Help with apple drop times

[gunfun13]

Wondering if you guys could help me with some apple drop times on variety's I have grafted up. Many varieties I've been able to figure out from this site and others. While I can find ripening dates on them all, I know that doesn't always translate into drop time. I'm zone 6a/5b.

Looking for info on:
Anaros Crab
Ben Trio Crab
Florina
Freedom
Golden Russett
Hardy Cumberland
Jonafree
Keepsake
Kindercrisp
Macoun
Norland
Priscilla (seems like a lot of conflicting info, some list as mid summer, others mid fall)
Sansa
Snowsweet
Transcendent Crab
Zestar

Thanks in advance!

 

[sandbur]

Norland probably is my earliest dropping apple.


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[Apple Junkie]

I have first-hand experience on only two. Hopefully, other guys can chime in the ones I don’t know anything about.

For me, the Florina holds tight until at least the middle of December and sometimes a bit into January. My Mcoun on the other hand drops as soon as apples are ripe, with 99% of the apples down by mid-October or sooner. I have noticed that drop times can vary somewhat from year to year, so nothing is a sure thing.

 

[rocksnstumps]

I have noticed that drop times can vary somewhat from year to year, so nothing is a sure thing.

My observations same as AJs. No help with above but can attest that my best wild tree along a fence line can vary drop times by up to 4 weeks or so over the last 15 years. Generally very early springs promote an earlier drop time in the fall. This year was a late bloom time due to endless days of cold and wet and tree held several bushels worth of apples into Dec. Turkeys took a liking to it in the last few weeks and now getting picked clean. So if you only have reports of how trees have performed this year I would caution an outlier year for some in the upper midwest.

 

[chickenlittle]

Like you said, ripening time is easier to find then drop time since most apple resources are focused on commercial picking. You can look many varieties up on the USDA GRIN website. If listed, it may have an estimate of ripening date compared to Red Delicious and whether it hangs or drops. Sometimes you'll find mention of it in descriptions oriented toward home growers too.

As mentioned by others, drop times are affected by the growing season and weather along with the variety.

But there is no substitute to crawling through web resources to come up with your own estimate. Choose the best varieties you can for your climate and goals. Then plant them and see what happens. By the time you get apples, you'll have forgotten all the research you did but you'll have your own data on which work and which need topworked to try something else.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Another thing to consider is if you want feed for deer & other wildlife, having a number of varieties will cover varying weather, late frosts, & possible disease outbreaks. With 16 varieties, you have a leg up on some of those variables, and should have no trouble with pollination. Those are good things.

The only one of your list that we have is Priscilla, and they're not fruiting yet, so I don't know the drop time.

 

[Native Hunter]

I pick my Priscilla before they fall, because they are my favorite eating apple of all that I grow. I start eating them in mid July and this year put a big bunch in the fridge on August 4. By mid September some of those were just beginning to get slightly too soft for my taste. I dried a bunch of them at that time and they were excellent.

However, none of that will mean much to you, because I'm in 6B and a significant distance south of you. Everything is going to happen earlier here as you are already aware.

I've noticed that on the Blue Hill ripening chart that I am roughly a month earlier for the pears and apples that I grow than what Ryan shows on his charts. That is very close to what I would expect. Even though those charts are not for my area, I have found them very useful. You just need to adjust them for where you live and take other factors as has been mentioned in this thread into account.

Another thing I have found is that apples and crabapples will be more likely to fall from the tree in the North due to colder weather. The guy at NWC told me this when we were talking on the phone once. He said that he had noted that extreme cold spurts or just cold weather in general could hasten the fruit dropping. From what I see posted on the forums, I think he is correct.

Bottom line is that there are several variables, but if you can get information from someone near you it will likely be better than anything else you can get. Best wishes.

 

[Natureboy]

I am located in zone 5b and have a few of the varieties on your list. Remember that the drop times shown are only approximate and vary somewhat from year to year.
Freedom - 10/01 thru 12/15, Florina - 10/15 thru 12/15, Jonafree - 10/01 thru 11/15, Liberty - 10/01 thru 12/15.

 

[gunfun13]

Another thing to consider is if you want feed for deer & other wildlife, having a number of varieties will cover varying weather, late frosts, & possible disease outbreaks. With 16 varieties, you have a leg up on some of those variables, and should have no trouble with pollination. Those are good things.

The only one of your list that we have is Priscilla, and they're not fruiting yet, so I don't know the drop time.

Pollination and diversity definitely won't be an issue. I just looked at my spread sheet of all my trees and I have 130 grafted apples and pears of 51 different varieties along with 9 seedling crab. The 16 listed are just ones that I've yet to move from the garden to their permanent location and haven't been able to pin down drop information.

 

[sandbur]

Another thing to consider is if you want feed for deer & other wildlife, having a number of varieties will cover varying weather, late frosts, & possible disease outbreaks. With 16 varieties, you have a leg up on some of those variables, and should have no trouble with pollination. Those are good things.

The only one of your list that we have is Priscilla, and they're not fruiting yet, so I don't know the drop time.

Pollination and diversity definitely won't be an issue. I just looked at my spread sheet of all my trees and I have 130 grafted apples and pears of 51 different varieties along with 9 seedling crab. The 16 listed are just ones that I've yet to move from the garden to their permanent location and haven't been able to pin down drop information.

Got any pictures and taste tests of fruit from crab seedlings?


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[gunfun13]

Got any pictures and taste tests of fruit from crab seedlings?


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I'd venture to guess I'm still 2-3+ years from fruit.

8 are Morse Double Red planted as 1yo (~12") seedlings in 2017. The very best are 7' with little branching, most are about even with the 5' tube I planted them in.

Then in 2018 I planted a 7' 3yo Dolgo seedling from Morse (he doesn't graft dolgos, only grows them from seed), it hasn't done jack @$&% for growth since being put in the ground. No surprise, lack of performance has been par for the course with that particular nursery. I debate top working this to an actual Dolgo as I was banking on it dropping by time our bow season starts October 1. If it extends into season I'll likely bump deer off it accessing my property.

 

[rocksnstumps]

^^^ Not that I want to defend Morse nursery since I think there are many better ones out there but a 7' tree when transplanted takes some time to settle in. I got a 7'-8' dolgo cheap from a nursery in WI (good deal with pick up only no shipping possible) and it had 1/2 doz fruit the first summer after planting since it had the buds already from growing at the nursery. It then went to sleep for a couple years and now has started to do some growing and flower again last 2 years. Give it another year or two to see if it comes around. I've had ranetka crabs from small whips outgrow this dolgo. Probably just lost too many roots from when they yanked it and got it ready to transplant.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

^^^^ In the same vein as Rocksnstumps, the one tree we got from Morse that has grown well and has fruited is the Nova Scotia crab. It's a nice tree. The other couple trees we got from Morse back in 2013 have been pulling up the rear for performance. I have my doubts as to the rootstocks they're grafted on. A once-and-done order from Morse.