Apple cultivars tolerant of alkaline soils: Prefer alkaline soil (according to full details in Martin Crawford book): * Barnack Beauty Sport * Barnack Orange * Red Charles Ross * Saint Everard Prefer alkaline soil (according to list of alkaline tolerant cultivars in Martin Crawford book): * Barnack Beauty * Barnack Beauty Sport * Barnack Orange * Charles Ross * Red Charles Ross * Saint Everard I'm guessing the latter is correct (in part because another source told me Red Charles Ross is identical to Charles Ross just with more colour, and it would also seem to make sense that if Barnack Beauty Sport and Barnack Beauty Orange prefer it then Barnak Beauty does too) Tolerate alkaline soil: * Crawley Beauty (cooker) * Gascoyne's Scarlet * Hyslop (crab) * Miller's Seedling * Red Miller's Seedling 1. Barnack Beauty Picking date: first 3 weeks of Oct Ripening dates: Dec, Jan, Feb, March (in normal storage) Flower date: 14 Flowing group: D Pests and Diseases: Scab - R Tp br: yes Dual: yes Fruit: medium, round-conical skin: gold, brightly flushed orange-red, striped red; flesh: pale cream, sweet, juicy, crisp, slightly aromatic, flavour strong, brisk, slight richness; fair. Also used for cooking Tree: moderate vigour, spreading, hardy, heavy cropper Flowers: ornamental. Conditions: tolerates chalk soils. Origin; UK (Lincs), c1840 Suppliers: 1,5,7,18 More info: http://www.orangepippin.com/apples/barnack-beauty Polination partners: Charles Ross, Gascoyne's Scarlet, http://www.keepers-nursery.co.uk/searchpolpartner.aspx?id=BARBEA 2. Barnack Beauty Sport Picking date: early-mid Oct Ripening dates: Dec, Jan, Feb, March (in normal storage) Flower date: 14 Flowing group: D Pests and Diseases: Scab - R Tp br: yes Dual: yes Fruit: medium, round-conical skin: gold, brightly flushed orange-red, striped red; flesh: pale cream, sweet, juicy, crisp, slightly aromatic, flavour strong, brisk, slight richness. Also used for cooking Tree: moderate vigour, spreading, hardy, heavy cropper Flowers: ornamental. Conditions: prefers chalk soils. Parentage: Sport of Barnack Beauty (more highly coloured) Suppliers: 1 3. Barnack Orange Picking date: early-mid Oct Ripening dates: Nov, Dec, Jan (in normal storage) Feb (in controlled cold storage) Flower date: 10 Flowing group: C Pests and Diseases: None Tp br: yes Dual: no Fruit: medium, round skin: yellow, flushed and striped red; flesh: yellow, sweet, juicy, firm, aromatic, flavour intense, brisk, rich - very good. Tree: moderate vigour, poor cropper Flowers: ornamental. Conditions: prefers chalk soils. Parentage: Barnack Beauty c Cox's Orange Pippin Origin; UK (Leics), 1904 Suppliers: 1,5 Pollination Partners: Charles Ross, Discovery, Miller's Seedling, Red Miller's Seedling, Saint Everard, Laxton's Superb, http://www.keepers-nursery.co.uk/searchpolpartner.aspx?id=BARORA 4. Charles Ross Picking date: mid Sep Ripening dates: end Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec (in normal storage) Flower date: 11 Flowing group: C psf Pests and Diseases: Scab - R Tp br: no Dual: yes Fruit: medium-large, conical skin: greenish-yellow, striped red, flushed organe-red flesh: cream, quite sweet, juicy, firm, slightly aromatic, flavour pleasant. Also used for cooking, juice. Tree: moderate vigour, spreading, hardy, sulphur-shy, good cropper. Does well in coastal regions. Flowers: susc to late frosts. Conditions: tolerates chalk soils. Diseases: susc to capsid bud. Origin; UK (Berks), 1890 Suppliers: Commonly available. 