I have a Macintosh and looking for cuttings to graft onto my tree, would like red delicious, honey crisp, court land and a soft sweet pear variety. Cannot think of anything I could trade, just starting out but would be happy to pay postage

At this point you are not even sure if this tree is seedling or a grafted variety. If it's a seedling you'll need to graft on another or other types unless you are extremely fortunate. By caring for the tree for a season you can find out if the fruit's worthwhile- 2 sprays, 1 at petal fall and 1 10 to 14 days later with Imidan or 3 on a tighter schedule with Sevin may be enough to adequately protect your fruit from insects. This winter you can look at some trees in a commercial orchard to get some sense of how much space is needed between branches- or go on line for some kind of visual information. Than you can aggressively thin branches to increse access to air and light. If the apples turn out to be worthless, the pruning will at least inspire vigorous new wood for sites to graft new varieties next season. In my lifetime I have brought literally thousands of neglected apple trees back into production. It can be a very satisfying endeavor.

Your question is pretty broad. It's similar to going onto an aviation forum and asking, "How do you fly a plane?" I'd recommend that you do some Google searches, search through and read some of the threads on here (see the search box at the bottom of the main forum), and maybe get some books on the subject. Research is the only way you are really going to get all of your questions answered. There is no perfect variety. Everyone's tastes are different and needs vary. Some people may value disease resistance highly, while others may be confident in their ability to treat their trees on a regular basis. Some may be seeking something different or be interested in preserving an older cultivars. The only universal difference between antique and modern apples is the amount of time the cultivar has been around. On average, modern cultivars are developed for consistent appearance and cosmetic appeal and tolerance of shipping and rough handling, while antique cultivars were often chosen for their flavor or cider-making qualities. Choosing a root stock should be about much more than dwarf v. semi-dwarf growth rate. Dwarf rootstock will result in a slower growing tree and may require less frequent pruning than a tree with a semi-dwarf rootstock, but the ultimate size of the tree is going to be determined by the pruner. Things like tree architecture, fruit size and quality, disease and pest resistance, drought resistance, soil adaptability, whether of not the tree requires external support, cold hardiness, proclivity to sucker, graft compatibility, amount of fruit produced (productivity), how young the tree will produce (precocity), how long the tree will last and produce fruit (senescence), and the amount and frequency of maintenance are also influenced or determined by rootstock selection. Don't waste money on buying unusually large trees. Larger trees are likely to experience more transplant shock. Smaller trees often outgrow and even overtake larger trees. Also, smaller trees are easier to plant. I usually start with 2' to 4' trees. Precocity will vary with scion and rootstock type, the age of the tree, and environmental conditions. In general, more dwarfing rootstocks will produce at an earlier age. Most of my semi-dwarf trees (so far, I've used EMLA111 rootstock exclusively) produced fruit their second year. I removed it early to allow the tree to spend more energy on becoming established. You really don't have to worry about having multiple cultivars for pollination if other apples are within eyesight. But, who can stop with just one type of apple? Personally, I'd shy away from multiple types grafted onto one tree. All-in-one trees require more attention to proper pruning technique and have a number of other disadvantages. The only time I would consider one is if I only had a very small spot and was limited to just one tree. If there's one thing you come away with from this response, it should be check your sources out before ordering! Your list of sources above tells me that you haven't even started doing that. Before buying any type of plant, check the nursery out on Garden Watchdog. I will include a link to my list of possible sources below. Urban Homestead, Burnt Ridge Nursery, and Cummins Nursery are examples of respectable sources for apple trees. Here is a link that might be useful: Sources for Fruit Trees and Plants

These apple varieties are considered more disease resistance (than most), Enterprise, Freedom, Liberty, Pristine and William's Pride. I don't know if any of these are self pollinating. However, if you see crab apple trees in your neighborhood, there is a good chance that your one tree will be pollinated. I like my William's Pride so much, I planted a second one. On semi-dwarf rootstock, it fruits in 3 yrs. It tastes good and is easy to grow. I don't know it's storage life. I never have enough because I also give them to friends and neighbors. In my climate, WP is resistant to Cedar Apple rust, apple scab and powderly mildew. I don't have to spray for any of these diseases. However, I don't think any apple variety is immune to insects such as apple maggot flies or coddling moths. I don't spray, I use a bagging method and hanging red spheres smeared with tangle foot glue to trap flies. You stated that you'll plant your tree in the front yard. If you don't want your neighbors to question why you put ziplock bags on your apples, you will need to learn to spray. Otherwise, it's diificult to get undamaged apples. Oh, after you do all that, squirrels will take your apples. They love fruit. The only effective way is to kill them. I have not had the guts to kill any (yet) and had many fruit taken away, at times, right in front of my eyes. Many of us here started growing fruit trees with little to no knowledge about it. At least you asked first before planting. I planted a few and faced a number of problems before I found this forum . Keep reading,and asking, you'll be successful.