Author Topic: High-Chill Apples in Low-Chill Orange County  (Read 3654 times)

Vernmented

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High-Chill Apples in Low-Chill Orange County
« on: February 18, 2016, 09:22:56 AM »
Another great Dave Wilson video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiEEHRfAEWY
-Josh

starch

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Re: High-Chill Apples in Low-Chill Orange County
« Reply #1 on: February 18, 2016, 10:17:30 AM »
Awesome, thanks for sharing! This is really inspiring me: https://scionexchange.us/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=96
- Mark

Vernmented

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Re: High-Chill Apples in Low-Chill Orange County
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2016, 10:28:37 AM »
Awesome, thanks for sharing! This is really inspiring me: https://scionexchange.us/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=96

There is a lot of great stuff going on. This is definitely worth checking out if you haven't seen it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jwtYhS2Qcs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxL1F0I6ltE

This guy runs a program that is growing high chill apples in no chill Africa. So cool. I think the humidity is tough here in FL but you would probably do well where you are. You could easily do a row of tall spindle pruning and fit 20 varieties in 50 feet. :) I have a few apples here but they are low chill types. Maybe I'll grab some budwood and Frankenstein some trials next year. Good luck!
-Josh

JF

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Re: High-Chill Apples in Low-Chill Orange County
« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2016, 10:28:50 AM »
Another great Dave Wilson video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiEEHRfAEWY

Tom is a terrific guy one of the best nurseryman in the country and is a member of our local CRFG. He  was a pioneer when he worked with La Verne nursery. Started using the Manila seedling as rootstock and the high graft. He is very open to suggestions listening to backyard growers and as you can see in the video he incorporates suggestions into practice in ways that's going to benefit all of us.
« Last Edit: February 18, 2016, 10:30:40 AM by JF »

starch

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Re: High-Chill Apples in Low-Chill Orange County
« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2016, 10:54:36 AM »
Awesome, thanks for sharing! This is really inspiring me: https://scionexchange.us/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=96

There is a lot of great stuff going on. This is definitely worth checking out if you haven't seen it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jwtYhS2Qcs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxL1F0I6ltE

This guy runs a program that is growing high chill apples in no chill Africa. So cool. I think the humidity is tough here in FL but you would probably do well where you are. You could easily do a row of tall spindle pruning and fit 20 varieties in 50 feet. :) I have a few apples here but they are low chill types. Maybe I'll grab some budwood and Frankenstein some trials next year. Good luck!

Some more great videos, thanks! Yeah, I have looked at John Hauser's website (http://kuffelcreek.com/applenursery.htm) several times, but never that to look for videos. So these are great!

Yep, same here. I already have some Frankenstein apples, but not I am going to put some high chill varieties on them too!
- Mark

starch

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Re: High-Chill Apples in Low-Chill Orange County
« Reply #5 on: February 18, 2016, 10:55:49 AM »
Another great Dave Wilson video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiEEHRfAEWY

Tom is a terrific guy one of the best nurseryman in the country and is a member of our local CRFG. He  was a pioneer when he worked with La Verne nursery. Started using the Manila seedling as rootstock and the high graft. He is very open to suggestions listening to backyard growers and as you can see in the video he incorporates suggestions into practice in ways that's going to benefit all of us.

Totally agreed JF! His videos on the DWN backyard orchard culture test nurseries are some of the best videos I have watched. So much good information!
- Mark

fyliu

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Re: High-Chill Apples in Low-Chill Orange County
« Reply #6 on: February 18, 2016, 10:04:55 PM »
Is Arkansas Black a sweet or tart apple? I took a couple scions last month.

Tropheus76

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Re: High-Chill Apples in Low-Chill Orange County
« Reply #7 on: February 19, 2016, 08:05:20 AM »
I need to look at these. Be interesting to see how this works long term since we seem to be getting progressively shorter chill hours the last couple years. That said we apparently got enough this year for my low chill varieties since they all over night decided to start blossoming. First time I have had them that they all did it at the same time. Maybe I will get some apples this time worth having.

starch

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Re: High-Chill Apples in Low-Chill Orange County
« Reply #8 on: February 19, 2016, 08:49:21 AM »
Is Arkansas Black a sweet or tart apple? I took a couple scions last month.

