Cider Chat

Orchardist Ben Applegate on cold climate orchard care Ben is the Orchard Manager at Eden Specialty Cider based in northern Vermont and shares his insight on cold climate apple varieties and orchard tips. This chat took place at Eden's orchards based in what is known as the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont in the town of West Charleston.  Ben Applegate There are 50 Apple varieties at the Eden orchard. Here is a list of just some of the apples discussed in this episode:  Newton Pippin Liberty Stembridge Cluster Rubinette Northern Spy Trembletts Bitter Ben discusses which varieties work well in a cold climate, while recommending that as the temperatures continue to rise both in Vermont and globally, he advises to plant trial apples for the changes ahead. Tips for new orchardists Why you should do a Soil test before planting and what to do with that knowledge Why pruning too early can offset young trees Which apple tree damaging insects to worry about In this Cider Chat episode: We learn about the challenges fac