Hello, Does anyone know of any nurseries in the lower mainland that sells "traditional" cider apple trees, i.e. varieties that are not good for eating but work well for making hard cider? Thank you, - Artichoke
Many of the old cultivars used in the East are not adapted to conditions here. With so many apple varieties in existence, there ARE cider apples suitable for this area. But you may have to order them, as garden centres tend to carry eating apples.
For some information about traditional hard cider varieties that do well in our Pacific Northwest climate, WSU fruit research station in Mt. Vernon is trialing cider apples. http://mtvernon.wsu.edu/frt_hort/cider05.htm. My husband and I grow a variety of eating and cider apples, and make cider, and find using a blend yield the best cider (opinion!). I would include Ashmead's Kernal, Karmijn de Sonneville, and Kingston Black in any orchard intended for hard cider. We have also planted (following Mt. Vernon's research), but not yet cropped, Tremlett's Bitter, Brown Snout, and Harry Masters Jersey. As to where you can buy the trees in Canada, I would contact Merridale Cider on Vancouver Island and ask about tree sources. You may have to find scion wood and graft them yourselves- fairly easy to do.