I'm not an expert but I find some excellent INFO from those who are!

 

Based on observations, the tip is to buy whatever is in season, and then check the colour, smell and firmness. Here are some of my observations of different common varieties:

 

- Granny Smiths are amazing when you get a good one but I find that is rare in the stores. If they are too green they are sour and overripe ones go floury and tasteless. Read Special INFO.

- Red Fujis are very sweet and are usually crisp. Even the year old ones can still be crisp but the taste changes for the worse as they age. A good fuji is hard to beat. They are also expensive.

-Pink ladies are one of the most reliable varieties and you are more likely to get a good one than a bad one.

-Royal Gala are also quite reliable and can taste good. If you want a nice sweeter tasting apple with a crispy flesh, my recommendation is Royal Gala. They are successful in many different places and cope well with our hot summers, a lovely crisp aromatic and sweet apple with excellent mild flavour. 

-Golden delicious are nice when they are just turning yellow but are a bit tastless if they are too green and they go soft and floury when overripe. Are a light green to a pale yellow in color, with tender skin. Have a crisp flavor exuding freshness. Have a flesh that stays white on the inside fairly long. Great for making applesauce and apple pies. Endowed with a sweetly tangy flavour and gentle for delicate stomachs.

- Fuji apple is a Japanese apple and a modern commercial variety, but with eating qualities that appeal to many – sweet, juicy, one of the latest varieties harvested. Used for salads, pies and sauces.

    - Granny Smiths  are crisp and crunchy. Their acidity helps them maintain their shape well when baked. Are one of the fastest growing apple trees.  Grow in many different soils.  Are not very susceptible to disease. Not suited to sweet tastebuds!

 Different varieties of apples flower at different times of spring – early, mid, late. Some apple varieties need other varieties of apples to pollenate or you get pretty flowers and no fruit.

Apples ripen at different times of the year – usually depending what the season weather has been like ie a cold snap might slow things down. And depending what variety and where it's grown.

So if you know when the variety of apple you like usually ripens – you know when it is cheapest, and tastiest and likely to be freshest.

The very best apples are the ones from the tree in your yard – they manage to be sweeter and crunchier and better than any apple from the supermarket.

Lady William is an Australian heritage apple worth mentioning.

They have a bright red colour and attractive appearance. It has been found that this apple will stay on the tree until august. After picking, the sugar content increases, making it possible to keep under ordinary storage conditions in a shed until November and December. They have an excellent flavour, firm in texture and are not subject to bruising. A prominent fruit grower came to the Williams to take some of these apples to Perth and people were amazed that they had not been kept in cold storage. All this, from a brave little seedling that continued to grow after an attempt to cut it down. Mrs Williams intervened and we are blessed to have these delicious late season apples today!

 

And the latest superfruit apple discovery: Montys Surprise

 

Scientific research reports prove that it has some of the highest flavonoids and antioxidant levels both in in the skin and flesh of any variety of apple found in the world (many times higher). High micronutrient levels exist in this special apple variety too.

This variety also has extra-large fruit size- up to 120mm in diameter and 400 grams in weight and is a crisp, good eating apple. This is an ideal apple for juicing, so you get the most out of the flavonoids contained within. Great for use in apple pies and a fantastic cooking apple.

 

Hail storms or heat waves can ruin crops.

In such weather, it is good to either provide some shelter or apply some liquid seaweed (diluted).

Seasol (liquid seaweed) is good to use when planting or transplanting.

Dwarf trees must always be staked to support the graft and new growth.

 

Special INFO

 

Royal Gala - February

Fruit: Medium round.
Skin: Stripe red-orange blush over yellow background.
Flesh: Creamy yellow; crisp and juicy; sweet flavour.
Maturity: Ripens mid-late Feb.
Pollinators: Red Delicious, Red Fuji.
Comments: One of the best flavoured apples available. Good keeping qualities for an early apple. Suitable fresh, in salads or cooked.

Gala is a round sweet apple that fits nicely into a child’s hand. It is dense, sweet, aromatic and juicy with a white flesh. They are fairly resistant to bruising, the gala apple is sweet, mild and has a thinner skin compared to other apples. The ideal size for lunchbox or quick snack.

