Hi!
I live in South Carolina. I have never grown apples before and thought I would try. Soon into my investigation online for the best way I was quickly overwhelmed. There are SO many different types, rootstock, cross-pollinations, etc.. That I didn't even know where to start. My favorite apples are fuji apples. I LOVE the crispness and the SWEETNESS! They're like natural candy. Is it feasible to grow these type of apples in my climate? Or are their other apples similar to them that would work better? If anyone could offer any advice from their experience I would greatly appreciate it. I don't know any "apple experts" in my area who I could talk to. Thanks a lot!
Never done this before, any suggestions?
Moderator: appledude
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strawhatsheik
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Thu Mar 20, 2008 3:05 pm
Growing fruit trees is a lot of fun. but beware it can become addicting.
To see if you are in the right area of SC to grow apples go to this site:
http://www.pickyourown.org/PYO.php?URL= ... IC1350.htm
To find growers in SC go to:
http://www.orangepippin.com/orchard/sc.htm
Ask them if they sell trees or can recommend a nursery.
If you are in the Western half of the state, you can grow about 75% of the varieties that exist. A few exceptions off the top of my head would be Northern Spy, McIntosh, Pink Lady. It's not that you cannot grow them, they just may not develop the best color and flavor.
The closer you get to the shore, the more difficult it will be to grow apples. Apple trees like a well drained soil, so the flatter the land the less fertile and wetter it is. The heat and humidity close to the shore cause lots of disease problems.
If you can grow Fuji in your area of SC. You will need to plant at least one other variety to get good pollination, unless you have flowering crabapple trees in your yard.
Other good varieties if you like sweet apples would be (in order of ripening): Gala, Ginger Gold, Honeycrisp, Zestar!, Candy Crisp, and Golden Delicious. Fuji is harvested late (around the third week in Oct. in PA)
There are many strains of Fuji. If you want to harvest about 3 weeks earlier I would recommend Daybreak Fuji or Yataka (also a Fuji strain).
Don't get overwhelmed. Picking and trying new varieties is part of the fun. There are many good tree nurserys in the US. Stark Brothers in Missouri, Adams County Nursery in PA, Boyer Nursery in PA, all have good web sites and will ship direct. It's time to plant now, so don't delay too long. Trees should be in the ground by mid April in your area.
Don't be afraid to give it a try. The best place to get help is your county extension service. They know the conditions in your area and can make accurate suggestions. When you have specific questions, you can blog here and someone should be able to help.
Clemson Univ. and NC State are also great sources of info for your area.
http://hgic.clemson.edu/howto.htm
Good luck...
To see if you are in the right area of SC to grow apples go to this site:
http://www.pickyourown.org/PYO.php?URL= ... IC1350.htm
To find growers in SC go to:
http://www.orangepippin.com/orchard/sc.htm
Ask them if they sell trees or can recommend a nursery.
If you are in the Western half of the state, you can grow about 75% of the varieties that exist. A few exceptions off the top of my head would be Northern Spy, McIntosh, Pink Lady. It's not that you cannot grow them, they just may not develop the best color and flavor.
The closer you get to the shore, the more difficult it will be to grow apples. Apple trees like a well drained soil, so the flatter the land the less fertile and wetter it is. The heat and humidity close to the shore cause lots of disease problems.
If you can grow Fuji in your area of SC. You will need to plant at least one other variety to get good pollination, unless you have flowering crabapple trees in your yard.
Other good varieties if you like sweet apples would be (in order of ripening): Gala, Ginger Gold, Honeycrisp, Zestar!, Candy Crisp, and Golden Delicious. Fuji is harvested late (around the third week in Oct. in PA)
There are many strains of Fuji. If you want to harvest about 3 weeks earlier I would recommend Daybreak Fuji or Yataka (also a Fuji strain).
Don't get overwhelmed. Picking and trying new varieties is part of the fun. There are many good tree nurserys in the US. Stark Brothers in Missouri, Adams County Nursery in PA, Boyer Nursery in PA, all have good web sites and will ship direct. It's time to plant now, so don't delay too long. Trees should be in the ground by mid April in your area.
Don't be afraid to give it a try. The best place to get help is your county extension service. They know the conditions in your area and can make accurate suggestions. When you have specific questions, you can blog here and someone should be able to help.
Clemson Univ. and NC State are also great sources of info for your area.
http://hgic.clemson.edu/howto.htm
Good luck...
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strawhatsheik
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Thu Mar 20, 2008 3:05 pm
Hey, Strawhatsheik!
I wanted to give you a reply based on my experience, even though it has been quite some time since you posted this question...
First, Plant Those Trees!
What do I mean? ....well, don't let anyone tell you we can't grow apples here in SC. Some background - when I started my orchard (140 trees and 80 more next month) a few years ago, I did what I thought was the "right" thing to do - I contacted my extension agent....and that was the....
biggest waste of time.
yep. I could not believe how discouraging "they" were (they since the first guy told me how my planting apples didn't make sense, he referred me to a string of people from clemson extension who told me the same thing, though the website offered by clemson extension details what apples do well, what types don't....)
The people at Clemson extension will make every attempt to "keep you from wasting your money." as one told me. Why is this? I have no idea. I think they are still stuck in the mindset that you make more money cutting your land up into small plots and building boxes so people can live in them....that is sooo 90s.
