Apple scab is probably the number one fungus challenge in apple tree production. Some varieties are more suseptable than others. Any tree with Jonathan or McIntosh in its genetics is very suseptable to scab. The round lesions are the apple scab infections from this past spring. The black "mold&...

Great article. Nice slide show. Looks like you all had a great time. A great learning experience for the kids too. Each fall we press cider with a similar press. Our grinder is run by an antique gasoline engine. The same day we also make apple butter in a copper kettle over a wood fire. Takes about ...

Sounds like your Granny's were ripe enough. The lakes probably moderate your temps enough to ripen Granny's a little ahead of us. I'm a bit biased, but I've never been impressed by the CA Granny Smith that arrive here on the east coast. Never seem to have much flavor. Not sure if it's the environmen...

Honeycrisp keep pretty good, at least they stay solid for me until February. The largest problem is bitter pit in Honeycrisp (caused by a calcium deficiency in the apple). You must sort out any with this disorder and utilize first. Only attempt to store the best quality ones. They are at their peak ...

Yes, you must winter prune and thin fruit to garner large apples.
You can find all the home gardner ever wanted to know about growing and maintaining trees at:
http://ssfruit.cas.psu.edu/

I doubt if your Granny's are mature enough to ripen. Granny harvest in Southern PA is the last week of October.
Cut one open and look at the seeds. If they are completely brown, they will ripen off the tree. If the seeds are partially white, they will never develop their full flavor off the tree.

Also keep your eye out for Zestar! if you are a Honeycrisp fan. We harvested the first few this season and they were a huge hit. Production is still in its infancy, so you may not find many for a few seasons. Harvest is about the third week of August in PA. Developed by Univ. of Minn. just like Hone...

1. Oct. varieties would include Stayman Winesap, Fuji, Rome, Granny Smith, Braeburn, and many more... 2.Sweet apples would include Gala, Fuji, Golden Delicious. 3.Apple trees produce fruit on two and three year old wood. A dwarf tree will begin producing a few apples the year after planting. Full pr...

Apple scab will not hurt anything in your juice. Scabby apples are used all the time by processors of cider and juice.

I have a Stayman-Winesap tree that I keep around for school tours that will be 100 years old in 2010. It has been pruned each year as far as I know. It still bears fruit every year that are not beautiful but still taste great. The fruit will probably not be as eye appealing as what you see in the su...

You are not alone. The Honeycrisp craze has been impossible for producers to keep up with. The trees are very challenging to grow and as any apple tree, take five or more years to come into production. There have been thousands of acres of Honeycrisp planted over the last few years. The supply will ...

If you get flowers that don't set into fruit, I would agree another pollinator would be the easiest thing to try. Your triploid varieties (Mutsu, Spy and I also put Black Twig in that category) are pollinating nothing, so they are no help with pollination. I have no experience with the other two var...

I would recommend blending Golden Delicious with a tart apple such as McIntosh. The contrast of sweet and tart is great. McIntosh will get nice and soft in a crisp as well as Golden Del. Granny's are better for pies since the baking time is longer. Granny's will stay firm in a crisp since the baking...

I can help with the Cortland. Should be picking them the second week of September. We ship FedEx anywhere in the US.
Masonic Village Farm Market
One Masonic Drive
Elizabethtown PA 17022
717-361-4520

Sounds like ALTERNARIA LEAF BLOTCH. It overwinters on dead leaves so cleaning the leaves from under your tree is a good control. You can also chop them up with a mower if you don't want to clean them up. Dead leaf removal also helps with apple scab control. Red Delicious are also good hosts for Euro...