The BEST Apple Varieties for the Desert

[@svendittmann3105]

We (my father an me) deliberately planted old apple varieties here in Germany.. The opposite of what there was and is in abundance in the supermarket 30 years ago. Now we are preserving a piece of our culture.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

I love hearing this Sven. There are so many varieties we have lost to mass produced agriculture simply because they don't pack or ship well! Are these named varieties you're growing?

[@kevincharles112]

I live in Las Vegas and put in a Tropic Sweet and an Anna a year ago (got them from RSI!) and in one year, they are nice and bushy and have a few branches taller than me! I'm SO grateful for your guidance last year! I had wanted to plant a Granny Smith, but Duane steered me clear of that since they are a fall harvest fruit. A neighbor has a Gr Smith, and those apples don't get big at all...so I'm really glad I went another direction. Listen to these guys ... they know what they are talking about! THANKS DUANE (and Reed!)!!

[@patriciarobson8437]

Oh no, I ordered my Granny Smith too soon!!

[@kevincharles112]

Well you can still grow a nice tree but you may want a central leader design to get more shade on the inside of the tree. From what I understand, the trees kind of go into survival mode a bit at the peak of summer, so they just can't "afford" to grow the fruit bigger. A milder climate will continue to grow branches and fruit. You'll get fruit, but like my neighbor's tree, the apples might be smaller than you'd expect. Good luck whichever way you go!

[@patriciarobson8437]

@@kevincharles112 thank you, I’ll keep you posted on the trees’ progress.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey there Kevin. Glad you're seeing that success with those trees. It really is amazing how the right tree with the correct root stock makes all the difference!

[@TheUltimateAcresllc]

#HereHere I love you guys @TheEdgeOfNowhere "I second that emotion"! For sure.

[@snowfuller7599]

"Are you straight" 🤣🤣🤣. I even laugh just thinking about what Lori said. Love it. You two are the best. 👍

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Thank you Snow!

[@hummingbirdheightsfarm]

Hi Duane and Lori, just driving home from your chicken processing workshop and saw this video pop up! Thank you for a great day. Glad you shared about varieties as I need to replace 3 of my apple trees from spring planting. I am calling Reid at RSI to see what he's got!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Cookie, it was so nice to finally meet you guys and glad you enjoyed the workshop! Good choice on calling Reid, his trees do fantastic!

[@TheUltimateAcresllc]

#Awesomeness

[@TheUltimateAcresllc]

OH! It's called RSI sorry, I thought you were saying "OurSide". 🤦🏿 Googling him right now! #Lawdhammercy on me. 😆

[@hummingbirdheightsfarm]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm I checked on their website and they have all three of your top pick apples in stock, have to get them ordered and have a day trip to come pick them up!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@hummingbirdheightsfarm be sure to call Reid ahead of time to be sure he has those for you. He can sell out sometimes and I wouldn't want you to make that drive and come up empty handed!!

[@kylanve]

Perfect timing!!! We are going to RSI in the spring!!!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Woohoo! For apples, his trees are a must!

[@ranasammani7745]

Your farm is looking better with every video. So happy for you guys. I am getting apple/pear trees spring 2023 and know I want an Anna apple and Asian pear. Does it help to keep them close to each other or not really?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey there Rana. The Asian and Anna will not cross pollinate, so it wouldn't make a difference where you planted those 2. If you're getting a Dorsette and Anna you would want those within 300' of each other. That's the "official" limit in standard orchards, so well within the spacing most of us keep our fruit trees in!

[@ahmadel-awa4165]

I am curious to know which fruits do you harvest in Sep and Oct? Perhaps you can make a video to tell us which fruits/varieties you harvest in each month of the year.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Great question Ahmad and we're working towards that. Many of our trees are still not producing, but we are keeping a spreadsheet of what comes into season each month with March through October covered so far. Our citrus should take care of the rest of the year once they all finally ripen fruit.

[@taylorvanbuskirk8040]

I never thought our part of Arizona would be able to grow apples or pears. Sigh! I wish I had about 25 acres!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Taylor. Yes, there are a few varieties that do quite well for us. Not the super sweet apples you'll find in other parts of the country, but apples none the less!

[@zlogie]

I’ve had a grafted Tropic Sweet and Golden Dorsett from Reid because of your suggestion. I had so much apples the second year in ground. I really need to thin out the fruits to get bigger apples next year.

[@TheUltimateAcresllc]

#Congratulations Much Blessings to you. Keep us posted with pics on social media if you can. Cool!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Glad to hear those are producing well for you. It's amazing how the right root stock and variety can make all the difference!

[@cluck3627]

we love our Anna apple 🍎 great video guys

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Anna apple trees are an excellent option for us out here and I'm glad you're having success with yours!

