We have apple trees on the farm. Of course, we have no idea what varieties they might be. We have a red-and-green apple on a dwarf-sized tree, very productive. We have a green apple that isn’t ripe yet (seeds are white), and a striped apple that is very sweet. And there is a fourth tree with green-and-red apples that aren’t ripe yet.
All of the trees could do with some aggressive pruning. It wouldn’t hurt to get a better idea of the varieties and when they ripen. Right now, we’d say the striped apple is ready in mid-August, the red-and-green apple around the end of August, and the green apple not until much later.
For now, we’ll number the trees. We could certainly use some help with understanding how to care for these trees, figuring out what varieties they might be, pruning, pest control, etc.
Tree 1:
- Dwarf size
- Red on green apples, small to medium size
- Snow-white flesh
- Little aroma
- Slightly mealy texture, plain apple flavor
- Ripens in August
Tree 2:
- Dwarf size
- Green apples, small to medium size
- White flesh with hint of green
- Little aroma
- Very firm
- Ripens late (pie apple?)
Tree 3:
- Standard size
- Red on green apples, small to medium size
- White flesh
- Apple aroma
- Very firm
- Ripens late (another pie apple?)
Tree 4:
- Semi-dwarf size (or small standard)
- Red stripes on green and gold background
- White flesh
- Very aromatic, flesh is very sweet (this one tastes the very best of the bunch)
- Slightly mealy texture
- Ripens in August
We have aerial photos on file back to 1956. Trees 1 and 2 and visible in a 1994 photograph but not in a 1989 photo. Trees 3 and 4 appear to be present as far back as 1956, but it’s hard to tell because of the very grainy nature of the old photos.
After talking to the previous owner’s family, it may be that the standard tree is a leftover from the original orchard that was present several decades ago.