APPLE TREES FOR NORTHERN CLIMATES
Choose from over 150 varieties described in our apple pages. Apple trees
are 2 to 4 ft. and are $20 each; there are Special
Price Packages of five and ten trees listed below. Shipping and
handling costs are on the order
form. To read about our apple trees, including how we rate them for
hardiness, disease resistance and other factors, scroll down past the apple
packages.
To choose individual apple varieties, use the
Apple Description
Pages
Apples: Adanac
to Black Oxford
Apples: Blue
Pearmain to Freedom
Apples: Garfield
King to King Luscious
Apples: Kola
Crab to Norkent
Apples: Norland
to Redwell
Apples: Regent
to Sweet Sixteen
Apples: Sweet
Winesap to Zestar
Or, select one or more of our special-price apple packages below. Each
has a mixture of varieties for home orchards that includes apples for cooking
and eating.
Which apples are best for northern climates?
Our apple trees, like many fruit trees, are propagated by grafting; joining
a scion (which becomes the fruiting part, or top of the tree) to a rootstock
(which becomes the root of the tree.) This grafting allows the two parts
to grow together and function as a single plant. Although the rootstock
has an influence on the ultimate size and hardiness of the tree, the scion
alone determines what kind of fruit the tree will yield. Therefore, when
we produce fruit trees for northern climates, there are two things to consider:
-
which rootstock to use and
-
which varieties or "cultivars" (short for cultivated varieties") to graft
onto that rootstock.
Both must be hardy and vigorous enough to withstand the lowest winter
temperatures and grow strongly during a short season.
Rootstock — Why "standard" is better for northern climates
The rootstock determines the ultimate size of the tree. Generally, there
are ``standard,'' ``dwarf'' and ``semi-dwarf'' rootstocks. Choosing one
or the other of these rootstocks does not influence the type of fruit yielded
by a tree, but for Northern growers it can have a big effect on how winter-hardy
the tree is, how well it grows, and whether it produces a crop. ``Dwarf''
trees are made by grafting onto rootstocks that are inherently weak growers;
they stunt the growth of the tree. There is a popular notion that
dwarf trees will produce fruit sooner, but in USDA Zone
3 or 4, the use of a dwarfing rootstock can cause even a hardy cultivar
to winterkill or simply linger season after season with minimal growth
and no fruit. If you live in a northern climate with a short growing season,
dwarf trees will not work for you. You need a rootstock that will grow
strongly for 2-3 months and then start hardening off for winter. We
do not grow or sell dwarf or semi-dwarf apple trees, since they do
not have the hardiness, vigor, and disease resistance needed to thrive
in our northern climate. For our apple trees we use the Russian rootstock
Antonovka,
an extremely hardy and vigorous ``standard'' size rootstock which can produce
strong growth during our limited growing season. ``Standard'' means only
that Antonovka is not a dwarfing rootstock; it will not limit the
growth and thus the ultimate size of the tree, but rather will allow it
to grow freely to its full size, about 12-15 feet. An apple on Antonovka
``standard'' rootstock will be a much hardier, more vigorous grower than
the same apple on dwarfing rootstock. If you wish a smaller tree, this
can be accomplished by pruning. A well-pruned apple tree on Antonovka
rootstock,
when grown in Zones 3-5, will be equivalent to a ``semi-dwarf'' tree in
size (10-12 feet at maturity), and it will have many advantages. For instance,
your tree will have the vigor to compete with grass that grows near the
base of the tree, while a dwarf tree must have ``clean culture'' (no sod)
to the drip line. It will not need to be guyed or staked, whereas dwarf
trees tend to be shallow-rooted and usually require some support. Your
tree might well be producing fruit for your great-grandchildren, while
dwarf trees must be replanted every 10-20 years. Finally, the crop yielded
by a your mature standard tree will be many times greater than that of
a dwarf or semidwarf tree.
Varieties — lots of choices!
In the apple description pages,
we list 153 varieties that can be grown in our climate. The
hardiness ratings (from hardiest to least hardy: E—V—M—P) in the table
can help narrow the choice for those in colder areas. Or, if you wish,
consider one or more of the special-price
apple packages listed above.
CHOOSING A SITE FOR YOUR APPLE TREES
Apples like light, fertile soils and a south-facing slope if available.
Your trees will grow faster on a well drained, sandy loam soil. They will
not grow at all in wet, heavy clay or pure sand. Another consideration
is proximity to your dwelling, especially for fruit trees which require
care every year. Will the tree be ``out of sight, out of mind?''
Be sure that water can be provided at the site
Each tree should receive 5 to 10 gal.of water per day until
the end of May, and the same amount at least two to three times per week
until mid-July. If you are planting a number of trees and have limited
provisions for watering, ask us about Fall planting.
Spacing
Plant your apple trees 25 feet apart if they are to be kept well-pruned,
35 feet if they will be allowed to grow to full size.
Planting
Get your trees in the ground as soon as you can. Have the holes dug
before the trees arrive if possible. If your ground is thawed underneath
the snow, you can plant. For details on planting, see our online
Planting Guide. A print copy of the Planting
Guide will be included free with your order of trees, and can also
be purchased separately for $2 plus $2.50 shipping.
Apple pollination
Most of the apple cultivars that we offer are self-fruitful, i.e. they
do not need to be planted near a different variety of apple to produce
fruit. However, since even self-fruitful varieties can often produce better
crops with cross-pollination, we recommend that the backyard gardener plant
more than one apple variety in his/her orchard location.
Approximate age of bearing
An apple tree from our nursery, planted in good soil, and
maintained
adequately by its new owner (rabbit protection, pruning, mulching with
manure, attention to pest problems) can be expected to bear its first fruit
in 3 to 5 years.
APPLE VARIETIES
Apple Table Designations
Hardiness
E—Extremely hardy, to -50oF or colder
V—Very hardy, to -50oF with occasional winter injury
M—Moderately hardy, to -40oF with occasional winter
injury
P—May need extra protection in our climate. Hardy only to -30oF
or -40oF.
Season
This refers to season of ripening and will vary with location. For instance,
Yellow Transparent, which ripens here around August 1st, is ripe approximately
one month later in Anchorage, AK. Our seasons in Potsdam may be roughly
defined as:
Early — end of July through mid-August;
Mid — end of August through September
Late — First week of October and later.
Code
a-notably annual bearer (many cultivars without this code
bear annually, but an "a" tree exhibits exceptionally dependable annual
bearing b-baking c-cider e-eating f-ornamental
flowers g-jelly j-juicy k-keeper l-large fruit
o-aromatic
p-productive
r-ripens over long season
s-sauce u-unusual flavor v-vigorous
y-bears
young $-sells well at market stands
Disease Resistance—DR(sfr)
In the "code" column, you will see some apples tagged"DR"with
the subscript
``s'' (scab),
``f'' (fireblight), or
``r'' (cedar apple rust).
These are varieties which are less susceptible (but not immune) to
the aformentioned diseases. Remember, however, that disease resistance
is only one factor. The way to choose apple varieties is to look first
for their vigor and fruit quality, then for their disease resistance. The
general health of a tree is in direct proportion to its ability to resist
disease. Any tree that is under stress due to lack of hardiness or adverse
environmental influences will have increased susceptibility to disease,
whether it is genetically ``disease resistant'' or not.
