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I emailed Raintree and requested a change of my order. Initially I ordered a crab apple, Prairie Fire. Later I found the same variety and bought it. I thought I would let the order remain, for a second one of the same variety. Then, eating some more apple pie, decided to change the order.
I emailed them and they were happy to oblige.
The replacement order is for a multigraft, disease resistant varieties on M106 rootstock. M106 should result in a moderately vigorous tree roughly 10 feet tall. Fine for my little orchard, especially with pruning. Raintree says a bit bigger, 12 to 15 feet. Either size is OK. Probably no concern for planting pollinators, given it is multigraft. Choices are 3 of... Queen Cox, Belmac, Rubinette and / or Pristine. One will be missing - their 3 in 1 are 4 in 1 that had one graft fail. I did that with an Asian pear and am happy with that.
By going with disease resistant varieties, there should be less frustration in the future, and no need to spray. At least, that's the plan.
Later, I could graft on other varieties. This looks like a good start.
Anxious for the order to arrive. Probably in a month.
Got the little Honeycrisp / M27 back into the ground. This time it will have support - required for trees on M27 rootstock. That was my mistake before. The next question is what to graft onto the second stem. This tree will probably only grow 5 or 6 feet tall. This site lists Liberty as an option. Easy, since we have a Liberty tree to supply scion. Minnesota lists Jonagold among others. I thought Jonagold was pollen sterile. In fact, Spokane site states Jonagold is a nonpollinator. Maybe graft on a Liberty scion, plus add another small M27 tree, such as Jonared. Jonathan was my favorite, growing up in Illinois.
Next change - I ordered a dwarf Jonared from Starks. I have not ordered from them before. Jonared is a sport of Jonathan, redder skin. Origin, Penashtin Washinton, 1934. Jonathan originates 1864. So this is a true heritage variety. Not great in the disease-resistance department. Parentage, seedling of Esopus Spitzenburg, which coincidentally is one of my grafts from last year. Also the pollen parent of Karmijn de Sonnaville (1949), which I also have in the Vancouver yard. Karmijn is also a self-sterile triploid, that can't pollinate others.
From Raintree on pollinizers - editing out the trees I don't have or haven't ordered this year. Most should overlap. I don't have data for Prairie Fire Crabapple, which should pollenize any of the listed varieties, if there is bloom time overlap. From OrangePippenTrees.com - "The prolific blossom also makes most crab apples excellent pollinators for all other apple and cider-apple varieties - they typically produce five to ten times more pollen than a typical apple tree. The blossom is also usually more long-lasting than that of normal apples, and spans several of the mainstream apple flowering groups. Crab apples are naturally precocious and will often start producing blossom and fruit in their 2nd or 3rd years."
Early-Mid Season = Pristine, Scarlet Sentinel, Liberty
Mid Season = Jonagold, Golden Sentinel, Belmac, Spitzenberg,, Karmijn
Mid-Late Season = Honeycrisp
Italic = self sterile, requires pollenizer and is not a pollenizer for others.
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