Apples are the main fruit crop. All apples are grown on post and wire trellises and pruned to dwarf size, whether on dwarf rootstock or not.

Various rootstocks are used, with Mark (Mac-9) being the predominant rootstock -- it was the "hot" rootstock at the time of bench grafting in 1994 and 1995. Mark, Ott-3, and Bud-9 dwarfing rootstocks seem to be doing well, and Bud-9 would be the choice for new trees at this point. Trees on M27 and P22 look like they are struggling. Trees on Antonovka are pruned to dwarf size, which takes continual pruning. There are also EMLA-7 (M7), MM106, and a few interstems of various persuasions.   

Closest spacing is 2½-foot spacing oblique cordons. Others are double-arm oblique cordons at 4-foot spacing, informal espalier, and one formal multi-tier espalier.

This area (Boulder, zone 5) has difficult spring frosts for apples. The orchard has many different varieties with different blooming periods, which sometimes allows a good crop but, more frequently, some of the varieties are eliminated or significantly reduced. The mix of apples in each year can be somewhat spotty. Varieties with late blooming tend to do better.  Codling moth and fireblight each take constant attention.

 Each year of cropping triggers further evaluation of  which apple varieties are worth maintaining and which will be top-worked (grafted) to some other variety.

I have compiled a PDF version of my apple varieties list. This write-up is primarily notes to myself on schedules and opinions about the varieties, but perhaps it would be useful to other people. See notes on terminology and notations toward the back of the list.

2009 Crop

Tried Cyd-X for the first time with the first two cover sprays; it seems to have helped some. Codling Moth was still present, especially later in the season when there was no spraying, but the damage was tolerable and there were some #1 grade apples. Low temperatures at around 15°F on March 26, then frost and snow on April 27 limited the available cultivars. Started eating codling-moth-damaged Parkland on July 7.  (Yea, he’s  notorious for eating not-quite-ripe apples.) Fireblight popped up on a number of trees, especially King Edward VII, Court Pendu Plat, Geeveston Fanny, and others. Some cultivars were a bit odd in 2009 with apples ripening but without the expected zippy flavor and acidity, for example Esopus Spitzenburg and Stayman WInesap, and Downing Tart was reasonably edible this year for a change. Cider attempts were noticeably bland. Good pies were produced from a mix of Northern Spy, Bramley’s Seedling, and King Edward VII, but needed only ¼ cup sugar instead of the usual ⅓. Nice fresh eating of Vista Bella, Parkland, Summerred, McIntosh, Baldwin, Bramley’s Seedling, Westfield Seek No Further, and Downing Tart. After a hurried picking of about four bushels of late-season apples, a freeze at 19°F and 5 inches of snow pretty well closed the season on October 10, 2009, although a few edible apples still in the orchard survived the freeze.

Apple Trellis Rows #1 (left) and #2 (right), Spring 2003

Oblique Cordons, 2½-foot spacing Row #4, Spring 2005