5. Red Charles Ross Picking date: mid Sep Ripening dates: end Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec (in normal storage) Flower date: 11 Flowing group: C psf Pests and Diseases: Scab - R Tp br: no Dual: yes Fruit: medium-large, conical skin: greenish-yellow, striped red, flushed organe-red flesh: cream, quite sweet, juicy, firm, slightly aromatic, flavour pleasant. Also used for cooking, juice. Tree: moderate vigour, spreading, hardy, sulphur-shy, good cropper. Does well in coastal regions. Conditions: prefers chalk soils. Diseases: susc to capsid bud. Parentage: Sport of Charles Ross - more colour Origin; UK (Berks), 1890 Suppliers: 1,9,11 Apparently "Apart from colour, identical to parent. Self-fertile." http://shop.deaconsnurseryfruits.co.uk/-3red-charles-ross-700-p.asp 6. Crawley Beauty (Cooker) Picking date: mid Oct Ripening dates: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb (in normal storage) Mar, Apr (in controlled cold storage) Flower date: 29 Flowing group: H Pests and Diseases: Resistant to Scab, Canker and Mildew Tp br: no Dual: yes Fruit: medium, flat-round, hangs well skin: greenish-yellow, brownish-red flushed, broken red striped flesh: white, tinged green, sweet-sharp, soft, flavour good late in season. Cooked qualities: texture; puree, flavour; light, good. Tree: moderate vigour, spreading, spur bearing, heavy cropper. Flowers: tolerant of late frosts. Conditions: tolerates chalk soils and all climates. Origin; UK (Sussex), c1870 Suppliers: 1,2,5,7,9,10,11,12,13. http://www.orangepippin.com/apples/crawley-beauty 7. Gascoyne's Scarlet Picking date: late Sep Ripening dates: Oct, Nov, Dec (in normal storage) Jan, Feb (in controlled cold storage) Flower date: 14 Flowing group: D trip Pests and Diseases: Scab - R Tp br: no Dual: yes Fruit: large, flat-round skin: pale greenish-cream, flushed bright red flesh: white, stained pink, sweet-sharp, dry, firm. Also used for cooking. Tree: high vigour, upright, spreading, good cropper. Flowers: susc to late frosts. Conditions: tolerates chalk soils. Diseases: susc to capsid bud. Origin; UK (Kent), 1871 Suppliers: 1,5,7,9,10. 8. Hyslop (crab) Picking date: Oct Ripening dates: Oct Flower date: Flowing group: Pests and Diseases: Tp br: no Use: yes Fruit: small, conical, hangs well during ripening skin: clear yellow, flushed dark red, blue bloom flesh: yellow, sharp, juicy, firm, flavour astringent. Also used for cooking, cider. Tree: moderate vigour, very hardy. Fruit to 4-8cm diameter Conditions: tolerates chalk soils. Parentage: Malus prunifolia Origin; USA 9. Miller's Seedling Picking date: late Aug Ripening dates: late Aug, Sep Flower date: 9 Flowing group: C psf Pests and Diseases: Scab - R Tp br: no Dual: no Fruit: small, round-conical skin: pale greenish-yellow, pink flushed, striped bright red, thin (susceptible to bruising) flesh: white, sweet-sharp, juicy, crisp, flavour savoury, refreshing. Tree: moderate vigour, often a biennial cropper, heavy cropper Conditions: potash-demanding, tolerates chalk soils, prefers dry climates, prefers cool summers Diseases: susc to capsid bud. Origin; UK (Berks) Suppliers: 1,,2,5,12,13,15 10. Red Miller's Seedling Picking date: late Aug Ripening dates: late Aug, Sep Flower date: 9 Flowing group: C psf Pests and Diseases: Scab - R Tp br: no Dual: no Fruit: small, round-conical skin: pale greenish-yellow, red flushed, striped bright red, thin (susceptible to bruising) flesh: white, tinged pink, sweet-sharp, juicy, melting, crisp, flavour savoury, refreshing Tree: moderate vigour, often a biennial cropper, heavy cropper Conditions: potash-demanding, tolerates chalk soils, prefers dry climate, prefers cool summers Parentage: Sport of Miller's Seedling - even red flush Suppliers: 1,7,9 Pollination Partners: Barnack Orange, Charles Ross, Cox's Orange Pippin, Discovery, Saint Everard, http://www.keepers-nursery.co.uk/searchpolpartner.aspx?id=REDMIL Some details from other sources: Red Miller is a more highly coloured