Welcome to the Blog!
Looks like a busy season ahead. So many wonderful people in the fruit growing community. Lots of valuable groups where folks willingly share their well learned advice. From Vendors, Universities and our own USDA. You can find lots of information and help. Especially your local County Agents.
Lastly to my dear wife and family tolerating my projects.
One of the things that inspired me was the Blairmont Apple developed by the USDA; with a lot of thought and effort. But as Apples go; it's reception was lackluster and today it is more of a curiosity.
This is ashamed as the Apple has many good traits. Late bloom misses frost. It is relatively scab free. Yields sizable 80mm or better fruit on average. Typically ripening is around mid-August. The USDA said three weeks ahead of "Delicious". In orchards observed, no occurrence of fire blight or powdery mildew, bitter or black rots.
Flavor is mildly sweet with a little bit of tang. With fruity and vinous aromas. Folks those are a lot of pluses for growing in hot and humid Georgia. Where all sorts of critters and pestilence attack regularly on Apples.
The main complaint was it does not store well. Though I have never seen it spelled out; around a month is typically mentioned. Here is our subject btw:
Now to try to improve that while maintaining the good qualities; I have some unusual suspects to comingle the genetics. But this will take time. As everything with apples moves so slowly. There are grafts to perform. And typically a couple of years before pollen is collected and crosses are made.
In the meantime, I will be primarily working two other areas that warms my heart. Bringing back Georgia born and common Georgia used Apples. And Rootstock!!!!!!! A rootstock NOT designed for commercial orchards. A rootstock with big trunks, huge roots, moderate to dwarf sizes. Heat and rain tolerant. Fireblight resistant and agreeable to Sand/Sandy loam soils spread across the south. One any home owner or farmer can manage with little trouble.
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