Apple varieties recommended to make hard cider

I'm naive here, I've seen "The Botany of Desire" and realize that there is a list of older apple varieties that though not good to eat are good to press for hard cider. My dad and are wanting to plant a small orchard to grow these apples and make our own cider. It would be located in Northwest Missouri. Does anyone have any recommendations on what trees to plant and maybe even where to get seedlings?

thrstyunderwater said:

Does anyone have any recommendations on what trees to plant and maybe even where to get seedlings?

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Start by looking at Green Mantel Nursery and their cider listings. Trees of Antiquity is also pretty good. In your neck of the woods, Stark Brothers is the big nursery, though they don't specialize in cider so much, but you can find something if you know what you are looking for.

And what are you looking for? Ben Watson's Cider book has a good list for North America. Andrew Lea has a list of UK and US (NY) apples - http://www.cider.org.uk/appledat.htm. This cidery no longer exists, but they keep their website up of the orchard trees - http://www.crockettdesign.com/whiteoakcider/wourorchard.html

Thing is, now is when everyone is doing scion wood, so check craigs list or your local home orchard society for scions, and then find a nursery for rootstock to graft it to. I saw a scion from a cider orchard in Portland, OR for $2 a stick.

Remember - most apples need another variety to pollinate, but they have to over lap in the bloom periods.

I put in an order for Dabinette and Ashmead's Kernel this winter with my local home orchard society, which I might further expand with a Liberty next year.

thrstyunderwater said:

Does anyone have any recommendations on what trees to plant and maybe even where to get seedlings?

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PS - since it take two types of apple trees to pollinate, the seeds are not clones of the parents. It is kind of like breeding dogs - a whole litter of different puppies from two dogs, but in the case of apples, each seed is blend of two trees with no two seeds being alike, hence the grafting to have a consistent apple breed. Also, there is like a 1 in 300 chance that the seedling will be any good (eating, cooking, baking, or cider). Hence, the scions and rootstock grafting.

Thank you for the advice. I actually have a degree in forestry and am pretty familiar with grafting and scions. I'd only be interested in grafted seedlings. Then again I could perhaps plant whatever I want, let it become established, and then graft on the top that I want. Thoughts?

It is a good idea to get a few varieties because they perform differently according to the climate, soils etc. I have been told that the "sweet" varieties are a waste of time because dessert varieties can give the same result, and that it is better to get the "bitter'" varieties for the tannins.

http://mtvernon.wsu.edu/FruitHorticulture/Apples.html#ciderAppleTestPlot

This is a good site for learning about cider varieties available in the US.
Cider trees are usually grafted, not seedlings. You can get bare root trees posted in winter, search the net for heritage apple tree suppliers.

I graft my own cider trees on seedlings I raise myself, its quite easy. If you can dig up wild seedlings and get suitable scion wood its a cheap way to start an orchard.

I would highly recommend getting a book like this one.

There is an orchard near where I live that makes cider using vintage varieties, and they run this website which has a list of good cider making apple varieties. As Greg mentioned, you can plant apple trees as well. That book covers this. Good luck!

Sorry, that link seems to have expired, try

http://maritimefruit.wsu.edu/Apples.html