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All about apples, pears, plums, and cherries - and orchards where they are grown

Northern Spy Apple tree

Owner: v

Location:  Lucknow, ONTARIO, Canada

Age:Planted in about
Rootstock:M26
Soil:rocky, calcifarious, light topsoil 
Climate at this location:zone 5a, North America, Great Lakes Basin
Pruning:annually, open vase style
Tree form:Bush (wider at top than bottom)
Height:Between 6ft / 2m and 15ft / 4m
Cropping:Biennial cropping (alternate years)
Growth:This tree grows easily here
Herbicides:Un-treated
Pesticides:Chemical treatments

Owner's comments

biennial but does crop every year - one year light, next heavy. Great storage apple (ida red is better, but spys are good). Apples afflicted by 'brown spot'. Treating with calcium, but still not resolved yet. Healthy, reliable, tree - very slow to begin bearing though (Trees were in for 11 years before crops began) Good eating apple and cooking. Winters here are long, have 3 to 6 feet of snow, and temperatures vary, with average of -8 to -15 degrees C., about 10 to 15 days will see -20 to -25 degrees C., and there is usually a damp northwesterly wind off the lakes.

Season records for this tree

  • 2011

    Harvest: 3rd week October