Pinkabelle  - Pink Lady - April

Fruit: Medium size round to conical.
Skin: Attractive pink to red with some stripe over green-yellow background.
Flesh: White; crisp and juicy; good sweet flavour.
Maturity: Ripens mid April to early March.
Pollinators: Gala, Granny Smith, Red Fuji, or a second Pinkabelle.
Comments: Dwarf Pink Lady producing full size fruit. Grows up to 2m high and 1m wide. Ideal for pots or small gardens. Heavy cropping.

 

Leprechaun - Granny Smith – April/May

Fruit: Medium-large round.
Skin: Deep green with white lenticel spots.
Flesh: White; very firm; crisp and juicy; lively tarty flavour.
Maturity: Ripens mid April to late May.
Pollinators: Jonathan, Golden and Red Delicious, Pinkabelle.
Comments: A fantastic dwarf version of the old favourite Granny Smith. Suitable for small gardens or to grow in pots. Fresh is best is so true

with this variety because store bought ones are not always nice. They are advantageous for their long shelf life. Contain more antioxidants than most other apples. Are easy to grow. A great addition with saltanas to curry dishes and also Carrot & Celery Juice!

 

Dwarf Golden Delicious - March

Fruit: Large conical.
Skin: Pale green to golden yellow.
Flesh: Creamy; crisp and juicy; sweet; fine textured.
Maturity: Ripens mid to late March.
Pollinators: Red Delicious, Red Fuji.
Comments: Similar to Golden Delicious. Small tree, 1.5 to 2 metres. Have a long season. Are quite frost resistant, heat-tolerant and very productive — a dwarf size produces up to five bushels of apples. One of the most universal pollinators for other varieties.

 

Dwarf Red Fuji - April

Fruit: Large round.
Skin: Dull red blush over green-yellow background.
Flesh: Creamy white; crisp and juicy; excellent sweet flavour; aromatic; fine textured.
Maturity: Ripens mid April.
Pollinators: Delicious, Gala.
Comments: Frost Tolerance -Hardy. The fruits hold well on the tree. Fuji will perform in both cold and warmer temperate climates. The aromatic flesh of the red fuji is tinged with a delicate honey-pineapple flavour, sweet and aromatic. The crisp, crunchy flesh is very juicy and the fruits hold well on the tree. Excellent storage.

 

Dwarf Lady William – May/June

Fruit: Medium round, slightly conical.
Skin: Red blush over 90% of fruit with a slight green stripe.

Flesh: White; very firm; crisp and juicy.
Maturity: Ripens late May to early June.
Pollinators: Gala, Granny Smith, Jonathan.
Comments: A very good cropper. Should be stored before eating to allow flavour to develop. Eat fresh or add to salads.

I find I can keep them in the fridge from July through to September easily. Relates with Pink Lady and Granny Smith.

 

Monty’s Surprise – May/June

Fruit: Large, slightly asymmetrical with prominent red blush.
Skin: Red blush over green-yellow background.
Flesh: Crisp.
Maturity: Ripens late March to early April.
Pollinators: Pinkabelle, Leprechaun, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Gala.
Comments: A dwarfing variety suited to pots and smaller gardens. Scientific research shows that this apple has some of the highest flavonoid and antioxidant levels of any apple in the world, and these naturally occurring compounds are beneficial to the human body in assisting the immune system to fight infection and disease.  It also contains high micro-nutrient levels.

 

A young dwarf tree produces about 1 ½ bushels of fruit.

1 bushel apples = 48 pounds or 22 kilos

Apples keep well for about six months at temperatures between 32 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit = 0 – 7.2 Celsius

It is of the upmost importance, if you want plenty of fruit on your apple trees, not to let any more than 1 or 2 fruit stay

on the plant over the first 2 years - so all the energy of the tree goes into it's growth and establishment.

With proper care, you will be rewarded in the third year!

 

  Helpful hints

Apple trees need at least 8 hours of sun per day during the growing season.

Allow 6 – 7 feet apart when planting trees.

Two suitable cultivars are required for successful pollination.

Prune annually to keep apple trees healthy and productive.

Dwarf apple trees will start bearing fruit 2 to 3 years after planting.

Standard size trees can take up to 8 years to bear fruit.

NOTE: Apple trees require full sun, so choose a spot where the sun shines directly on the tree for at least 8 hours each day. When it comes to soil, apple trees can grow in most soils as long as there is no standing water and the pH of the soil is between 6 and 7. Avoid areas where water stands for several hours after a rain. If you are unsure about your soil pH, conduct a soil test to determine soil conditions before planting and amend the soil as suggested by the results. 

 

CHERRIES COMING!