Frank, I got it from the same ultimate source, Dave Wilson Nursery. I got it through Bay Laurel Nursery, one of the other nurseries selling DW trees online. I owe another installment on the fruits. Wickson - this little apple has been excellent. It needs to hang until the background turns yellow. It keeps a long time. The taste is more like a stone fruit: sweet/sour like a plum and the aroma of peaches and apricots. Yum!! Myers Royal Limbertwig - A very nice apple on the sweet side with good aroma as well. It has the pendulant branch habit of many limbertwigs. Rambour d'Hiver - a large French apple which is pretty obscure these days. It is actually not that different from many American apples, e.g. Stayman Winesap comes to mind. Not a strong aromatic favor but a very good sweet/sour balance plus an exceptionally good crunch. Gold Rush - not too many apples this year but they are all excellent - hard, flavorful, with this unusual anise/spicy flavor. A truly great gourmet apple. The quality of the fruit has been very good. The tree did well except it gets cedar apple rust - not sure why this tree touted for such disease resitance is a CAR magnet. Most of my White Winter Pearmain dropped to early, I think the tree lacked water (it sits on a raised area). But, a couple hung on and they are really excellent apples -- something like a Mutsu but quite a bit more concentrated in aromatic flavors. My Geneva 3 hardy kiwis are coming in now, tons of 'em. They are ripening unevenly which makes harvest difficult. I don't like them until they have started to shrivel, they are too acidic before then. Fully ripened they are very good, a bit better than a good Hayward. I had a big harvest of quince and made various compotes, jelllies, etc. I don't know how big a fan I am of them, it takes a lot of quince to make jelly and I feel like I am just flavoring sugar. My wife made a baked quince recipe which was very good. If nothing else the quince will be handy as pectin for other jellies and jams. Scott

Thanks for all the positive feedback, it's nice to hear. :) Well, I have now started in on the pressure canning. I did get 12 pts. of Katie's Roasted Tomato and Garlic soup last week and 8 pts. of beef stock yesterday. Today/tomorrow it's chicken stock and chicken soup, then next week apple sauce and apple pie filling. It's kind of a relief to be away from the tomatoes for a while. :) And I am getting more comfortable with the pressure canning. I got the Presto 23 Qt. and the optional weighted pressure regulator. My gauge seems pretty darn accurate so far, but I love the ease and consistency of using the weights; I'm glad I spent the extra $20. I probably will can more tomatoes next year - I'm just a glutton for punishment! :) But I will probably spread it out and not do it all 6 or 7 days in a row. Since I don't really grow enough tomatoes to can, I buy them when I want to can. There's a great organic farm the other side of town (Petaluma, CA) that has been selling tomatoes $1/lb or $12/crate; I've gotten over 20 lbs. in a crate! They also sell the overripe tomatoes as "sauce tomatoes" for $5/box (about 20 lbs). So it's very reasonable cost-wise. I don't get the satisfaction some of you do by starting from seed, but it's still pretty darn satisfying. And as several of you have commented, it sure is all pretty to look at too. We're just wrapping up a kitchen remodel; my husband is about to start on the shelves in our small walk-in pantry. I can't wait to see all my jars and jars on my new shelves!!!! Kathy

you dont change pH by splashing around some vinegar ... and you dont use soil in pots .. you use media .. and if something happens after a transplant.. into a pot.. then we assume it transplant shock.. and not start throwing remedies around... until it over comes its shock ... and i dont understand.. upon extending the bed.. and it tested fine.. you threw around minerals????? it seems.. like you have used more additives.. and remedies.. in your short experience .. than i have used in decades ... i wonder if.. on some level.. you arent making this all harder than it needs to be.. by messing with every variable under the sun ... have you ever tried.. just planting something in virgin mother earth.. and watering it???? i learned .. a long time ago.. the harder i tried.. the worse things became.. and i now sum that up by saying: i killed more things with too much love.. than i ever did.. with benign neglect ... but that does NOT include not watering ... i also call that: loving things to death .... ken

Thanks all! I'm happy to say that the little fella has perked up since receiving some water. Perhaps it was just thirsty after all. Or root damaged and thirsty. In any case, lesson well learnt. Monitor water situation even more carefully esp when they are fruiting, and do not remove stake! In my defense, I had no idea at all it was going to be this big. I thought it would be a nice neat little determinate plant. But no, it's now growing taller than me, definitely indeterminate! Thanks again :)