Hello everyone! I am building a self sufficient ranch, I am looking to incorporate Wolf River Apple Trees but I cannot find a source. Can anyone help? I am also looking for Non-Herbal types of teas, Orange and black pekoe, Chinese green tea, white and black winter or summer teas. Please help. Will have seeds available next year, for trading.

-- Lawannea Sue Stum (Whitedoveranch@yahoo.com), May 17, 2000

Answers

Bear Creek Nursery carries Wolf River apples. BearCreekNursery.com They have all kinds of rare and antique apples and other hardy fruit and the prices are very very good!

-- Rebekah (daniel1@transport.com), May 17, 2000.

I just looked at www.northwindnursery.com. Frank has Wolf River trees listed there. I am not sure how they compare price-wise to Bear Creek, but I know Northwind is targeted and reasonable for the homesteader.

-- Mike O (olsonmr@yahoo.com), May 17, 2000.

St. Lawrence Nurseries also have Wolf River Apple Trees, you can see them at www.sln.potsdam.ny.us Also their is an Older Fruit varieties for home gardeners page at MSU that lists a number of sources. They can be found at www.msue.msu.edu/imp/mod03/03900046.html

Polly

-- Polly (oakridge@netcommander.com), May 17, 2000.

Miller Nurseries, in Canandaigua, NY, offers "Wolf River 1881", which I suspect is what you seek. I have a substantial orchard (16 trees - my wife thinks I'm nuts, and I am yet to find a reasonable defense), and all have come from Miller's. I believe them to be the best, although Kelly's is also very good. I prefer Miller's because their weather (cold) is closer to mine. Nonetheless, you can contact them at (1-800-836-9630). But my greater question is this: Why, in God's name, do you want Wolf River? It is a fine, big, pretty apple! But having tried to eat a few, I would suggest that horse droppings probably have a more subtle and appealing taste! Maybe I got a bad variety of Wolf River, but the ones I sampled were big, beautiful, yucky apples! Educate me! Either I had a rare experience, or I am dumber than a box of ball-peen hammers. Other apple afficianidos - check in PLEASE! Is Brad brain-dead, or does he have a keen sense of taste? GL to all!

-- Brad (homefixer@mix-net.net), May 17, 2000.

Bear Creek Nursery is great - you can learn so much just from reading their catalog! You can choose what root stock you want as well, to adapt to your particular situation. Give them a look.

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), May 17, 2000.

Thank you all for your rapid responses. I am only interested in the Wolf River because of an article that I read (I am aware that things in writing are not always correct)and it stated that the Wolf River Apple was a very large old fashioned apple that grew well under all circumstances. I am looking at it for juice as well as animal feeds. I raise all 6 breeds of registered dairy goats, Jersey cattle, meat hogs, rabbits, and poultry. I have an orchard that I plan on expanding (Majorly). So please feel free to advise me on any types of eating, juice and pie type apples also. I am also interested in any type of large type animal feeds that are somewhat easy to grow. I have heard of squash and beets or mangels. I am interested in what any of you have to say. I live in mid Arizona, own 5 acres and would like any info on a pasture type forage also. Like I say, Help!

-- Lawannea Sue Stum (Whitedoveranch@yahoo.com), May 17, 2000.

Hi Lawannea Sue,

I have heard similar things to Brad. My apple guru (Guy Ames) says they are big beautiful, easy to damage and rather tasteless! We are in Arkansas and we have chosen disease resistant varieties which will hopefully do well here, Arkansas Black, Williams Pride, and Liberty (okay I admit we also have a few English varieties to please my husband), our orchard is only a year old (30 plus trees, could it be we are crazier than even Brad???) so it is untested.

My advice would be to contact ATTRA (alternative technology transfer for rural areas) and ask to speak to Guy or whoever their orchard expert is. They will advice you on trees that do well in your area and will honestly give you their opinions as to flavour, etc. ATTRA is at 1-800-346-9140.

Enjoy your trees.

-- kim (fleece@eritter.net), May 17, 2000.

Brad & Lawannea,

The Wolf River isnt for fresh eating. Its for juicing, saucing, feed and stretching. It makes a good stretcher because its so bland...in with the potatoes? No one will know. How many people can I feed with 1 can of saurkraut? Only you and I will know.

As far as apples for feed goes, I havnt found anything else as universally liked by the animals. The wolf rivers are so big that it is easy to harvest great quantities in a short period and seems to produce a larger number of apples than the fresh eating kind meant for humans.

-- William in WI (thetoebes@webtv.net), May 18, 2000.

Ahh theres nothing like a good cup of tea in the morning,Black and green tea come off the same bush, Its how you proscess them which make them different I think,nichols@gardennursery.com [Nichols nursey 541-928-9280]carrys 2 kinds of tea bushs, They are 23.95 each, I almost ordered one last year but decided to try growing bay leaf first since It was less expensive and now that it is growing well i will have to try tea.

-- kathy h (saddlebronc@msn.com), May 18, 2000.

Good heavens! I live in a state which has all these apples (Washington) and never even heard of Wolf Creek! I thought it was a company you could buy apple trees from. ('course you all have figured out that I am clueless on a whole bunch of things by now!!).

I have Jonagolds, and Akane,and others, and hope to add Golden Delicious (can't go wrong there!). My biggest concern is getting all the apples to polinate each other in the correct sequence...depending on whether they are early, mid-season or late. I have apples ready in August, September, and October. Liberty is another one (yea Kim!) that I would add. I am currently fascinated with Asian Pears, but ready to go on an apple tree buying binge....love to hear other varieties...especially these old ones!

