In the Pursuit of a Better Apple

[maikeru]

I was out shopping tonight and picked up a relatively new cultivar called "Honeycrisp" that has started to infiltrate the markets here. I'm a fan of good apples. So I washed a beautiful, cherry-red one, bit into it, and it was divinely crisply without any divine flavor whatsoever. In fact there was no flavor, no complexity to it. It was slightly sweet, mostly tart, and now I think after finishing my first "Honeycrisp," I actually have a stomachache. Methinks I've been conned. :shrug:

 

Honeycrisp - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

It seems like modern apple cultivars keep losing sweetness and flavor in favor of longer shelf-life and a prettier appearance.

 

I'm growing two dwarf "Pixie Crunch" apple trees and another variety in my garden. Had flowers this year, but no fruit. Not sure if it was a lack of pollinators (nary was a bee to be seen this summer, CCD?) or the late, late freak snow storm that may have damaged the blossoms. If you're interested, you should be able to view the pics of my garden and see the trees when they were in bloom.

 

Anyway, I wanted to start this to discuss your favorite apple varieties and to see if any of you Hypographers are growing apples yourselves. If you know any tips, tricks, or good gardening or fruit-growing advice for apples, feel free to post or discuss it here. I'm very interested in growing more apples in the future.

[lemit]

I've had a couple of the Honeycrisp that lived up to their advertising. I think you must have just got a bad apple. Try another one, when you feel brave enough to risk repeating your first experience.

 

What would you recommend as a fast-growing, fast-yielding apple for my backyard?

 

Thanks.

 

--lemit

[JMJones0424]

Honeycrisp is becoming my new favorite grocery store apple, though I will always cherish Fuji. I like Honeycrisp's texture, and the balance of sweetness and tartness. I too think that perhaps you got a bad one, maikeru.

 

Lemit- I suggest you check with your local extension agency for apple cultivars particularly suited for your environment. I purchased a few trees years ago without paying special attention to the environmental requirements, and never received a single fruit from the sickly things. My problem was too few cold days, and irregular winters. There are cultivars better suited to my environment, but I haven't gotten around to trying them, as the space is taken up by other trees now.

 

maikeru- I'm sure you've already looked into it, but there are several different techniques to trellis, or espalier your fruit trees to allow for better use of sunlight and ease of harvesting and mechanical insect control. My neighbor espaliers his apples in a diamond pattern and places ankle length pantyhose (the kind used for trying on shoes at shoe stores?) over each apple as it develops to keep apple worms out.

[maikeru]

Honeycrisp is becoming my new favorite grocery store apple, though I will always cherish Fuji. I like Honeycrisp's texture, and the balance of sweetness and tartness. I too think that perhaps you got a bad one, maikeru.

 

Lemit- I suggest you check with your local extension agency for apple cultivars particularly suited for your environment. I purchased a few trees years ago without paying special attention to the environmental requirements, and never received a single fruit from the sickly things. My problem was too few cold days, and irregular winters. There are cultivars better suited to my environment, but I haven't gotten around to trying them, as the space is taken up by other trees now.

 

maikeru- I'm sure you've already looked into it, but there are several different techniques to trellis, or espalier your fruit trees to allow for better use of sunlight and ease of harvesting and mechanical insect control. My neighbor espaliers his apples in a diamond pattern and places ankle length pantyhose (the kind used for trying on shoes at shoe stores?) over each apple as it develops to keep apple worms out.

 

Lemit and Jones, that might be true. I was really disappointed with it. The Honeycrisp I tried reminded me of the flavorless Fujis and other stuff I've been encountering regularly from supermarkets, and is one of the reasons why I wanted to grow my own apples here. Organic Fujis from Oregon or Washington are some of the best apples I've had in a while.

