It’s no easy task selecting varieties for the orchard. Click the link below for a recent article from Growing Produce on the challenges that growers face:
Don’t hesitate to call our office and let us guide you through the pros and cons of varieties and rootstocks.
RedRidge™ Gala is a new introduction from International Plant Management that is an almost 100% red blush. It colors early, developing a deep red blush ahead of other gala strains. The real benefit of this gala may be that is ripens 4-5 days ahead of standard gala.
RedRidge™ Gala was discovered in Brookfield Gala planting and has performed consistently every year. This gala strain may be a good option for growers seeking to get harvest underway earlier.
The University of Minnesota apple breading program has released MN 1980 (yet to be formally named). This variety is an open release, available to all U.S. commercial growers.
Photo courtesy of U of M
MN1980 ripens up to a week after Honeycrisp, and according to the U of M published info sheet, it has good fresh eating qualities and a long storage life (up to nine months in common storage). The flavor is promoted as pleasantly tart but balanced. If it ripens a week after Honeycrisp, this variety may fill a nice niche in a fresh market setting.
Trees are available on dwarfing rootstock for 2021. Please contact us if you are interested in booking MN1980.
See the full information from the University of Minnesota below:
MN1980 Apple Cultivar
Parentage: Honeycrisp x Liberty
Harvest: 1-7 days after Honeycrisp
Size: 2.8 – 3.2 inches (around an 88 size)
Skin Color: 75-90% […]
The Honeycrisp apple variety is widely credited with reviving the apple industry. Once consumers caught on to the incredible quality, flavor, and texture of this apple, growers rapidly began expanding Honeycrisp plantings. Developed by the University of Minnesota, the original Honeycrisp strain tends to produce better colored fruit for growers located in northern, cold climates like Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, and New York. Even in these climates, there are years where Honeycrisp does not achieve great color.
To remedy these coloring challenges, new Honeycrisp strains have been introduced. These strains offer redder Honeycrisp that color earlier. Another new Honeycrisp strain described below doesn’t offer better color, but it does ripen three weeks earlier, extending the Honeycrisp season considerably.
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The Midwest Apple Improvement Association is an organization founded by growers with the goal of producing quality apple varieties. Unlike other managed varieties which are not open to all growers, MAIA varieties are open to any commercial grower willing to become a MAIA member (currently only $100 per year).
So far Evercrisp® and possibly Ludacrisp® are the two varieties that have s
own potential for large commercial pack out sales. Both varieties are also highly popular in direct marketing settings such as farm stands and markets. Several of the other MAIA varieties may also be ideal for your farm stand or u-pick.
Evercrisp an excellent eating apple with a big crunch, sweet-tart flavor, and astounding keeping ability. This has been the most successful release from the MAIA. The EverCrisp® apple tree was released in 2012 and is a cross between Fuji and Honeycrisp. According to MAIA, the fruit does not […]
The nursery business is evolving and offering a wide range of product options to respond to grower needs. High density orchards have increased the number of trees per acre as well as planting costs. Both growers and nurseries are seeking new products to lower costs, shorten the wait time for trees, and push orchards into production sooner.
As shown in the list below, many of these new products have advantages and drawbacks that growers should consider:
The rootstock is planted in the fall and budded in the early spring of the next year. Trees will be dug the following year and delivered in the spring. This is considered a one-year tree. Trees typically achieve caliper size ranging from 3/8” to 5/8”. The smaller caliper size trees may not appeal to some growers. However, many of the spring budded trees have tissue culture rootstock which has been shown in research to […]
An abundance of new rootstock options are available for growers to choose from. Many of these rootstocks have advertised benefits that may make them appealing options for future year plantings. For commercial growers, switching rootstocks can feel like a leap of faith. While researchers work hard to provide detailed information on rootstock characteristics, research trials cannot account for the many variable conditions (e.g. soil, climate, scion compatibility, disease pressure) that occur in commercial orchards. It may take well over a decade for growers to feel they have a handle on how a rootstock performs. Despite this, new rootstocks may offer advantages that make it worth the risk, including improved precociousness and productivity as well as resistance to diseases and cold damage.
Below are some resources on new rootstock introductions growers may want to consider before ordering trees.
Bud 10™ was bred by Dr. Budagovsky, who also introduced the popular Bud 9 […]
