Today in the orchard
The rain continued off and on all day. In between the drops I was able to get the sprayer working and gather more prunings for chipping. I also began to put together this year’s topworking plan. Every year we topwork (graft) multiple selections directly onto seedlings that sprout in the tree rows in the orchard or onto varieties deemed no longer necessary for us to be growing. We’ll topwork about thirty varieties into the orchard this year.
Black Oxford and Roxbury Russet, (BOX and ROX) May 4, 2025
I made apple sauce in the evening. I still make it a couple times a week and will do so right into June. Most of the varieties in the root cellar are now gone-by, but two of our favorites are still in great shape - Black Oxford and Roxbury Russet. Both are still firm and tasty and cook up magnificently into sauce. If you’re looking for the best winter keepers, you won’t go wrong with either of them.
