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| Hello Everyone, Haven't posted in a while. I am wondering if I can get some advice on new varieties to try. First, here is my list of current varieties. Snow Newton Pippin Black Twig Arkansas Black Spy Cox Tolman sweet Monark Calville Blanc Rubaiyat (greenmantle) Eden Crab (greenmantle) Pink Pearmain (greenmantle) Right now I'm planning to add probably 3 trees. I will also like to get some scion wood to do some grafting this spring. So probably 6 varieties. It would be nice if the whole trees were can't miss varieties and the grafts were sort of experiments. (I could add more trees if i want. I have plenty of space) I live in Ann Arbor Michigan zone 6a. I am an expert by no means but I am experienced. I have had my current orchard for about 5 years now and I'm gaining familiarity with orchard maintenance and spraying. I am not afraid of high maintenance varieties if it means great flavor, but at the same time I don't want to drive my self crazy if I don't have to. When it comes to my tastes, I like anything interesting. I like apples that have strange flavors. I like notes of anise, or clove, or other spice. I like tropical flavors. Anything interesting. Right now my current favorite apple is the Rubinette and I might try my hand at growing that one. Anyone have some interesting apples that absolutely need to go on the list of an apple collector? Thanks Paul in Ann Arbor |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| I like the traditional gala, Fuji, Arkansas black, honeycrisp and pink lady apples but I found a link that might help. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Unusual flavored apples
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| Sweet Sixteen has one of the most interesting flavors I've experienced in an apple. I've heard it called Vanilla, Bourbon, Licorice, and Cherry-twizzler. To me, Cherry twizzler is closest. I love it (though in actual Twizzlers, I prefer Strawberry), but some hate it. I also recommend Kidds Orange Red, which has a great flavor, though not as strange as SS. Goldrush is an easy suggestion as well. It is strongly flavored and reminds me of lemons. I've been grafting a bunch of varieties looking for some interesting flavors. I haven't yet sampled these, but hope to soon. So far, I've grafted several which are reputed to taste like Pineapples and one from Kazakhstan which should taste like "hazelnut-banana". Davey is supposed to have a hint of Strawberry. Sandow is supposed to have a raspberry flavor. I'm looking to add a bunch more. I'm on the lookout for some Rose and or Lychee flavors- it looks like there are several rose candidates and one Lychee (Viking), per the above link. Sunrise's "grape-pear" flavor sounds interesting. I've read that there are some very interesting Kazakhstan apple out there. In particular, I would love to find popcorn and potato flavors (really) somewhere, but I haven't been able to figure out their names or accession numbers. |
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| Hi, I have some interesting apples in my orchard as I like any fruit that is different. A new favorite is 'Ananas Reinette". It is a bright yellow apple of medium size and has a taste of apple and 'pineapple'. Ananas is French for pineapple. I was not disappointed! Also Motts Pink, a beautifully shaped apple is on the tangy side, which I personally like, but also has the added bonus of having 'hot pink' flesh. It is a very pretty apple. Mrs. G |
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| I tried Suncrisp from the farmers market this fall. I liked it a lot and have decided to plant a tree in the Spring. Somebody on this forum indicated that it has a tropical flavor and I agree with that description. |
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- Posted by harvestman 6 (My Page) on Tue, Dec 9, 14 at 8:35
| If you like bold notes of anise, then by all means run with Sweet 16. To me it is an off flavor that tastes medicinal but other people seem to like it. Seems to be quite slow to come into bearing on vigorous root stock though. What you may want to consider is the utilitarian aspect of the varieties as well as flavor. To me, storage capability is extremely important and Goldrush is my staple apple partially for this asset. Also it is easy to grow and not attractive to insect pests,scab or even squirrels (at least until it's almost fully ripe when they tend to be involved with acorns). It rarely gets rots or any calcium related disorders that can really destroy apples in storage. It is also a top 5 eating apple in my book. I don't think it is a good idea to assume that heirloom apples are going to be your best source of apple enjoyment just because they can't easily be obtained elsewhere. Once you are using only the apples from your orchard, this becomes unimportant, unless you enjoy the idea of having something most others can never taste. An heirloom becomes a common apple to your taste buds once you have virtually unlimited access to it. Of course, a lot of heirlooms are such unreliable croppers that this may never happen (Hudson's Golden Gem and Ashmead's Kernel come to mind). You might want to consider some really nice new varieties like Zestar to expand your harvest season and also to have exceptionally delicious apples that are grower friendly (precocious, annually productive and not too hard to train). |
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- Posted by scottfsmith 6B-7A-MD (My Page) on Tue, Dec 9, 14 at 9:21
| Freyburg is one of my favorite unusual apples, with an anise flavor. Bonne Hotture is another; the flavor is very unusual and I have never been able to describe it. Hooples Antique Gold for looks and flavor. And, when you have that many apples get a summer apple or two as Hman points out. My favorite is Jefferis but Zestar is also supposed to be very good (Hman, it turns out I have it already -- you know you have too many apple varieties when you can't remember what you have!). Scott |
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| Hello, Thanks for all the advice so far. Harvestman, I do like Zestar and thanks for the tip. I am not planning to plant that one though as an orchard down the street about 3 miles has tons of Zestar planted and their prices are cheap. |
