APPLEINDEX

The GRAMER SAMPLE of APPLES VARIETIES
NZTCA member 112609

The collection of trees from which these images were obtained has essentially been dispersed. The property on which they were grown has been sold. Although the creator of this little database has taken 15 or so of the best trees to an urban site in Te Awamutu, any further additions or modification of the information is most unlikely. It remains therefore as a snapshot archive of the 'heritage' apple scenario circa 2007

SAMPLE:	100+ varieties obtained from 17+ sources within New Zealand.
LOCATION:	Grown beside the Waikato River near the HAMILTON Airport [ 37° 52' South ] [ 175° 20' East ]
CULTIVATION:	Grown on a 2mx4m grid in Horotui sandy loam. Very little fertilization except for some mulching. No sprays except for a single post-flower copper solution to combat black-spot (which may have increased russetting). The battle against black-birds, pukekos, rosellas, possums, rabbits, leaf-roller, codlin-moth...etc... was frequently entirely unsuccessful...hence the numerous gaps in the image gallery.
IDENTIFICATION:	Primarily from the Brogdale and USDA sites. There is insufficient authentication of so called reference samples and many examples are quite unsatisfactory. Click on this link to a page of several of the most glaring examples. REFERENCE INCONSISTENCIES There is such enormous worldwide number of named and renamed "varieties", that until a definitive technique like DNA sequencing is used, much "identification" is little more than informed guesswork.
CAUTION:	Variations in colour can be significant for various reasons: ...the variety may be intrinsically variable as well as changing colour thru the phases to maturity. ...the ambient lighting and the camera settings can markedly influence hues. ...each computer screen will have its own colour calibration. ...even the use of chemicals can influence characteristics like russetting. ...these images may have a red cast bias whereas the Brogdale images have a consistent blue cast.
EVALUATION:	ABOUT 20% WERE NOT THE VARIETY CLAIMED ON THE LABEL.
.	Most of the apples were quite acceptable and interesting to grow. A handful were exceptional. A few were barely worth the effort. Those varieties grafted onto "dwarfing" rootstock were more pathetic than useful, whereas those grafted onto "Northern Spy" rootstock were strong and vigorous and significantly superior