Have any of you noticed varieties of apples that hang onto the tree well into the winter? I was running in Forest Grove and I found a tree that was still mostly full of apples and quite good, even after our 20 degree weather a couple of weeks ago. These might be especially good varieties for guerrilla grafting, so they don't rot as quickly and can provide sustenance for wildlife/homeless people/ all of us after peak oil runs out. I just don't know what variety they are.
Thanks,
John S
PDX OR
Swaar apple is known for hanging on the tree in good condition well into the winter.
Richard Fahey, c/o The Catholic Homesteading Movement, 21
Delaware Square, Norwich, NY 13815-A (no internet or phone)
has collected apples that hang on the tree into winter. He Calls such types "dummy" apples and he picks and presses them for clear juice in mid winter. Send $2.00 and a S.A.S.E. for an impressive list of scions.
Lon R.
One of the reasons that I became interested in this is because I thought you had to pick all the apples before the freeze. I tried to eat an apple from a tree in a park near my house during the freeze, and I couldn't physically bite it because it was frozen. Two weeks later they thawed out and were delicious. I collected some and brought some home. I'm thinking that they would rot less if they hung longer on the tree, plus they look cool, and are extremely cheerful in the dead of winter.
John S
PDX OR
I just found a crabapple that I had forgotten about. It's called "Christmas crabapple" according to the owner and it is still hanging on the tree today, January 16th. I had two of them. They were pretty good. It's another one to keep in mind if you like to harvest fruit from the tree this time of year.
John S
PDX OR
I think you're right-this is what I got from the web 2 sources:
Of all the named apple varieties, this is considered to be probably the oldest. In the first century A.D., this was developed by the ancient Etruscans. After it was introduced to France via the garden of Louis XII, it became a favorite in that country. Louis XIV said it was the only apple that was worth growing. Also grown in England, it was brought to the U.S. during colonial times where it became a well-loved Christmas variety.
JOhn S
PDX OR
If you are on just the first couple of days of cold weather everything can be fine. The only apple that I have known to withstand a bit deeper in to the cold than that would be the Swaar. Sometimes it isn't even really a bad idea to leave a few out there for the cold so you can experiment with flavor etc. and see what kinds of effects the different weather may have.
Idyllwild
simplepress
jafar
Marsha H
Viron
John S
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