Hair metal, scab is no problem for me. I don't spray for it and I only get a little bit here and there. I have heard that scab is more a northern problem on apples; it can also be bad in the south but is not as likely to be. Fireblight on the other hand is a huge problem, as is CAR. Goldrush is a great apple for the mid-atlantic and it ripens here very well every year. It gets CAR badly however. In general I don't think the disease resistance breeding has been super helpful for us backyard mid-atlantic growers since scab is not a big problem and that is the main goal of the disease-resistance programs. On the other hand many apple varieties just can't "take the heat" or humidity. For example Akane is a wonderful tasting apple but the skin is just too easily penetrated by bugs and diseases and I get very few good fruits. My most bulletproof apple is an obscure old heirloom called Rambour d'Hiver, I harvest pretty much perfect apples from that tree every November. Scott

Thanks for responding -- yes, I did post over at the Fruit forum and got some responses. I ordered a Liberty apple from Adams County nursery in Pennsylvania and am very happy with the tree they sent. It's blossoming right now and looking sturdy and energetic.

There can be benefits of a disease resistant rootstock but it's not going to increase resistance of the scion. In the case of something like FB that travels through the tree a resistant rootstock or scion below can save the tree. But the scion above that lacks resistance won't become resistant itself. Any benefit will be by reducing disease pressure or limiting disease spread not by increasing resistance of a scion.

OK, correction; the apples on the branch are NOT King David, but Lady Williams (that's what happens when the Belgian Fence makes tracing the branch to the tag difficult). The King David in the hand are indeed runts, but excellent-tasting runts. I picked the Lady Williams today, also very nice, very marketable, but nothing close to King David. KD is still very firm when ripe, but in a pleasant sort of way, very sweet, with a distinctly winey taste, hints of Welch's grape juice, but also very spicy, appley, sweet-tart, matching the color. KD doesn't keep nearly like Arkansas Black unfortunately, but Lady Williams is reported to keep well and improve in ordinary storage, a plus where there is no refrigeration.