[@AbidAli-bv2gl]

Another Excellent video The BEST Apple Varieties for the Desert. Lot to learn

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey there Abid, glad you enjoyed this one. This was definitely geared towards everyone looking to plant apple trees here in the desert!

[@pe6232000]

Can the Golden Dorset and the Anna be planted in direct sun, no need for any shade tree? Can you also tell us your top 2 pear trees for the desert as well? Do the pears need a shade tree? I live in Yuma AZ. Ty for the great information!

[@stuartgross5728]

Direct sun is good for Anna and Golden Dorset.

[@kevincharles112]

They sure can. My Anna is in the middle of the yard...no shade. Theirs are also right out in the open with no shade. Just be sure you keep up on the water!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey there. It looks like Stuart and Kevin both answered this, but they do best in full sun with no shade. We have had success with both Asian and European pears, but there are not many options out there for us. The Seckel pear has done very well for us for a European pear and the Shinseiki and 20th Century are both good for Asian pears.

[@happychef6405]

Hi douane can u plz talking about insecticide and fungicide use for fruits trees plz

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey there Chef. We don't use any insecticides or fungicides on our fruit trees. One of the advantages to growing in the desert is we have very few disease issues that most of the country tends to struggle with.

[@josemarquez8413]

Thanks, great video.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Glad you enjoyed this one!

[@thetommantom]

I just like gardening and the dessert so where I might just walk past apples for juice maybe I'll see if I can find these specific varieties so I can act like if I was in the desert growing fruit that's what I would have from watching you guys do it

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Desert growing is definitely something special. If you can find these varieties and get them to do well it will be just like being here!

[@mesutozsen903]

eline emeğine sağlık bu güzel vlog için kolay gelsin hayırlı işler....👍👍👍👍

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Teşekkürler Mesut!

[@brooktran1214]

What kind of fertilizer do you use for your trees? I remember watching your channel a few months ago that you put slow-released fertilizer (I think 20-20-20?), B1, and fish emulsified on a newly planted trees. I am trying to plant a few trees this fall, hope they would survive.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey there Brook. For newly planted trees we typically use a combo of Fish Emulsion (highly diluted) and B-1. For fertilizing we use composted manures, we have used some commercial products in the past. I'll link to a fertilizing video we did a while back that explains our timing and process; kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKWYqnWqpcyLn6c

[@eliza9822]

Can we please have an update on your dorsett that you are growing in the large concrete container? Thanks so much! 😊

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

It's doing good, it had several pieces of fruit this year. We pruned it heavy this year to re shape it as well as some root pruning. Will try to get a shot of it in an upcoming vlog for you!

[@eliza9822]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm thanks so much! I’m planting our Dorsett and Anna trees in large planters tomorrow using the miracle grow moisture control potting soil, pine bark as mulch, and lots of bunny poop as fertilizer. I’m hoping for the best!! 😊

[@kerrihatz2410]

Duane, I just picked up the anna and the tropical sweet from Reed today. I did not know that I needed both but I ordered them because of their description online. How far apart do they need to be planted and do they need to be next to each other? Thank you.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey there Kerri. Congrats on those new trees. The technical spacing for cross pollination in orchards is no more than 300 feet, so you should be fine with anything we would typically find on most properties!

[@kristinscott4358]

My dad just planted 2 Ein Sheamer and 1 Anna. I believe they were 15gal. And almost 6'. Should he expect fruit this first year(june?) or year 2 once the roots are established? Should he prune this first year? I believe one of your videos say January. Love watching and soon to be buying your goods over here in SCW&Surprise!!

[@kevincharles112]

My Anna had a lot of blooms year 1, but I didnt let them set because I wanted roots and branches, and the branches were too skinny anyway. I'm very much looking to grow some next spring though!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey there Kristin. Congrats on those new trees. We always remove the fruit from our trees during the first full growing season to give the trees a chance to establish their roots. Your trees may have blooms in the early Spring, but I would suggest removing any fruit that sets, so they can focus on that tree growth.

[@williamjones1797]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Your info is top notch as always. But I decided to go a slightly different route this spring with Anna and Dorset apples in a new yard. Since I want the trees to stay 8-10" tall, limiting growth by letting them fruit ( slowing growth)was a good thing instead of a disadvantage. I still did a 50% culling of young fruit on both trees. We'll see next yr.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@williamjones1797 You'll have to let us know how those do for you!

[@charlessingletaryiii331]

A couple of months ago you guy tried propagating sugercane how did that work out for you guy?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Charles! It actually all did really good, they all took and we planted them over by our chickens. We will try to get a shot of them for the next vlog 😀

[@ahmadel-awa4165]

My main problem with summer apples is that I’d rather eat other summer fruits , e.g. peaches, plums, water melons. In the fall and winter when there aren’t many fruit types available apples will be good to have.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

I have to admit, that's one of the challenges to apples here in the desert. They are ripe at the same time as many other crops that folks prefer!