Hey fyliu! They are sweet apples. But they are really complex and hard to describe in flavor. There is just a little tartness in the flavor (not much, just enough for balance) but there is a lot of dimension and complexity in not only the flavor but also the smell. It doesn't taste anything like wine, but it has a lot of dimension and nuance that you find in a good red wine. They are really good!
- Mark

Doug

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Re: High-Chill Apples in Low-Chill Orange County
« Reply #9 on: February 19, 2016, 01:03:47 PM »

An interesting video.  I'm embarrassed that so firmly pooh poohed the idea some folks had here in Costa Rica about wanting to try growing apples. However, I grew apples in NC for a number of years and even with varieties which were highly disease resistant it's a tough job. I was wondering how much tougher it would be to grow apples in tropical areas of humidity and heat without a cold season. Seems like the disease pressure would be so much greater with year-round heat and humidity to encourage problems. Anyway, now I've got the apple itch again.

TonyinCC

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Re: High-Chill Apples in Low-Chill Orange County
« Reply #10 on: February 20, 2016, 11:40:09 PM »
Guys, I can tell you that Arkansas Black does poorly in hot humid, rainy  areas that have daily highs over 90 all Summer.  I fruited it a couple times  but it was very mealy and disappointing grown in that climate. A shame since I tasted some good ones grown in still hot but slightly cooler Northern Alabama,
    I tried growing every apple that had any reference to tolerating heat or disease.
   Not a single one out of a bunch of Dave Wilson's apple varieties I tried to grow in South Carolina did well. The most important attributes an apple must have in such a climate are not chilling hours, but heat tolerance and disease resistance.
Most apples break down internally and are mealy even if you can get them to ripen without rotting. 
Others get water core,which is clear super sweet spots in the fruit, great for a home grower but it shortens storage time.
     I fruited about 25-30 varieties out of about 125 I trialled  on the coastal plain of SC where average highs were well into the 90s with high humidity and rainfall all Summer.Chill hours ranged from about 400 to 800.  I essentially had to plant my own experiment station since the prevailing opinion among the local extension people was that apples could not be grown commercially that far South. I tried every possible variety I could get my hands on over 17 years.
  Chill hours are not absolutes, if an apple has "insufficient" chill, what it really means to commercial growers is that it probably will have an extended bloom and harvest season which can wreak havoc with spraying,picking,etc...
 In my experience, most of the apple varieties that did well were either triploids or russets. At my farm in SC, most apple trees kept at least 25% of their leaves all Winter,and I had extended bloom periods on many varieties,some ALMOST matured 2 crops in a year. Maybe 20 varieties can produce excellent fruit in a hot humid climate but only a handful can do it with minimal spraying.
  I recommend Pristine,Reverend Morgan spur(about the only red apple that took the heat),  Ozark Gold, Hudson's Golden Gem, Bramley's Seedling, Brown Russet, Roxbury Russet, Russet Beauty,and American Golden russet.  These apples all produced excellent fruit with minimal spraying. I ranked them in order of likelihood of success in Florida.   Any other russet type apple you can get your hands on is probably worth a try. Golden apples as a class are hit or miss and red apples are mostly miss.
IF you spray constantly, Gala is excellent,and Suncrisp is probably the best apple I have ever eaten. Both are VERY susceptible to fruit rots and fireblight but can take the heat .
    If you have questions about a specific variety,I have probably tried it and can tell you if it is worth a try or not.

starch

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Re: High-Chill Apples in Low-Chill Orange County
« Reply #11 on: February 21, 2016, 09:40:04 AM »
Guys, I can tell you that Arkansas Black does poorly in hot humid, rainy  areas that have daily highs over 90 all Summer.  I fruited it a couple times  but it was very mealy and disappointing grown in that climate. A shame since I tasted some good ones grown in still hot but slightly cooler Northern Alabama,

In AZ, we have no humidity and little rain. In fact our climate is similar (but hotter) to the climate in the original video that Vernmented posted. I suspect that it is the heat + humidity (rather than just heat) which is causing problems that you cite. But really I have no idea, just a guess. So that is why I want to trial some of these varieties. I am really going to try out some of these varieties on my trees and see how they do!
- Mark

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Re: High-Chill Apples in Low-Chill Orange County
« Reply #12 on: February 21, 2016, 12:29:05 PM »
I planted a Honeycrisp about a year ago over here in San Diego. In a year or so I might be able to pass on any lessons learned!
LaVerne Manila Mango; Pixie Crunch, Honeycrisp & Gala Apple Trees; Violette De Bordeaux & Black Mission Fig; Santa Rosa Plum & Snow Queen Nectarine; Nagami Kumquat, Pixie Tangerine, Lemon, Australian Finger Lime & Washington Navel Citrus; White & Red Dragon Fruit; Miracle Berry Plant

starch

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Re: High-Chill Apples in Low-Chill Orange County
« Reply #13 on: February 21, 2016, 04:32:04 PM »
I planted a Honeycrisp about a year ago over here in San Diego. In a year or so I might be able to pass on any lessons learned!

Nice! Yes, please let us know how it does!
- Mark