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), May 18, 2000.

I like Prima and Earliblaze for early (aug in IL) season fruit - both good for fresh eating and pies, etc, but don't store well. Late season/storage apple - Blushing Gold gets the nod. Don't try to eat them in October, or even November. Put 'em in the cellar or bury them in straw and bring them out about Christmas. We always ran out before May, but the ones we were eating when we ran out were still great - flavor and texture wise. Grimes Golden and Gala are a couple more I like, mostly for fresh eating although Grimes is excellent for pies. I reckon I would plant a Jonathan or Red Delicious if you gave me one, but I wouldn't pay 2 cents for one otherwise. If I could only have one type of apple, Golden Delicious would win hands down. Good production, great taste, multi-use, good storer - what more could you ask!! (Remember to plant pollinators for whatever variety you plant - can't count on the neighbors to have a tree in their yard anymore.)

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), May 18, 2000.

If you have fruit trees---Keep bees---they will increase your harvest by 20% plus increase the grade by setting all of the seeds. Plus the honey , wax, etc from the hive. ps if you have a garden keep...

-- Greg Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), May 19, 2000.

Wolf River is a northern apple, WI origin. I'm not sure it will produce where you live, but if you choose a rootstock compatible with your soil type there will be a better chance that it will.

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), May 19, 2000.

Sheepish - go with the Asian Pears! And I suggest the semi- dwarfs. They are absolutely delicious, bear well, are less susceptible (in my opinion) to insects and disease, and around here they go for $1 apiece in the grocery store! Dut I digress! Lawannea - don't waste time growing the apples that you can buy in the store. They are in the store because they taste at least alright, but MOSTLY because they ship well. Backyard orchard? My absolute favorite is Roxbury Russet. This is the best eating apple you have ever tasted, bar none! Also very good - Mutsu, Winter Banana, Granny Smith, Baldwin, Northern Spy, and (not for me, but the new-age kids) Red and Golden Delicious. Having given my absolutely unimpeachable opinion, the bottom line is to grow what tastes good to YOU! But I will go out on a limb, (did I say that?) and reccommend the semi-dwarfs. Not dwarfs, but the "semi-dwarfs" Much easier to maintain, and very good producers. GL!

-- Brad (homefixer@SacoRiver.net), May 23, 2000.

Brad, if you think Red Delicious apples are good, I don't know if I can trust your recommendations on the other varieties!!!

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), May 23, 2000.

Oh yeah, I have a Baldwin, too. Don't know much about it, though...came with the place when we bought it. It's early and fairly tasty.

Brad, the Asian Pears are on semi-dwarf stock...so sweet!

Agreed on the Red Delicious, although they look good and the Japanese market eats them up, big time. My relatives have been apple growers in E. Washington for years, and everyone is getting bought out by big international companies. Surprize! Orchardists are developing their land and selling out. Ho Hum...what's new?

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), May 23, 2000.

You can get Wolf River apple trees from Gurney's. I ordered one this spring. We had a wolf river apple tree when I was a kid, and my mother used them primarily for pies and sauce. It was nothing to make a pie from just one apple. Many of the apples weighed close to three pounds apiece! !. They weren't any good for eating fresh, though. Had no real taste whatsoever. It's my memeories of the old wolf river tree in my folks back yard when I was a kid that made me want to plant one of my own. ( I DO love applesauce). DAN

-- Dan (dshaske@excel.net), May 23, 2000.

Well, I guess that I will toss in my 2 cents worth too. I just planted 4 bench graft replacement trees from Bear Creek. These are to replace the ones that I planted last year. After talking to them at nursery it was mother nature that killed them and not anyones fault. Even though they were not still covered by their guarentee they replaced them free. I thought that was pretty nice. I am certainly going to be a return customer. I also might mention something that we talked about semi dwarf vs standard. He said the semi dwarf would have a harder time establishing and flurishing and a standard was a better bet if you have the room. I commented that I had started with standard(which all are doing well) and decided to change to smaller trees to get more variety. He said it is better to plant one standard and graft varieties to it. I thought that sounded like a pretty good idea. I have a number of old varieties and am anxiously awaiting the day I have my first apples. May try some grafting this fall.

-- Tami Bowser (windridg@chorus.net), May 23, 2000.

http://www.fedcoseeds.com/AboutFedco.htm they have a tree catalog that comes out in October. It's the best info on heirloom and other trees that I have ever seen. You can't order online (yet), but the address is here. I have a half acre orchard of apples, pears, plums and cherries from FEDCO. My best advice is to get a variety of trees. When I make cider, I like to blend the apples for better flavor. My Wolf River tree hasn't had fruit yet, so I can't comment on it...but I have seen those apples displayed at the Common Ground Fair in Maine http://www.mofga.org/fb99index.html and they are HUGE.

Peace and Carrots Farm http://www.homestead.com/peaceandcarrots/

-- Wendy Martin (wsm311@aol.com), May 24, 2000.

Hello, while we are on the subject of Wolf River apples, can anyone give me information on other VERY HUGE apples that would taste great for Taffy/Carmel Apples? I live in Houston and probably need to have them shipped to me. I have seen taffy apples made with apples as big as grapefruits and have been searching all over for an apple this size!

If Wolf River isn't the way to go, could someone suggest the right kind of apple (Big and great tasting) and places to get them (along with name & numbers, if possible). Thank you very much in advance for everyone's information!!!

Carla = silver_c2@yahoo.com

-- Carla in Houston (silver_c2@yahoo.com), September 04, 2001.