In fifteen years, the market will be about locally grown fruit, since it will be cost prohibitive to ship nationwide. Wages are high....fruit prices are low. When wages are low, however....you get the rest...
Now, my apples are doing fine, despite what EVERY single clemson extension agent told me! I used a common sense method and planted many types to see which ones were going to be the most successful, and some thrive, while others merely survive. You are welcome to come to my little place to see what kinds are doing well.
There are things you have to watch for, like fireblight and cedar apple rust, but after my discussions with apple growers all over the eastern US, EVERYONE has those problems.
WE in SC have an awesome long growing season for getting those trees established quickly. Many varieties don't require excessive chilling hours that the guys up north get.
I hope I helped - So be very careful about letting the clemson extension folks discourage you from apples...SOMETIMES THE EXTENSION PEOPLE DON"T KNOW BEST.....
First, Plant Those Trees!
What do I mean? ....well, don't let anyone tell you we can't grow apples here in SC. Some background - when I started my orchard (140 trees and 80 more next month) a few years ago, I did what I thought was the "right" thing to do - I contacted my extension agent....and that was the....
biggest waste of time.
yep. I could not believe how discouraging "they" were (they since the first guy told me how my planting apples didn't make sense, he referred me to a string of people from clemson extension who told me the same thing, though the website offered by clemson extension details what apples do well, what types don't....)
The people at Clemson extension will make every attempt to "keep you from wasting your money." as one told me. Why is this? I have no idea. I think they are still stuck in the mindset that you make more money cutting your land up into small plots and building boxes so people can live in them....that is sooo 90s.
In fifteen years, the market will be about locally grown fruit, since it will be cost prohibitive to ship nationwide. Wages are high....fruit prices are low. When wages are low, however....you get the rest...
Now, my apples are doing fine, despite what EVERY single clemson extension agent told me! I used a common sense method and planted many types to see which ones were going to be the most successful, and some thrive, while others merely survive. You are welcome to come to my little place to see what kinds are doing well.
There are things you have to watch for, like fireblight and cedar apple rust, but after my discussions with apple growers all over the eastern US, EVERYONE has those problems.
WE in SC have an awesome long growing season for getting those trees established quickly. Many varieties don't require excessive chilling hours that the guys up north get.
I hope I helped - So be very careful about letting the clemson extension folks discourage you from apples...SOMETIMES THE EXTENSION PEOPLE DON"T KNOW BEST.....
Hey strawhatsheik, sounds like I may have inadvertently pointed you in the wrong direction for info.
Thanks andrewj for the correction.
After seeing your comments, I'll think twice before referring people in other states to their extension agents.
I guess I'm spoiled here in PA with our extension service. We have many knowledgeable horticultural agents that are very willing and able to help anyone grow trees. Most have an orcharding background and many have orchards of their own. PA extension has a "horticultural fruit team" consisting of entomologists, virologists, pomologists, and pathologists working at research farms in two PA locations.
Glad you didn't listen to the "experts" in your area.
Thanks andrewj for the correction.
After seeing your comments, I'll think twice before referring people in other states to their extension agents.
I guess I'm spoiled here in PA with our extension service. We have many knowledgeable horticultural agents that are very willing and able to help anyone grow trees. Most have an orcharding background and many have orchards of their own. PA extension has a "horticultural fruit team" consisting of entomologists, virologists, pomologists, and pathologists working at research farms in two PA locations.
Glad you didn't listen to the "experts" in your area.
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floridafruits
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2009 5:42 pm
- Location: Williston Florida
If you think you get funny looks from advisors when you ask about planting apples in SC, you should see the looks I get when I talk about planting apples in Florida!
This may be too late to advise you, but check out your USDA zone and find out which trees do well in your zone. Check out the chill hours. This is important in Florida, because we don't get many cold days, so we plant Tropic Sweet, Anna, and Dorsett Golden. Dorsett Golden was a discovery in the Bahamas, and only needs about a week of intermittant temperatures below 45 degrees to set fruit. Be careful: If you get apples that need few chill hours, and you have a cold snap in November, you might find you trees blooming in December.
Also, you didn't say where you live in SC. If you are in the coastal area, you should plant trees with lower chill hour requirements than if you live near the NC/SC border, where you can plant a wider variety of apples.
Check with Johnson Nursery in Ellijay, Georgia. They have a website, a large variety to choose from, and they ship trees.
Good Luck!
This may be too late to advise you, but check out your USDA zone and find out which trees do well in your zone. Check out the chill hours. This is important in Florida, because we don't get many cold days, so we plant Tropic Sweet, Anna, and Dorsett Golden. Dorsett Golden was a discovery in the Bahamas, and only needs about a week of intermittant temperatures below 45 degrees to set fruit. Be careful: If you get apples that need few chill hours, and you have a cold snap in November, you might find you trees blooming in December.
Also, you didn't say where you live in SC. If you are in the coastal area, you should plant trees with lower chill hour requirements than if you live near the NC/SC border, where you can plant a wider variety of apples.
Check with Johnson Nursery in Ellijay, Georgia. They have a website, a large variety to choose from, and they ship trees.
Good Luck!