Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/386317
www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER OCTOBER 2014 21 Dolco Packaging New Premium Pear Tray Now available in: Euro Tray Pack Sizes ET 18, 21, 24, 27, 30 U Premium protection for the pears. U Enhances presentation of the fruit. U Packs faster than existing Euro's, by eliminating the use of individual wraps. U Eliminates use of layer pads. Also available: Premium Apple Trays with U Patented design with built-in channels to allow moisture to run off in hot/humid climates. U Available in full line of apple tray sizes (48's through 150's). Dolco manufactures foam packaging and containers in a wide variety of shapes sizes and strength. Contact your DOLCO PACKAGING OR HR SPINNER CORP. Sales Representative for more details. 80VY 1121 South Columbia Street - Wenatchee, WA 98801 SVC has cider budwood S ummerland Varieties Corporation (SVC) in British Columbia, Canada, can supply cider apple budwood to growers and nurseries, but it only has a small quantity compared to popular des- sert varieties, said Nick Ibuki, operations manager. SVC is a variety rights management company, which manages apples and cherries developed at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's breeding program in Summerland, as well as other varieties. But it also has a 20-acre virus-free budwood orchard with around 500 different variet- ies. It serves as a repository of material that is available for growers in North America and includes the following cider varieties. Sweets (Less than 0.2 percent tannins; less than 0.45 percent malic acid): SVC has Calville Blanc, Golden Russet, the new vari- ety from Japan called Miki Life, and Sweet Coppin. However, Ibuki said B.C. growers tend not to grow sweet cider varieties but use culls of dessert apples instead. Bittersweets (More than 0.2 percent tannins; less than 0.45 percent malic acid): Dabinett is the primary bittersweet apple used for cider, though SVC also has Miche- lin, Muscadet de Dieppe, Bulmer's Nor- man, Porter's Perfection, and Yarlington Mill. Sharps (Less than 0.2 percent tannins; more than 0.45 percent malic acid): Varieties include Bramley's Seedling, the Burgundy apple from New York, Esopus Spitzenberg (Thomas Jefferson's favorite apple), and Winesap. However, some growers are using Cripps Pink, Pink Lady, and Granny Smith as their sharp varieties, Ibuki said. Bittersharp (More than 0.2 percent tannins; more than 0.45 percent malic acid): The most popular variety in this category is Kingston Black, which makes a good single-variety cider. —G. Warner Tvergyak said his nursery has grown cider apple trees for about three to four customers who ordered around 1,000 trees or more. In every case, the customer provided the scion wood from their own trees. Much of the budwood comes from one-year- old suckers, and Tvergyak encouraged growers to take wood from the ends of the limbs rather than the trunk in order to increase the probability of the new trees being true to type. Sherrye Wyatt, executive director of the Northwest Cider Association, asked if a group of association members could submit a bulk order for nursery trees. Tvergyak said his nursery handles bulk orders for a group of growers in New York who have 20 to 40 acres of dessert apples that they grow for their roadside stands. The nursery just asks that they get their orders in early and take delivery at one location. "That way, we can load a semi and keep separate accounts for each grower—our bookkeeper takes care of that—so that's a really good idea," he said. Ibuki said group orders are much easier for nurseries than small orders, which are a challenge all the way through the production process. "If you can get one person to quarterback that and get one drop-off location, it's easier, and it's a lot cheaper, too. It brings the price down." The seminar, "Hard Cider from Orchard to Shelf," was presented by the Northwest Agriculture Business Center at Big Bend Community College. •