with them

 

[chickenlittle]

The term disease resistant does not mean much without specifying which disease. Varieties rated susceptible to a specific disease might have no issue for your location. Info is incomplete so a variety you think is good could become a problem for you. Grafting is cheap. Remove a tree if you need to later.

I've been selective in choosing what to graft, trying to avoid problem varieties. I am also driven by space too. I don't have room to plant one of everything.

 

[chickenlittle]

I will add that every variety of apple and each type of rootstock had its own set of potential problems, susceptibilities, and disadvantages. Go look through the apple varieties selected by the PRI consortium. Everyone has negatives but I will have a dozen or more of their varieties in my orchard.
https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/pri/default.html

 

[Lot2Learn]

There are lots of great apple varieties and we all plant them for different reasons, whether we're 'apple collectors' or 'apple connoisseurs' or 'cider makers' or 'deer feeders' or 'story tellers', or any combination of these or other factors.

For varieties that you're on the fence about planting, I would ask yourself 'why am I planting it'?

For example, I have an Esopus Spitzenburg. It's planted because the land owner's wife wants to say that she has 'Jefferson Apples'. That's a perfectly fine reason for having one, IMO, but other than the story and what is supposed to be a unique taste, I wouldn't plant it for deer feeding because there are so many other disease resistant varieties that can fill the same niche in terms of drop time, pollination, etc.

At the same time I have a Wickson Crab. I have many other apples that will fall at same time and so there is nothing unique about that variety for me in terms of filling a niche in a deer orchard, but I'm attracted to having a variety of crab apples in the mix so I went for it.

I have a Keener Seedling (also called Rusty Coat) mostly because it was discovered in the county in NC where my parents live. Talk about a crazy reason to plant an apple!

I think that's one of the cool things about our orchards. What you decide to plant will be uniquely you.

 

[buckvelvet]

I love variety, I think you all make lots of sense. I'm still just a bit insecure in the fact that I don't feel I know a TON about my favorite passion/hobby. LOL!

I can't wait to have 60 diff apple varieties throwing fruit for not other reason than because its freakin bad ass! :)

Thanks for taking time out of your day to help me gents. All of you who have produced scion wood to me its of such great appreciation I don't want to waste any of it.

To the mattresses, we shall graft them all!!!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

What these guys have said is all true. Many folks around the country have CAR problems. We don't at camp because there are no junipers around for miles ( the alternate host for CAR ) so we have no CAR worries. Some areas of the country have serious fireblight problems. Problems vary with your location, climate, soil, and not least - - proper care of your trees !! Sun and good airflow keep diseases in check to a large degree.

Your chart shows Goldrush as " very resistant " to the major apple diseases. It does get CAR, but reports say it doesn't seem to affect fruit. Galarina is listed on your chart as " some resistance ". Adams County Nursery has them recommended in their catalog as having " high tolerance " for scab and mildew. Hot, humid, muggy areas will have more disease problems than cooler, drier areas. To some degree, DR is relative. I've tried to look at 6 or 7 different sources for DR info and then chose the varieties common to most of those sources. It seemed like " multiple heads are better than one " !!

We have 29 varieties spread among 60 trees at my camp. That is to see what varieties do the best in our location. Some may fail, or be problematic, and they will go by the wayside. Ones that are easier, have few problems and produce well, will stay and have a few more planted to fill any open spots. We aren't trying to " one-up " any other apple planters by having many varieties, it's just an experiment with mostly DR varieties and crabs. Nothing wrong with you trying a bunch of varieties. Some of your trees may do real well - where for other folks they don't. Only time will tell !!

EDIT: Our trees are mainly for deer and other wildlife, with some eating by us guys. Not commercial at all.

 

[aerospacefarmer]

I love variety, I think you all make lots of sense. I'm still just a bit insecure in the fact that I don't feel I know a TON about my favorite passion/hobby. LOL!

I can't wait to have 60 diff apple varieties throwing fruit for not other reason than because its freakin bad ass! :)

Thanks for taking time out of your day to help me gents. All of you who have produced scion wood to me its of such great appreciation I don't want to waste any of it.

To the mattresses, we shall graft them all!!!

You better hurry up I will have over 100 different varieties of apples after this years grafting if they take lol. Now about 90 and 7 different Asian pear varieties stop selling that insurance and get your butt in gear man :p

 

[buckvelvet]

You better hurry up I will have over 100 different varieties of apples after this years grafting if they take lol. Now about 90 and 7 different Asian pear varieties stop selling that insurance and get your butt in gear man :p

I feel ashamed! I will have to up the anti on you paul, don't tempt me!

 

[sandbur]

Gents I have 60 root stock coming soon and some in field grafts to complete. I have reservations about the types that are deemed susceptible to disease. These are all for human and deer consumption of which 90% will end up at my hunting property. I will spray them as religiously as I can but don't want to set my self up for failure.

Whats are your thoughts?

Thanks You! View attachment 8475

I had to save this for my apple file. Lots of good information on some varieties I have in the ground or hopes for in the future.

I have about a dozen rootstock coming and about 30 types of scion. Many will go on three different manchurian (flowering) crabs that are nearly 30 years old and two other flowering crabs of the same age (unknown variety).

My decision needs to be what will go on ranetka by my house, what will be grafted on the two flowering crabs by my house,what will go on the flowering crabs out back.

 

[Red]

Good spreadsheet. If you're willing to post the excel file that would be awesome. Now that I'm starting to get a fair amount of trees I need to start keeping better track like you.

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Good spreadsheet. If you're willing to post the excel file that would be awesome. Now that I'm starting to get a fair amount of trees I need to start keeping better track like you.

That's a very good idea. I have about 20 or so trees that I don't have the variety certain as I was in too much of a hurry to plant and nor keep up on the identification plates and organization sis of things. So important to do. After I get your scions today I will be done grafting this year with 58 grafts 3 or 4 are starting g to show growth after al oat a month so be patient guys.

 

[sandbur]

What is the significance of diploid or trploid?

All of my plantings have different crabs nearby. Do I need to worry about it?

 

[chickenlittle]

Ploidy matters if you don't have many pollinators just like bloom times do. A triploid is unlikely to pollinate itself or another apple. So you need a diploid with overlapping bloom period to pollinate the triploid. The triploid won't pollinate the first diploid tree so you need a second diploid variety to make sure all 3 get pollinated.

I paid attention to ploidy when selecting varieties to cross with columnar trees. With 50 varieties in my orchard, I will be covered on viable pollen and stopped looking at ploidy or bloom times in deciding on varieties.

 

[buckvelvet]

If anyone would like my excel file please pm your email address and i'll send it on over, I cannot post an excel file here and it would be hard to share it to everyone on google.

 

[sandbur]

If anyone would like my excel file please pm your email address and i'll send it on over, I cannot post an excel file here and it would be hard to share it to everyone on google.

pm is being sent.

 

[WTNUT]

My thoughts? Some of those varieties that are rated as susceptible or very susceptible have been around for 100 years or more so really how bad can they be? You would think that if they were so hard to grow they would have faded away with time. Each of our orchards are "individual" due to they locations. My apple tree growing "experiment" is to see what works and what doesn't in my area. I'm sure there will be trees that fail. I won't sweat it and just learn from my failures. All that said I do "lean" toward more disease resistant varieties, but if a disease prone variety "tickles my fancy" I'll give it a try.

I tend to agree. Look at the Yellow Transparent for example. Those trees or some very very very similar can be found everywhere! Heck my in-laws have had one they have tried to kill for 25 years in their back yard. They can't grow grass for God's sake but that tree keeps going and going!!!!!!!