 

The ankle-length panty hose is a very good idea! I'll have to think about it this spring and summer, if I do actually get some apples this time around. I'm considering whether I want to put in a few more apple trees or not this year. I'm already starting to pile leaves, used coffee grounds, vermicompost, etc. on the garden when I have time so they work the soil into something nicer than what I've dealt with. I've started looking into growing technique and pruning. I have some books on order that I hope will teach me more.

 

Have any of you had success with growing apples from seed? Or is it not worth bothering to try to get that one-in-ten-thousand winner? My grandfather had some wonderful crabapple trees at the old house that grew ugly and lumpy fruits, but really crisp, sweet, and complex-tasting. Used to eat them when I was a kid. I've never really had something like them since.

[TheBigDog]

I am a big fan of the Fuji apple. For me it is exactly what an apple is supposed to be.

[Turtle]

...

Have any of you had success with growing apples from seed? Or is it not worth bothering to try to get that one-in-ten-thousand winner? My grandfather had some wonderful crabapple trees at the old house that grew ugly and lumpy fruits, but really crisp, sweet, and complex-tasting. Used to eat them when I was a kid. I've never really had something like them since.

 

i had a couple apple seedlings as bonsai. ;) seeds seemed to germinate readily. long story short, my trees never reached maturity. :xparty: i have on occasion found a sprouted seed in my apple; have you? anyway, nothing ventured nothing gained. plant a bunch of seeds and go for it! :) besides, even "crab" apples can be made into cider and vinegar. >> How To Make Apple Cider Vinegar at Home

[maikeru]

i had a couple apple seedlings as bonsai. :doh: seeds seemed to germinate readily. long story short, my trees never reached maturity. i have on occasion found a sprouted seed in my apple; have you? anyway, nothing ventured nothing gained. plant a bunch of seeds and go for it! :naughty: besides, even "crab" apples can be made into cider and vinegar. >> How To Make Apple Cider Vinegar at Home

 

Strange enough, I have found germinating apple seeds in my apples. They couldn't wait long enough to get out. Thanks for the links. :)

[maikeru]

Sprouted my first apple seeds (from organic Fujis). First, I tried putting them in the ground and waiting for a few weeks. Was unsuccessful. I gave the second batch a chill in the garage (where the temp is around 30-40 F) in moistened cotton for a few days, took 'em out, and planted them. Successful. It appears they're like violets in that they require cold to germinate properly. :naughty:

[Turtle]

Sprouted my first apple seeds (from organic Fujis). First, I tried putting them in the ground and waiting for a few weeks. Was unsuccessful. I gave the second batch a chill in the garage (where the temp is around 30-40 F) in moistened cotton for a few days, took 'em out, and planted them. Successful. It appears they're like violets in that they require cold to germinate properly. :)

 

schweeet! :happybirthday: i did not know that about violets; you listening michaelangelica? i have all my wildflower seeds chillin' in the garage for the winter just in case. how long 'til you get fruit do you figure?

[maikeru]

schweeet! :eek_big: i did not know that about violets; you listening michaelangelica? i have all my wildflower seeds chillin' in the garage for the winter just in case. how long 'til you get fruit do you figure? :evil:

 

I read that it depends on the cultivar, but usually it takes several years and some of the longest ones can take up to 10 years to produce fruit. I don't know if differences in soil, weather, or temperatures can ameliorate some of the time. I probably won't be getting much off of these little Fujis for some time to come. Just happy to sprout them. Later I'll consider the idea of growing an entire orchard from seed, but when I have all the time in the world. :eek:

 

On sweet violets,

 

Seed is best sown in the autumn in a cold frame. The seed requires a period of cold stratification and the germination of stored seed can be erratic. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer.

 

From Viola odorata - Sweet Violet - Plants For A Future

 

Article from the WSJ on the homeland of apples: Kazakhstan.

 

Genetics of Apples - Saving the Industry with Wild Apples from Kazakhstan

 

Enjoy. :hihi:

[Dd'sEvilTwin]

Northern Spy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia My papa grows these...and in My humble opinion there is no better apple for any variety of eatin;)