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- Posted by harvestman 6 (My Page) on Tue, Dec 9, 14 at 10:39
| Ah, but you will no longer be buying apples from them once you start harvesting ample quantities of your own. Yours will taste better because you can pick each apple at the best time, eat only the best in the tree and you will have more apples than you know what to do with. Plus you will likely do a better job of pruning for best possible fruit because you are willing to take the time to do it. I used to think apples weren't even important to grow because it is so easy to find good ones, unlike peaches and plums. Now I find even with my own apples, the fruit is much better than I can buy from any commercial grower. There is not a single grower I know whose apples I would choose over my own. I bet in five years you will feel the same. |
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| Yesterday, as I was looking into apples with different (and unusual) flavors, I noticed that Keepers nursery in the UK lists several. They are a bit buried, but I was able to unearth the following with Google searches limited to their domain. I've shortened the descriptions, in some cases significantly. I've also added notes about their ARS availability. Raspberry Flavor Vista Bella- summer dessert apple with a refreshing raspberry flavour. Available from ARS, but " subject to scab and mildew". Early Red Bird- very early ripenning summer dessert apple...Soft, juicy flesh. Sweet sharp with a distinct raspberry flavour. I found it on ARS under "Crimson Beauty", but most descriptions I see say that it is mostly good for cooking. Dawn- late dessert apple with sweet-sharp raspberry flavour...Can be over-acidic. Strawberry Duchess's Favourite- Quite sharp with a strawberry flavour. At ARS. Devonshire Quarrenden- early dessert apple with a distinctive strawberry flavour Fred Webb- red flushed apple with a strawberry flavour Ruby (Seabrook)- strawberry flavour similar to Worcester Pearmain Worcester Pearmain- At its best a lovely sweet intense strawberry flavour but rather plain at other times. Does not keep well... suitable for colder regions. Available from ARS (11.5 brix). Pineapple Ananas Reinette- A small golden apple with a pineapple flavour Plymouth Cross- interesting rich pineapple flavour Freiherr von Berlepsch- intense pineapple flavour Court Pendu Plat- Fruity flavour with pineapple-like acidity. At ARS. I have one from Cummins. Golden Nugget- intense sweet-sharp pinapple like flavour...good resistance to scab, mildew, and canker. At ARS. Pomeroy- Rich, aromatic, pineapple-like flavour Suntan- rich and sweet, very aromatic and with lots of pineapple-like acidity...Good cropper but prone to canker and bitter pit. I'd really like to find Gladstone and Carters Blue. I see that Nick Botner had both, but I don't think he is selling scionwood anymore. |
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| Bob: Century Farms shows 5 Carter's Blue in their inventory. A very nice early apple is Discovery, a descendant of Worcester Pearmain which would put it under the "strawberry" category. Lamb Abbey Pearmain is a nice pineapple type. |
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| Thanks Quillfred. Do you know if they sell scionwood? I've got about as many trees as I can fit at the moment. I looked at their site, but didn't see anything about scionwood. |
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| Hman eluded to Ashmead's Kernal being an unreliable bearer...I guess that means it tends to be biennial? Either way, I decided to plant one to try this year. I couldn't help myself after reading Dr. Jim Cummin's description on his website: "English winter russet, medium size, golden-brown skin with a crisp nutty snap, exploding with champagne-sherbet juice infused with a lingering scent of orange blossom. Flesh is dense, sugary and aromatic with intense flavor, characteristic of russets. Winner of taste tests." |
Here is a link that might be useful: Cummin's Nursery Ashmead's Kernal descript
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- Posted by harvestman 6 (My Page) on Wed, Dec 10, 14 at 9:17
| That description is way over the top and not really useful by my thinking (no scent of orange blossoms I've noticed and what the hell is champagne sherbert juice?). I've got to give it high marks for creativity, though. In my orchard it has given one great crop followed by 3 straight years of hardly any fruit. I think spring pruning of the vigorous uprights might at least turn this one into a reliable biennial- it is no beginners apple when grown on free standing root stock.. I have been misled by Cummins descriptions on several occasions, by the way, particularly with stone fruit. May be a matter of relative weather, of course. Essentially AK is a high acid X high sugar apple. I don't think it's any better flavored than Goldrush, but it ripens at least 3 weeks earlier and has more sugar off the tree. From my reading the taste tests it has won have been carried out by the London Horticultural Society with apples raised there, but I'm sure it does well in tests here if they are held in its season. Great tasting apple. |
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- Posted by persimmonbob 6b (My Page) on Wed, Dec 10, 14 at 12:18
| My no 1 apple is by far Melrose, i call it the most perfect apple. |
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- Posted by Appleseed70 6 MD (My Page) on Thu, Dec 11, 14 at 5:21
| Misled by an apple guru? Nah...can't be. Unless of course he is without experience and not in possession of jaded taste buds. He's probably a closet Honeycrisp lover. Silly fool. |
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| Appleseed, honeycrisp are delicious here in Kansas. They must taste a lot different in other places. The fruit we grow is usually sweeter I guest because of lack of rain. |
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- Posted by harvestman 6 (My Page) on Thu, Dec 11, 14 at 5:36
| Oh Appleseed. let it go, grasshopper. Now if they'd devoted such poetry to a pop princess like Honeycrisp. |
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