This month's notes: February 2012: Winter is upon us, but don't despair! Strawberry and citrus picking actually begins in Florida, southern Texas and southern Californiaa in December. And for the rest of us; there are many delicious jams, jellies, and marmalades that you can make for yourself or as gifts, from frozen or fresh fruit.  See this page for hundreds of easy canning and freezing instructions/recipes, canning equipment guide! Also make your own ice cream - see How to make ice cream and ice cream making equipment and manuals. Then see each state's crop availability calendar for more specific dates of upcoming crops. Organic farms are identified in green!  See our guide to local fruit and vegetable festivals!. Please tell the farms you found them here - and ask them to update their information!!

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All about apple varieties to grow in your back yard or small orchard

Varieties of Apples to Grow

Which to grow in your area and why!

For detailed descriptions many apple varieties that you can pick or buy at the groecry store, see this page!  Also, see our pages on tips for picking apples at a farm, easy illustrated directions to make applesauce, apple butter, apple jelly and apple pie; and our list of apple festivals!

Sites for Apple Variety Descriptions:

Apple Trees for Northern Climates (Saint Lawrence Nursery - NY)
The best list of apples, both modern and heirloom, for northern states, including Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, upstate New York, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Alaska. It is an especially good site for finding hardiness information.

Big Horse Creek Farm - Master Variety List
Descriptions of about 300 varieties from this nursery located in North Carolina. This is an excellent source for descriptions of apples suitable for the southern or Appalachian regions.

Apple Varieties for Home Production
A huge alphabetical list of varieties suitable for various regions from NaturalHub.com.
FairShare Recipe Exchange - Apple Varieties
Another alphabetical list. This one emphasizes the culinary uses of the varieties listed.

Nevas Apple Varieties Description Page    
One more long, alphabetical list.   

Apple Source (Descriptions of the apple varieties they sell)
Want to try some of the apples you've picked for your orchard? This site not only offers descriptions, but they also sell and ship more than 80 kinds of apples!

Choosing Apples (Apple Journal)
Brief descriptions of hundreds of varieties as well as information on disease-resistant varieties and a comparison (complete with pictures) of popular apples.

Trees of Antiquity
Descriptions of many heirloom (old) apple varieties. Click here for a table showing hardiness, uses, and other information for these varieties. 

The many apple associations listed on this page have more facts and resources

Recommended Apple Varieties for 40 States :

If the link for your state does not tell you enough about apples recommended for your region, use the sites above to find out more about the varieties you are considering including in your orchard.

Alabama
Apple Varieties in Alabama (Alabama Cooperative Extension)

Alaska
Vegetable and Fruit Varieties for Interior Alaska (U. of Alaska - Fairbanks)
Recommended Varieties for South Central Alaska (UAF)
Alaska Apples

Arizona
Fruit Trees: Planting and Varieties (University of Arizona)
Fruit Trees: Introduction and Plant Climate Zones (University of Arizona)

Arkansas
Apple Production in the Home Garden (U. of Arkansas)

California
Growing Temperate Tree Fruit and Nut Crops in the Home Garden and Landscape (University of California)

Colorado
Fruit Fetish (Colorado State University)

Delaware
Apples for Delaware

Florida
Low Chill Apple Cultivars for North and North Central Florida (IFAS Extension)

Georgia
Home Garden Apples (U. of Georgia)

Idaho
Apple Cultivars for East Idaho (U. of Idaho Extension)

Illinois
Apples and More (U. of Illinois Extension)
Fruits and Nuts that Do Well in the Chicago Area (Bob Kurle's Fruit and Nut List)

Indiana
Apple Cultivars for Indiana (Purdue U.)

Iowa
Apple Varieties and Their Uses (Iowa State U.)
Suggested Apple Varieties for Home Gardens in Iowa (Iowa State U.)

Kansas
Fruit and Nut Cultivars (KSU Extension)

Louisiana
The Louisiana Home Orchard (LSU Ag Center)

Maine
Apples Grown by Hillside Orchard (Manchester, Maine)
Apple Varieties (Ricker Hill Orchards - Turner, Maine)
  
Maryland
Apple Varieties in Maryland (Maryland Apple Promotion Board)

Massachusetts
100 Varieties (and that is only counting apples) (U. of Massachusetts Cold Spring Orchard)
Apples and Crab Apples (U. of Mass.)

Michigan
Tree-Mendus (apple photos - Michigan)
Apple Scion/Rootstock Selection and Planning for Michigan (MSU)

Minnesota
Growing Apples and Pears in Minnesota Gardens (U. of Minn.)   
Apples for Minnesota and Their Culinary Uses (U. of M.)
Commercial Fruit Production in Minnesota (U of M)

Missouri
Apple Cultivars and their Uses (U. of Missouri)
Missouri Apple Cultivars
Missouri Apple History

Nebraska
Fruit Tree Cultivars for Nebraska (U. Nebraska- Lincoln)

New Hampshire
Dwarf Apple Trees for the Home Garden (University of New Hampshire)
Growing Fruit Trees (UNH)    

New Mexico
Fruit Species and Varieties for the Home Orchard (New Mexico State University)

New York
New York Apple Country Varieties
Apple Varieties Grown in NY State (Cornell Univ)
Grandpap's Apple Orchard (Ithaca College NY)

North Carolina
Producing Tree Fruit for Home Use (NCSU)
Apple Varieties and Descriptions (Big Horse Creek Farm, North Carolina)

North Dakota
Fruit Tree Culture and Varieties in North Dakota (NDSU)  

Oklahoma
Apple and Peach varieties for Oklahoma (Oklahoma Cooperative Extension)

Ohio
Apples: A Guide to Selection and Use (Ohio State Univ.)

Oregon
Growing Fruits and Nuts in the Home Orchard (Oregon State U.)

Pennsylvania
Tree Fruit Production Guide (Penn. State U.)
Heirloom Mid-Atlantic Varieties (Pennsylvania)

South Carolina
Home and Garden Information Center - Apple (South Carolina - Clemson U.)

South Dakota
Fruit Cultivars for South Dakota (South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service)

Tennessee
Selecting Quality Apples (U. of Tennessee)

Texas
Home Fruit Production - Apples (Texas State U.)
Apple Varieties (Texas A. & M.)

Utah
Apples (Utah State U. Extension)

Vermont
Vermont Apple Varieties (Vermont Apple Board)

Virginia
Apple Variety Evaluations (Virginia Cooperative Extension)
Tree Fruit in the Home Garden (Virginia Tech)
Vintage Virginia Apples

Washington
Growing Tree Fruit at Home in Eastern Washington  (WSU)
Apples in Washington State (WSU)     
Apple Research/Variety Trials (WSU)
Backyard Apple Production (WSU)

Wisconsin
Apple Cultivars for Wisconsin (U. or Wisc.)
Apples of Wisconsin (Dane Co. Conservation League)

Home Canning Kits This is the same type of standard canner that my grandmother used to make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and spaghetti sauce. This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts for years: the canner, jar rack, jar grabber tongs, lid lifting wand, a plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer, and the bible of canning, the Ball Blue Book. It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. You'll never need anything else except jars & lids (and the jars are reusable)! There is also s simple kit with just the canner and rack, and a pressure canner, if your want to do vegetables (other than tomatoes). To see more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here! Average Customer Review: Usually ships in 1-2 business days