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Cider Digest #0861
Subject: Cider Digest #861, 11 May 2000
From: cider-request@talisman.com
Cider Digest #861 11 May 2000
Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
SLOW DIGESTS for May (Cider Digest)
Re: Cider Digest #860, 4 May 2000 (William J. Rhyne)
Re: Cider Digest #860, 4 May 2000 (Terence L Bradshaw)
Cider Digest #860, 4 May 2000 (Michael West)
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Subject: SLOW DIGESTS for May
From: cider@raven.talisman.com (Cider Digest)
Date: 11 May 00 09:27:10 MDT (Thu)
Cider Digests will be slow during May. Don't be alarmed if you don't see a
digest for somewhat longer than you'd expect.
- ---
Cider Digest cider-request@talisman.com
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor Boulder County, Colorado USA
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Subject: Re: Cider Digest #860, 4 May 2000
From: rhyne@wli.net (William J. Rhyne)
Date: Thu, 4 May 2000 08:28:48 -0700
RE: Single variety ciders, tree pruning
I mentioned that we (Rhyne Cyder) had fermented Nehou and Yarlington Mill
as single varieties. We are doing this to increase our knowledge of the
apples that are available to us in California since there is no records of
California apples used for making hard cider. We have fermented 12
varieties so far. What we sell is a blend of these apples and we are not
encouraging farmers to plant one variety as we like the diversity and we
feel that is a safer strategy for the farmer. Because we are in the middle
of wine country, people ask us if we are headed towards a single variety
type (as in Merlot, Chardonnay type of labeling) and so far, we have no
candidates or interest in this idea.
For educational purposes though, these single varieties are useful to show
the diversity in the apple crop. The market out here is still learning
about hard cider and apples.
Re: tree pruning,
I am not a professional tree pruner but I have pruned my apple and pear
trees for 14 years now. I attended a class at a local garden shop when we
bought our house back then and I learned a few basic concepts of pruning. I
haven't killed any trees yet and apples keep coming each year so I think
that apple trees must be very tolerant and forgiving of abuse by amateurs.
First, if you are going for size and appearance, then pruning is good to
reduce the number of apples per branch so the energy is focused on fewer
apples. For appearance, try to prune so each apple has about the same or
some exposure to the sun. If you are not interested in size or appearance,
you could let the tree turn into a bush-like tree with many apple of small
sizes but you may risk breaking branches from the weight of the apples and
it will be hard to harvest the apples inside the tree branches.
This year, I am experimenting with a mystery apple tree that grew from a
sapling next to my crabapple. It is a very prolific tree but the apples
very fibrous and lemony is taste. I juiced them one year and it looked like
lemonade. I radically pruned it this year and my wife and neighbors are
very concerned about me now. The two trees appear to be embracing each
other. The other two crabapple trees were pruned a spherical shape. My gala
tree was also reduced last year and this year because I couldn't reach the
apples and the tree was crowding my neighbor's house. So these trees a very
hardy. I think that they think (apple trees think?) that a pruning is like
a haircut.
As for our orchard up in Sebastopol, I let the pros so their thing and I
try to learn from them.
Good luck with pruning!
Bill Rhyne
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Subject: Re: Cider Digest #860, 4 May 2000
From: Terence L Bradshaw <madshaw@quest-net.com>
Date: Fri, 05 May 2000 08:50:50 -0400
>
>Subject: Pruning Advice?
>From: Dan McFeeley <mcfeeley@keynet.net>
>Having moved to a new home, we found ourselves with a nice pear tree in
>the backyard. Fruit produce was low last year but it's in flower again
>and hopefully will do better this year.
>
>I know next to nothing about caring for fruit trees. Could someone
>give me some advice on the benefits of pruning and the best way to
>do this? Thanks in advance for any help!
Dan:
While it's a little late to prune now, I will say that it is the #1
cultural practice you can provide to care for your tree. Depending on
where you are, fire blight is a real concern, so cuts should not be made
when the bacteria is active (see more on FB at
http://www.caf.wvu.edu/kearneysville/disease_month/fireblight.html). When
pruning, a few principles should be considered:
1) Vertical shoots do not fruit well. Pears produce a lot of these, so
they should be thinned out but not totally removed. If possible, the
remaining ones should be spread to a more horizontal orientation.
2) Good fruit needs light and air drainage. Thin the tree out so that it
can "breathe". The general rule of thumb is to prune it so that you can
throw a cat through it without it touching any branches.
3) Remove branches that cross over each other.
4) Remove dead wood and the oldest fruiting wood. This should probably be
#1. Look especially for wood with fire blight cankers.
For more information see:
http://www.msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/modzz/00001785.html
http://ssfruit.cas.psu.edu/chapter4/chapter4a.htm
Hope this helps!!
Terry B
Terence Bradshaw
Pomona Tree Fruit Service
PO Box 258, Chelsea, VT 05038
(802)685-3412
madshaw@quest-net.com
The views represented by me are mine and mine only................
------------------------------
Subject: Cider Digest #860, 4 May 2000
From: Michael West <106377.607@compuserve.com>
Date: Sat, 6 May 2000 17:00:31 -0400
I was interested in the opinions of the English v Norman "styles". The 3
brands I have noticed worthy of a mention recently in the Digest have been
Dry Blackthorn, Strongbow and Woodbecker. Now these brands are (probably)
the 3 largest volume-produced ciders in the world. They are certainly made
in England, but by an odd quirk best known to the Bulmers marketing
department, they are not very "English" in their style. They are designed
for a global market and thus are bland enough for a wide variety of tastes.
Now I should add I have quite a soft-spot for Woodbecker and Strongbow as
they started me off on the cider quest, and if they can do that for other
people all over the world, then that can only be a good thing.
Perversely, the comment
>I like medium dry to sweet, lots of apple character, malic and woody
>notes, golden ciders. I guess that puts me in the Norman style too.
would suggest to me a traditionl English cider, try anything by Westons if
you can get it. Strangely enough, the Duche' de Longueville ciders are also
both very good and not very "Norman", as they too have been spruced up for
a wider audience. I fear that any bottled cider sold into an international
market will have to meet such stringent health guidelines and be produced
in such quantity that many regional differences will be lost. However, if
these ciders can inspire others to make their own and experiment with all
the wonderful array of apples and methods we have at our disposal, then
vive la difference!
By the way, this year I have started a hive of bees in my orchard, can
anyone comment on whether the addition of honey, as opposed to plain sugar,
makes any difference in the long run?
Also, the correspondent enquiring about choice of trees in the garden,
Yarlington Mill does make quite an attractive tree, not very scientific I
know, but important if you have to look at it evry day. It has
"unassociated vigour" as they say in the textbooks, I have a number of
Dabinette for bittersweets, I find them difficult to prune and short on
blossom (no doubt related).
"Cider and Juice Apples: Growing and Processing" by RR Williams is an
excellent reference, it has an acknowledgement to Andrew Lea, so must be
good!
Mike West
Cambridge
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End of Cider Digest #861
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