This past fall’s planting (2011) puts our apple diversity at over 400 varieties to date. These are little guys and will take a few years to distinguish themselves, and to show us how tough they are. The new block is a tightly planted 250 or so standards, mainly for scion production, not fruit per se, except for research purposes. Formerly wooded with 2nd growth forest, the plot was planted by hand and shovel a week after clearing on a steep, if somewhat terraced hillside. No fertilizing was done (not recommended for fall planting), trees were set, wrapped with screen guards and tethered to small posts for the duration.
