Fall 2019Pre-order now for fall 2019 (warmer zones) or spring 2020.
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Tree comparisons
 Wickson Crab |  Northern Spy |  Medaille d'Or | Gin |  Kingston Black | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wickson crab is a popular crab apple variety which is also useful in cider blends. | Northern Spy is a popular late-season American heirloom apple variety which stores well. | Medaille d'Or is a traditional French cider variety, which produces a full bittersweet juice. | Kingston Black is one of the premier English cider varieties and produces a bittersharp juice. | ||
| remove | remove | remove | remove | remove |
Using
| Crab apple trees Wickson Crab | Apple trees Northern Spy | Cider apple trees Medaille d'Or | Perry pear trees Gin | Cider apple trees Kingston Black | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Picking season | Late | Very late | Late | Very late | Very late |
| Uses | Juice Hard cider | Eating fresh Cooking Juice Traditional cooker | Hard cider | Hard cider | Hard cider |
| Cropping | Heavy | Heavy | Heavy | Good | Light |
| Keeping (of fruit) | 2-3 weeks | 3 months or more | 2-3 weeks | 1-2 months | 2-3 weeks |
| Flavor style (apples) | Aromatic | ||||
| Juice style | Bittersweet (cider) | Bittersharp (cider) | |||
| Fruit persistence | Persistent | Normal ripening | Normal ripening | Normal ripening |
Growing
| Crab apple trees Wickson Crab | Apple trees Northern Spy | Cider apple trees Medaille d'Or | Perry pear trees Gin | Cider apple trees Kingston Black | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gardening skill | Average | Average | Average | Average | Some needed |
| Self-fertility | Not self-fertile | Not self-fertile | Not self-fertile | Not self-fertile | Not self-fertile |
| Pollination group | 2 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 5 |
| Pollinating others | Good | Average | Average | Average | Average |
| Ploidy | Diploid | Diploid | Diploid | Diploid | Diploid |
| Vigour | Vigorous | Vigorous | Average vigour | Slightly large | Average vigour |
| Precocity | Slow to start bearing | Slow to start bearing | |||
| Bearing regularity | Regular | Biennial tendency | Biennial tendency | Regular | |
| Fruit bearing | Partial tip-bearer | Spur-bearer | Spur-bearer | Spur-bearer | |
| Organic culture | Not-suitable |
Disease resistance
| Crab apple trees Wickson Crab | Apple trees Northern Spy | Cider apple trees Medaille d'Or | Perry pear trees Gin | Cider apple trees Kingston Black | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General resistance | Poor | Average | Average | Poor | |
| Canker | Some resistance | Some susceptibility | |||
| Scab | Some susceptibility | Some resistance | Some resistance | Some susceptibility | |
| Fireblight | Very susceptible | Some susceptibility | |||
| Cedar apple rust | Some susceptibility | Some susceptibility | Some susceptibility |
Climate
| Crab apple trees Wickson Crab | Apple trees Northern Spy | Cider apple trees Medaille d'Or | Perry pear trees Gin | Cider apple trees Kingston Black | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold hardiness (USDA) | (5) -20F / -29C | (4) -30F / -34C | (5) -20F / -29C | (5) -20F / -29C (6) -10F / -23C (7) 0F / -18C | (5) -20F / -29C |
| Summer average maximum temperatures | Cool ( 20C - 24C / 68F - 75F) Warm (25C - 30C / 76F - 85F) Hot (>30C / 86F) | Cool ( 20C - 24C / 68F - 75F) Warm (25C - 30C / 76F - 85F) Cold (< 20C / 67F) | Cool ( 20C - 24C / 68F - 75F) Warm (25C - 30C / 76F - 85F) | Cool ( 20C - 24C / 68F - 75F) Cold (< 20C / 67F) | Cool ( 20C - 24C / 68F - 75F) |
Identification
| Crab apple trees Wickson Crab | Apple trees Northern Spy | Cider apple trees Medaille d'Or | Perry pear trees Gin | Cider apple trees Kingston Black | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States | France | United Kingdom | United Kingdom | |
| Period of origin | 1800 - 1849 | 1850 - 1899 | 1800 - 1849 | 1850 - 1899 | |
| Fruit color | Orange / Red | Brown Russet | Crimson | ||
| Fruit size | Small | Average |