Here's 1.30 mins of the Eugene Propagation Fair. A far, far more modest event than HOS Portland but, as you can see, busy. And which includes a seed exchange and distribution of native plants.
[url:2nvk4jei]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kck9GcEnvIc[/url:2nvk4jei]
See if you can spot Shaun Shepherd's hands.
We also endeavor to attach a written description to each scion variety, where we know what we have in our hands. We are now in our second year of building the database (or rather, I should say, the online spreadsheets which allow us to write long varietal descriptions as well as the more concise varietal descriptions which we print out and attach to the scion containers) and those spreadsheets are viewable through our website, here:
[url:2nvk4jei]http://springpropagationfair.com/fruit-varieties-at-the-fair/[/url:2nvk4jei]
It gets easier by the year, obviously, as we don't have to redo the data from the previous year. (I used to write every description by hand, every year, goodness)
Surprising, isn't it, how difficult it can be to find a good go-to place for truly reliable varietal descriptions? I'm thinking it would be absolutely terrific if there was an online venue for peeps to add their own impressions and experience around particular varieties. George Barton's input about the relative performance of Asian Pears in the PNW, in our pear spreadsheet, is a classic example of the value of this kind of resource.
Certainly, if anyone is interested in adding to these particular spreadsheets, the info in which could always be extremely easily ported to a more sophisticated online iteration in future, please do let me know and I'll grant you editing access. Either way, I'm thinking about evolving this particular 'database' with an easy input form. We could easily set one up for free in an afternoon using google forms, with a spreadsheet back end with the ability to graphically represent all sorts of data, for example. This is a project we could readily pull off for no charge at all. Either way, it strikes me an online varietal database makes enormous sense and would provide a fantastic means for HOS members to collaborate in ways which will serve the cause of fruit for generations. A place we could include geotags for locations of specific varieties, for example, should we choose, and so on and so forth. The possibilities are endless. Is there anyone curious in chatting further about such a project?
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Nick,
I think this is a great idea. I would have really benefitted from a very simple list of "top picks for the organic home orchard in the PNW." An important distinction to make on these varieties in your list is whether or not they require constant spraying and if you need to put baggies around each piece of fruit, like some people on this site do. I will not grow anything that does not survive and produce an excellent crop without chemicals or fussing around.
By my standards, Ashmeads Kernel, Brandywine, and Mutsu have all failed miserably. Unless you plan to fight coddling moth every year, you will have wormy and worthless fruit. Fuji will produce good fruit for a while, but the tree is prone to disease and will die young. That info cost me 20 years of trial and error.
For example, anyone wondering "what pear should I plant in my organic yard?" should know that Bosc pears perform beautifully in the PNW with no attention whatsoever, year-after-year, and they store for months and taste great. But you wont find that info anywhere.
Thanks for sharing these lists. I had the list from Nick Botner's farm. If you cross-reference these two list, there are no apples on both. In other words, the Seattle list is not focused on disease resistance. It's not clear to me what the selection criteria are for the Seattle apple list. They are certainly not carefree and some of these are on my "do not plant" list.
Thanks for posting the list John. I love this kind of information. I first heard of curator's lists this winter when visiting the repository to collect scions for the propagation fair.
From the descriptions it sounds like I need Johantorp and Dana Hovey near the top of my list. I wonder if either is graft compatible with Winter Banana.
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