sport of Miller's Seedling Use: Dessert Season of Use: Aug-Sep Colour: Flushed Flavour: Sweet Pollination Group: C Self-fertility: Partially Self Fertile Show suitable pollination partners http://www.keepers-nursery.co.uk/red_miller_variety.aspx Red sport of Miller’s Seedling. Medium, pale yellow with bright red flush. Crisp, soft, white, sweet flesh with refreshing acidity. Ideal for children. Can be biennial bearing. (Sport found Canterbury, Kent 1960) http://www.frankpmatthews.com/red-miller%60s-seedling.htm An old market favourite variety. Striking red stripes. Very early season; self-fertile. Compact tree. Worcester type flesh: crisp and tangy. Flesh tinged pink. http://www.suttonelms.org.uk/apple52.html We have been asked many times for this old variety from Berkshire in the Mid 1800's, once a prevalent market variety but now almost disappeared. An amazing rounded fruit striped and flushed in bright pinky red. The flavour too is distinctive and much loved, sweet but clean and refreshing and with a crisp but yielding flesh which is never soggy or tough. An apple which pleased many but its commercial downfall was brought about by its failure to travel well. A good garden tree which benefits from thinning to keep the fruit size of an acceptable grade. Season late August - September. Pollinate with Redsleeves, Saturn, Meridian, Sunrise, Bountiful etc. http://www.chrisbowers.co.uk/product_info.php?id=379 First recorded: pre 1948 Pick: Late Aug Use: Aug - Sept A red 'sport' of the Berkshire apple Miller's Seedling, which arose in the garden of Mr. Wheldon, of Sudbury, sometime before 1948. A small conical fruit that is easily bruised, with crisp, very juicy sweet flesh. http://www.applesandorchards.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=109&Itemid=254 11. Saint Everard Picking date: early Sep Ripening dates: Sep Flower date: 9 Flowing group: C sf Pests and Diseases: Scab - R Tp br: no Dual: no Fruit: small, round-conical skin: red striped, russet patches, tough flesh: sweet-sharp, juicy, aromatic, flavour rich, good. Tree: moderate vigour, spreading. Susceptible to watery cores. Conditions: prefers chalk soils. Parentage: Cox's Orange Pippin X Margil Origin; UK (Cambs), 1910 Suppliers: 1,5,7,11 Pollination Partners: Barnack Orange, Charles Ross, Discovery, Red Miller's Seedling, http://www.keepers-nursery.co.uk/searchpolpartner.aspx?id=STEVER Info from other sources: Flowering Group 3 Pollinated by groups 2, 3, 4 http://www.suttonelms.org.uk/apple78.html Variety Year Origin Season Type Description Pick Ripen Pollination Saint Everard 1910 Cambridgeshire Early Dessert Reinette type. Aromatic P-Sept R-Sept 3 http://www.heronsfollygarden.co.uk/herons_folly_garden_009.htm Medium Vigour http://www.homeorchardsociety.org/article/16/ --- NOTE: both Charles Ross and Crawley Beauty both appear on Martin Crawford's list of recommended apple cultivars in Creating a Forest Garden. See also this useful page: http://landed.weebly.com/growing-on-chalk.html On rootstocks it mentions that "Most books on growing fruit say that MM106 (semi-dwarfing) is suitable for a wide range of soils, including light ones. Robert Kourik's 'Designing and maintaining your edible landscape naturally' it specifically says that MM106 will tolerate alkaline (high pH) soils" Some people may be able to acidify their soils too. Here is a useful guide from the Royal Horticultural Society: https://www.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/Profile.aspx?pid=82 Note that is states: "If free lime or chalk is present, the soil cannot realistically be acidified. You can test for free lime or carbonate by adding vinegar to a soil sample. If ‘fizzing’ is seen, then free calcium carbonate is present."