Here's the tree, about 7 years old and in partial shade. A bunch of apples were on the ground already.

I can't help with an ID, sorry. I want to say Granny Smith. They can look very rustic when grown at home and have a more complex flavour than the supermarket type.

I'd like to see the base of the tree at ground level. I'm looking for sustainable ideas for pruning a crabapple I just bought. Your tree looks like it's multi stemmed and carrying a lot of fruit so beautifully....gives me hope for not whacking a lot of branches.

(sorry for the thread hijack)

Thanks, Granny Smith ripened here six weeks ago, so that's not it, nor is it White Winter Pearmain; I'm guessing Reinette Simirenko or Northwest Greening.

The trunk is a single form, as this is a grafted tree, but the branches start pretty low. Your crab may be seedling, and thus could have branches coming up from the roots.

My suggestion is to hit the local farmers markets and see if anyone has something similar

Those are pippins, my favorite variety. They're juicy and sweet AND tangy at the same time. Formerly widely grown, now not so much. Still grown commercially in the Monterey Bay area.

In cool Watsonville, harvest usually starts by mid to late September. I'm not an apple grower, but you should give some thought to what your tree may need (Pruning or watering schedule) if it goes past October. I go to a Pik-Yourself place down there in September, and the pippins sprout from all over the branches in large clusters.

Link to old NY Times story on pippins:

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/05/dining/it-s-crunch-time-for-the-venerable-pippin.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Photo of pippins

I doubt its Newtown Pippin - the bit of russeting and the thick stem with little cavity are not characteristics of Newtown.

I don't know what it could be other than I doubt I ever grew that variety as it has several unusual features I would have remembered.

Scott

Mutsu?

I grow NW Greening. The apples in your photo are a bit more flattened in form than the NW Greening I am familiar with. Perhaps just different from being grown in a warmer
climate?

Some type of green apple for sure. Just not positive about it being NW Greening. NW Greening is still popular in
Western WI and Minnesota.

And the answer is....(drumroll) Yellow Newtown Pippin; I found a spreadsheet from 2007. I also did a Google Search and found a bin of them that are dead ringers of the photo at http://www.123rf.com/photo_25610583_box-of-organic-newtown-pippin-apples-for-sale-at-local-farmers-market-newtown-pippin-is-typically-li.html

This is interesting, as I pulled out a tree of these at my place several years ago because the apples were tasteless. Turns out I was picking the end of October, when I should have waited until January. These are fantastic, and I'm putting some in storage to see what that does to them.

I'm glad to move this off the "reject" list and back onto the "tested good for Southern California" list. Sept. 15th was 110F here, so maybe just as well they ripen late.

Personally, I don't think they store well.

As I said we go to a pick yourself place, the pipins are usually ready in late September. The place is Gizdich Ranch, just outside of Watsonville in case anyone is interested. By October the stores start to have them as "local produce", by mid-November, they've lost their characteristic crunch and tang and start becoming a bit mushy.

If you have any questions about the care of pippins, why not call Gizdich? It's a family apple operation and I'm sure they'd be happy to offer suggestions for a backyard grower.

Gee, those look nothing at all like Newtowns grown out here. I never get any russet at all and the stems are always long and the apples are never flattened. They also store really well as grown in the east.

It goes to show how much climate affects apples. On that subject, none of the California-bred apples has done well for me - I removed Sierra Beauty and My Jewel last winter after disappointing results.

Scott

Sometimes the brownish cap (is that what you mean by russet) can extend out of the top depression and slightly down the side. I found a photo example, it can be even bigger. When that's present on the skin, there's no taste difference compared to the green regions.