Extension News: October 2007 Archives

Honeybees and numerous native pollinators were busy during those warm, bright, sunny spring days when the apples were in full bloom. The results are before us now, an abundance of apple-laden trees. Pale yellows to shiny purple-reds and all colors in between--these apples come in many shapes and sizes.

Understandably, a few choice specimens show up at county Extension offices this time of year, accompanied by the inevitable question "What kind is it?"

Here's a selection of descriptions of some old-time/heirloom varieties that may match what you've picked:

Duchess (of Oldenburgh) A late summer apple. Medium large, roundish and flattened a little at the ends. Light red in stripes and splashes on a yellow skin. Tart, juicy, yellow-white flesh. Believed to have originated near Russia's Volga River, so pretty hardy

Wolf River Quite large! Smooth yellow-white skin splashed with bright red, very russet. Coarse yellow-white flesh that's often soft and mealy by time you get around to picking it. Not a storage apple but said to dry rather well. Well thought of for its resistance to apple scab.

Yellow Transparent A medium-size, roundish apple with--yes--nearly transparent yellow skin, sometimes with a red blush. Its crisp, sub-acid flesh and early ripening make it popular for those first fresh apple pies and sauces.

Chenango Strawberry A rather different shape: large, oblong, conical, angular. Shiny, striped crimson skin on a yellow ground. White tender flesh of pleasant flavor. A very pretty apple; unfortunately poor shipping qualities and a tendency to ripen over a long time period makes it rare in today's orchards.

Blue Pearmain There are many Pearmain types which are late-season or winter apples. This one is very large, round-to-oblong shaped and noticeably "heavy-in-the-hand". A dark purple-red skin in broken stripes on a lighter background, conspicuous blue bloom, and "frosted-window-pane" russeting makes it stand out in an orchard. A long-time cider-ingredient favorite.

Hyslop Crab Large for a crabapple and round. Fruit grows in clusters. Bright crimson red skin with a bluish bloom, a strikingly attractive apple best harvested early for best quality. Known for its hardiness.

Ah, if only identifying wild apples were really that easy.

Clones vs seedlings
Long before we began cloning sheep we've been cloning apples, but with far greater success. Because apple varieties don't grow grow true from seed, we propagate the varieties we want using asexual cloning techniques such as grafting.

Scions (bud-containing twigs) of a desired variety are grafted in spring onto rootstocks selected for specific purposes such as dwarfing growth habit, cold tolerance, etc. The swollen area at the base of the tree is the graft union site.

This means the McIntosh growing in your backyard is a clone of the one developed by John McIntosh of Dundas County, Ontario, in 1870, by cross-pollinating two varieties popular in those times.

However, once the bees go to work carrying your backyard Mac's pollen to another tree down the road, there's no telling what you'll get if you plant its seed. Perhaps the next Honeycrisp, but more likely, one that fails the "bite and spit test."

We've been growing apples for many generations in New Hampshire, and the bees have been busy mixing and recombining the apples' genetic materials the whole time.Think of the possibilities!

Identifying wild apples? Probably impossible.

article and photo by Steve Turaj, Coos County Agricultural Resources educator

November 9 symposium targets healthcare professionals

"I talk about fish and fishing a lot in my private life," says Rollie Barnaby, a Sea Grant and Extension marine resources educator and former commercial fisherman. "People are always coming up to me at social gatherings and asking questions like, 'So, should I still be eating farm-raised salmon?'

"It's been happening so often, I thought it would be a good idea for us to start giving out research-based information from the people doing the research."

October in New England typically evokes images of brightly colored foliage and seasonal fall produce: apples, winter squash, pumpkins, Brussels sprouts and others. As strange as it sounds, this picture of local fall produce may now include fresh strawberries.

Well after our normal June strawberry season is over, you may have noticed strawberries in your local farm stand or market identified as “local.” Before you start questioning the reliability of their claims, take a closer look. Thanks to relatively recent developments in strawberry breeding and production research, those berries may well be locally grown fall strawberries.

Most strawberry varieties, known as “June-bearers,” bear fruit for a very short season that lasts from mid-June through early July. June-bearers are sensitive “daylength,” and flower buds are produced during the short days of fall. Those buds produce fruit the following spring.

In contrast, “dayneutral” varieties can produce flower buds anytime. As a result, they produce ripe fruit starting in August until they are killed by fall frosts. If protected from frost, fresh berries can be harvested even later in the fall. Because they are harvested fresh and not shipped long distances, local “dayneutral” berries usually have outstanding flavor as compared with strawberries shipped across the country.

New England-grown fall strawberries still aren’t very common, in part because they require more intensive management than June-bearers. University of Maine Cooperative Extension Specialist David Handley is conducting studies in cooperation with local farmers to determine which of the newest varieties are best suited to New England growing conditions.

The most popular “dayneutral” strawberry variety among commercial growers is ‘Seascape’. Home gardeners may be more familiar with ‘Tribute’ and ‘Tristar’. These newer varieties are more productive and have higher quality fruit than the older “everbearing” varieties like ‘Ozark Beauty’. Those who want to try their hand at growing “dayneutral” strawberries can find more information from this Cornell University Fact Sheet. Contact your local UNH Cooperative Extension Office for more information.

By Becky Grube, UNH Cooperative Extension Specialist, Sustainable Horticulture Production