I’ll pick my top three, conceding there lots of other varieties I am also very happy with. So, starting at number three and working up to my top “go to” tree, they are:
Number 3 – Chestnut Crab
The Chestnut crab is a large vigorous tree, which when grown on a larger rootstock like M.111 or P.18 makes for a sturdy, well anchored tree that can withstand bears and wind. In spring, it is known to be a good pollinator for other trees in the area. In the fall, the apples are nice size and ripen over several weeks making for an extended drop. For me (5a), most apples have dropped by mid-October. One last comment, one of my chestnut crabs was planted in an area so rocky I had to use a front-end loader to get a whole in the ground to plant it. The P.18 rootstock is producing a fine healthy tree even in less-than-ideal soil. If it were more readily available, I’d buy more trees on this rootstock.
Number 2 – Wickson crab
Like the Chestnut, the Wickson crab tends to be a larger tree, so it can withstand assaults by weather and critters - within reason. The fruit tends to be a bit smaller than some other crabs, but it bears a lot of it. The drop time is longer than the Chestnut crab. My experience is it drops from October, well into January. I don’t do any thinning, so I do notice there will be a bumper crop one year, followed by a more modest yield the following year.
Number 1 – Ida Red
Simply put, this tree reliably produces a high volume of delicious apples which drop steadily from October through December. The tree is moderately vigorous on M.111 rootstock, and has proven to withstand, bear, wind, and floods. Reportedly, this variety is highly, to moderately, susceptible to fireblight and CAR, which would justifiably raise red flags. However, I planted this tree over 20 years ago and I have seen no evidence of either (5a). I would not plant a whole orchard of this variety, but I where I need a dependable source of apples from October to December, I plant an Idared.
There are many other varieties that could make this list, but today these are my top three. Ask me next year, this list might change.