[@tggardeners404]

​@@EdgeofNowhereFarm the temperature of my area does not fall below 10 degree Celsius is it possible to grow Anna Apple tropic sweet?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@tggardeners404 I answered this on the other video you asked this same question on. Let me know if you don't see that one.

[@tggardeners404]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm thanks for ur reply... appreciate it 😁

[@quirkycottageshenanigans9003]

I'm growing apples in North TX in zone 8. Have you considered Mollies Delicious or Arkansas Black apple cultivars? I'm trialing 24 heirloom varieties for the 2025 season. 🤞

[@kariiremiriam2266]

I have learnt alot from this video. I just planted some apples Anna and golden. How do I train them to make sure they produce more fruits at a time of their maturity? Thank you

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey there Kariire, congrats on those new trees! I'm going to link a couple of videos we did on pruning apple trees for you here that may help; kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3aoYZ9vg5yJaLs kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJLTmYmMhd6Agrs

[@klausnmisha]

Wish my apple trees looked so lush. I am in Palm Springs, California area. I get fruit on Golden Dorsett and Anna’s, but the leaf out is really weak.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

That has happened to us in the past as well, but we haven't seen it since we started manually removing all of the leaves during the dormant season. Have you tried that?

[@klausnmisha]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarmNo, I have not, but I will. Thanks!

[@Sol-x]

Interesting the wraps and paint on your trees. As I'm speculating here and do not know much about desert conditions. Your wraps and paints, Are they for bark burns and or predations from insects? Getting close to watching all your vids. Yet have not browsed your use of the paints. Reasoning it is white in order to abate the heat on the bark there by aiding the growth of fruits. If they are for abating predations, do you use any mixture of pesticides in the paints? Thanks

[@kevincharles112]

In the notes at the top of the video is the paint they use. They use it more for reflecting the sun and keeping rabbits away, but paint will also resist bugs. Check out the link (and the discount code!). There is a video here where Duane goes into a bit more detail. See it here ... kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYfLkHynfceLqZI

[@Sol-x]

@@kevincharles112Excellent. Thank you, Mr. Charles.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey there Lolx. It looks like Kevin answered this one for you and you're correct. We use it for both sunburn protection as well as to protect against a few pests.

[@danebelarmino4809]

You might also want to try Wambugu apple bred for hot climate. :)

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Thanks for the suggestion Dane!

[@patriciarobson8437]

I just bought a Granny Smith and a Fuji apple tree. After watching your video on apple trees grown in Arizona, you only mentioned Granny Smiths having a similar taste as Dorsey. We live in Tucson, please tell me these trees have a chance to grow on our desert farm.

[@patriciarobson8437]

Sorry the spelling was changed on me: Dorsett Apple

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey there Patricia. Your trees should grow just fine and you'll probably still see some fruit set. The biggest challenge for those varieties is getting the fruit through our hot/dry summers. That's when trees start to go partially dormant and the fruit that has to make it to Fall starts to suffer. Your best bet is to prune the trees to a central leader design to keep more sunlight off the fruit during the summer.

[@patriciarobson8437]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm thank you so much. Guess we’ve got to give them a try. Too late to turn back now!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@patriciarobson8437 it definitely doesn't hurt to try!

[@ericbowers1620]

What would you compare the flavor of the Tropic Sweet apple to?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Eric, that's a good question. I would say closer to your traditional Gala type apple, but not quite the same texture.

[@ericbowers1620]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm oh ok. Yeah just looking at them on your video I would have guessed Gala or Fuji.

[@damehinojosa334]

Hello, I appreciate your vids. Does your golden dorsett ever have scab or disease? Also do you have experience with golden delicious? I have one on geneva dwarf rootstock. -central Cal

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey there Dame. We don't really see much disease on any of our trees and our apple trees are grown on a local root stock that thrives with almost no issues. We haven't tried a Golden Delicious, but there are folks further North of us that have had some success with them.

[@agro-valleyfarm7217]

So would you also recommend the Golden Dorset and Anna for tropical climate in the caribbean.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

If you're going to give apples a shot, I would try the Golden Dorsette and see how it does. It is self fruitful, so if you don't see any fruit on it by year 2 then it's a bit too warm for them. Technically they do need some time under 45 degrees F, but they are grown in parts of Florida.

[@blackkennedy3966]

Golden dorsett is native to the Bahamas it’s a tropical apple! It was found in the home of a lady mrs dorsett who planted it from a seed.

