J:

With your very long growing season I'd plant Pink Lady and Sundowner. These are both Australian bred and very late maturity fruit. Also if you can find it Goldrush, another late very high quality apple.

You also should check out the San Diego chapter of the California Rare Fruit Growers. They have lists of approved low chill fruits. Their weather is similar to yours only a lot drier in summer.

Here is a link that might be useful: CRFG San Diego chapter recommended fruits

Thanks fruitnut.

Pink lady & sundowner are the standard supermarket apples over here I was hoping that I'd be able to grow something a bit different. Guess the reason they're in the supermarket is because they grow well here. Might not have a choice from the sounds of it. Goldrush isn't available in Australia that I've seen.
Do early season apples generally require more chill hours? The apples I've already planted are mid-late season. Wanted to spread the harvest out a bit.

There is no relationship between chilling needs and harvest maturity. In fact many people report that apples are very tolerant of less than optimum chilling. They flower and fruit even with very little chilling. If you get 500-700 hrs, plant any apple and it should fruit. Bloom and leafing may be delayed and weak but the tree will still fruit.

That is good to know! I find it fascinating how these thing work. I can see how an apple would still manage to produce in less than ideal conditions you just have to look around and see where some plants are growing - out of cliffs, pretty much no soil, etc. some places you read about chill hours and they make it sound like the be all and end all of growing apples. Welcome news that you can push the boundaries a bit.

Thanks for the help

gooooone;

Ignore the chilling hours and plant what you want. The Grove Research Station in Tasmania can provide scionwood for a lot of old varieties if you just get a Granny Smith or something to graft onto. Daley's may carry some of the odder varieties also.

Applenut

Applenut,

Thanks for the info. I'd run across the grove research station in tas on the net before. Misread the info thought it was only whole sale but that just means a min $50 order. I've bought quite a few things from daleys mostly sub tropicals. Don't know why but I got an idea in my head that I should get apples from specialist nurserys. Woodbridge fruit trees and Heritage fruit trees. The idea of a bunch of apple varieties on each of my espaliers is very appealing as we have very limited space.

goooone;

Well happy hunting, and if you find a good source let us know as there are other Aussies probably looking for the same thing. I correspond a lot with your Min. of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry.

Applenut

Will do applenut.

Was wondering how you & fruitnut seemed to know so much about the climate in Australia. In particular how you knew about some of the nurserys. Guess that last post explains it.

Thanks again both of you.