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Post by smsmith on Jun 20, 2020 7:32:16 GMT -6
I got an email from a guy in AK last night. I sent him Smitty's scions a few years ago...he told me his graft set some fruit and he hopes to be able to taste them this year.
I'm a bit surprised and quite pleased to hear that this variety is surviving, growing, and fruiting in central AK (rural Fairbanks as I recall)
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Post by benmnwi on Jun 20, 2020 8:23:02 GMT -6
That's really good to hear. The smitty seedling scion I grafted to rootstock this year is putting on more growth than other varieties.
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Post by Sandbur on Jun 20, 2020 16:39:47 GMT -6
I got an email from a guy in AK last night. I sent him Smitty's scions a few years ago...he told me his graft set some fruit and he hopes to be able to taste them this year. I'm a bit surprised and quite pleased to hear that this variety is surviving, growing, and fruiting in central AK (rural Fairbanks as I recall) I might need another piece of scion, also. He sent me a message and said Grandma’s Seedling that I sent him is also setting fruit this year.
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Post by nhmountains on Jun 20, 2020 16:56:14 GMT -6
It’s on my frankentree at my camp that I grafted in 2019. I expect some fruit spurs next year. I’ve got two others on B118.
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Post by smsmith on Jun 20, 2020 20:13:51 GMT -6
I got an email from a guy in AK last night. I sent him Smitty's scions a few years ago...he told me his graft set some fruit and he hopes to be able to taste them this year. I'm a bit surprised and quite pleased to hear that this variety is surviving, growing, and fruiting in central AK (rural Fairbanks as I recall) I might need another piece of scion, also. He sent me a message and said Grandma’s Seedling that I sent him is also setting fruit this year.That's pretty cool, right? He's growing stuff in an extremely unfriendly environment.
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Post by nhmountains on Jun 24, 2020 8:00:28 GMT -6
Stu,
As I was mowing my lawn at the camp this morning I noticed an apple on my frankentree. It’s either the Colorado Orange or the Smitty’s Seedling. It started raining hard (which is good) so I couldn’t check the tag on it or get a photo. It was almost golf ball size already.
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Post by smsmith on Jun 24, 2020 8:41:54 GMT -6
I've got some Smitty's fruit approaching golf ball size, and others the size of a dime. The fruit ripens over a period of several weeks, so it makes sense that some fruit is ahead of the others.
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Post by nhmountains on Jun 24, 2020 13:58:56 GMT -6
Well I got a look and it was the Colorado Orange that’s fruiting. Two apples.
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Post by smsmith on Sept 15, 2020 14:05:31 GMT -6
Some fruit off Smitty's Seedling. I picked a 5 gallon bucket full today. Washed 'em off and filled up the crispers. At least the 'coons didn't get all of them.
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Post by benmnwi on Sept 15, 2020 20:04:20 GMT -6
That's a nice looking Apple. How does their taste compare to some of the better known varieties?
My smittys seedling grafts did better than other varieties this spring, so I'm looking forward to getting them in the ground soon.
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Post by smsmith on Sept 15, 2020 20:11:59 GMT -6
That's a nice looking Apple. How does their taste compare to some of the better known varieties?
My smittys seedling grafts did better than other varieties this spring, so I'm looking forward to getting them in the ground soon. I don't know...appley? They are a bit tart right now. A week or two in the fridge and they will become more sweet than tart. They have a nice crispy texture now and in prior years they maintain that texture for at least a few weeks in the fridge. They are juicy, but not as juicy as Honeycrisp. I wouldn't say they are anything "special" but then again I've never done a brix test on them. Maybe I should someday. They are a nice apple for fresh eating. I haven't used them for cooking, so I'm not sure if they'd make a good pie or apple crisp or not.
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Post by Sandbur on Sept 16, 2020 2:49:46 GMT -6
That's a nice looking Apple. How does their taste compare to some of the better known varieties?
My smittys seedling grafts did better than other varieties this spring, so I'm looking forward to getting them in the ground soon. I don't know...appley? They are a bit tart right now. A week or two in the fridge and they will become more sweet than tart. They have a nice crispy texture now and in prior years they maintain that texture for at least a few weeks in the fridge. They are juicy, but not as juicy as Honeycrisp. I wouldn't say they are anything "special" but then again I've never done a brix test on them. Maybe I should someday. They are a nice apple for fresh eating. I haven't used them for cooking, so I'm not sure if they'd make a good pie or apple crisp or not. My wife and I liked the Smitty’s you brought over. We ate one and I will eat the other today or tomorrow. We also ate the crabs and the other seedling is waiting for a bit.
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Post by smsmith on Sept 16, 2020 6:20:43 GMT -6
I don't know...appley? They are a bit tart right now. A week or two in the fridge and they will become more sweet than tart. They have a nice crispy texture now and in prior years they maintain that texture for at least a few weeks in the fridge. They are juicy, but not as juicy as Honeycrisp. I wouldn't say they are anything "special" but then again I've never done a brix test on them. Maybe I should someday. They are a nice apple for fresh eating. I haven't used them for cooking, so I'm not sure if they'd make a good pie or apple crisp or not. My wife and I liked the Smitty’s you brought over. We ate one and I will eat the other today or tomorrow. We also ate the crabs and the other seedling is waiting for a bit. That wild red crab is interesting. When I bought the place, it was pretty much a huge "bush". It bore fruit most years but the fruit was small (maybe half the size of those that I gave you), pretty much inedible to my palate, and full of disease and insects. I've thinned out the tree a lot and try to spray it at least 2-3 times a year. The fruit has responded with increased size, improved flavor (still pretty tart and tannic), and are much more disease free. The fruit also holds a bit later into the year. The first few years, the fruit would largely be on the ground by now. The last few years I've had some hanging until the end of September. I believe I sent Ben some scions off that tree last spring...
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Post by smsmith on Sept 23, 2020 18:20:12 GMT -6
I gave the neighbor a bag of Smitty's. He was surprised a wild apple could be that good. I've been eating them with a bit of peanut butter for an evening snack. Darn tasty. I've had plenty of grocery store apples that aren't as good. We'll see how long they stay good in the crisper.
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Post by Sandbur on Sept 23, 2020 18:37:03 GMT -6
If you have extra scion, I would like to try again the the spring. I think the old Smitty’s is better than the last one, but it was good to try it.
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