[@TheUltimateAcresllc]

#Thankyouforsharing I really appreciate your experienced input on apple and pear varieties for AZ Desert growing. I will most definitely checkout #OursideGrowers and let him know You sent me! My goal is to start planting fruit trees Spring/2023. Living offgrid N.E Arizona is a pain to find true nurseries with healthy trees to start with. Gosh, I've lost so much money on incompetent and scrupulous sellers. You have always been a major helping guide ✨️ for my journey in a new environment. Definitely a world away from #NYC "barely living"! As always, I'm staying tuned! #Keepupthegreatwork

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

I'm always so impressed with folks making a go of it off-grid here in AZ. Not only do you have the typical challenges of not being grid tied, but you also have our crazy growing conditions! Here's to a successful harvest once you get those trees established!

[@TheUltimateAcresllc]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Thank you so much for the inspiration to want to try our hands in it. You are a beacon of inspiration, hope and #Success #Thankyoufromthebottomofmyheart #Keepupthegreatwork

[@joelouis6699]

Hi Ser:WHERE YOU BUY THE FRUIT TREES

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Joe. Most of our fruit trees we purchase from RSI Growers in Glendale, AZ. His trees are grown here in Arizona for our soils and simply outperform everyone else in our experience.

[@Bishnoiji129-k8x]

Bro. What about rootstock which one performs best.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

We get our apple trees exclusively from RSI Growers and he will not give up what root stock he uses. Wish I knew...

[@johac7637]

My Anna is so Ng great, planted bare root, on a full size rootstock Just ordered 4 Royal. Sweet cherries, order 4 free shipping, in mid Jan Maxima rootstock,. $39.00 each, last day today for the sale, ship FedEx Peaceful Valley Nursery, guaranteed to live for a year. Just giving you a heads up.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Jo, you will have to let us know how those cherries do for you! We have tried 3 different varieties and haven’t had any luck!

[@johac7637]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm I'll do that, in Canada before retirement I grew cherries, peaches, nectarines, plums, stone fruits for market, so will see here, $40 a tree guaranteed to grow, 6 months, so it's about the soil here, and hope it's not too hot, will try, I'm getting holes dug and prepped, mid Jan they arrive. All the Royal ones, Zeiger .

[@oscarcaballero9014]

How old are those trees thanks

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Those were 2 years old when we filmed this.

[@brendan3081]

ive tried and failed twice on the anna apples....my first died from a mix of transplant shock and heat exposure i think.....my second one was then attack by wood borers and they girdled it at the base so its dead from the graft up

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Brendan, sorry to hear this man. I know for us the key is root stock which is why we are so bullish on trees from RSI Growers. Where did you get your trees?

[@brendan3081]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm yea im learning more and more that importance. We have gotten all of our trees from a local nursery but im pretty sure they are all tech Dave wilson trees.....im hoping to get several trees from RSI over the winter and give them a shot

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@brendan3081 ah, ok. If you can get these from Reid at RSI it's going to be your best bet!

[@kyleburright7785]

What zone are you in?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Kyle! We are in zone 9b.

[@simonspeechley2859]

Is this what is the best desert apple or best dessert apple? Or both?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Well, I suppose if you're looking to make apple pie the Golden Dorsette would be an excellent replacement for a Granny Smith and it happens to grow and produce really well in a desert.😉

[@AbdulBasit-eh2wg]

Wambugu apple from Kenya, do you know about this variety??

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

We have had a few people suggest that one, but I have not seen it available here. We've found the key to success with apple trees here is to have a very specific root stock that thrives in our soil, so we would only consider a tree grafted onto that root stock.

[@Blaqjaqshellaq]

I think apples originated in central Asia. Part of the reason for their spread was that birds ate them and the seeds got into their guano and sprouted!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

It's interesting to read about their history and how quickly they adapt to different climates!

[@xianghouzinjianghu5001]

You can easily order tropic sweet apple trees online from Just Fruits & Exotics from Florida. Reid most likely ordered from them and then grafted the tree he ordered from them and claims to have a monopoly on it in AZ.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Good to know.

[@valerieburchett8951]

😃🙏❤

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Thank you Valerie!!

[@marschlosser4540]

I like Granny Smith. Cooking apples are more what we want. Pears, erk. Store-bought Asians are too expensive and right now, European pears are mushy. Wind kill is common, and a lack of space right now. There are two everbearing mulberries to put out and 3 loquat seedlings. And, a Madrone, a Marina, AKA strawberry tree. The fruit is OK, but nothing to write home about, but I bet the pigs and poultry would go gaga over it. Happy fall to all!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey there Martin! I'm interested to see how that Strawberry tree does for you. We visited one of our viewers in town who had one and the tree looked good, but he hadn't had a harvest yet.

[@marschlosser4540]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm This one wants to bloom. Bland strawberry, I'm told. I'd rather an Arizona but that and Texas are hard to transplant. 1 in 10,000 survive, according to agronomists. Better to have a few juniper around and use them for a nurse tree. It would be great to have something new and drought tolerant in the garden!

[@SamuHell782]

"Maple?" - Minion

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

😁