Best apple varieties for Maryland/Mid-Atlantic region?
Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 2:32 pm
I adore apples, love apples so much. My family owns property that dates back to the late twenties (at least our house is) and used to be almost four acres of land and something of a small farm as when my parents moved in, it had a bevy of VERY old apple trees, something of a home orchard. They were so old and diseased due to cedar apple rust that as the years went by they all died in my lifetime except one which is now on our neighbors property and is grown as a large standard. Ours were generally smaller and the fruit was mostly green, but a few trees on the property did produce some sizable apples and they were okay to eat, not great, but not too bad either. I want to think they might have been some sort of cider or crab apple hybrid. Most of those trees have fallen down and we've used them for firewood, apple wood really is the best wood to burn, it smells so good!
Anyway, I've been wondering what antique or vintage apple varieties do rather well here in the Mid-Atlantic region and aren't as disease prone as others? My main concern is that we have about three very mature cedars on our property that we in no way can dispose of. I'm wanting to do some semi-dwarfs and have been trying to figure out what might be the best investment instead of a fruit that's popular but on a tree that's hard to handle. I'm not above spraying Bordeaux spray among others, but in general a lower care tree would probably be better...
I love apples like winesap, empire, rock hard very crunchy, slightly tanic apples that are fun to eat out of hand but also could be used for baking/store well. I've been eyeing Arkansas Black possibly? How does that do well here? Any other suggestions you can think of?
Anyway, I've been wondering what antique or vintage apple varieties do rather well here in the Mid-Atlantic region and aren't as disease prone as others? My main concern is that we have about three very mature cedars on our property that we in no way can dispose of. I'm wanting to do some semi-dwarfs and have been trying to figure out what might be the best investment instead of a fruit that's popular but on a tree that's hard to handle. I'm not above spraying Bordeaux spray among others, but in general a lower care tree would probably be better...
I love apples like winesap, empire, rock hard very crunchy, slightly tanic apples that are fun to eat out of hand but also could be used for baking/store well. I've been eyeing Arkansas Black possibly? How does that do well here? Any other suggestions you can think of?