See Trees

Century Farm Orchards
Aunt Rachel: Chatham County. NC, [date?] disease resistant, fast growing, easy to prune. Ripens over several weeks late July to early August, red (and green?) with darker stripes, good for eating & cooking, flesh: white, firm, mildly tart, juicy

Johnson Keeper: Wilkes County, NC [date] Ripens late October, deep red, keeper, flesh: firm, sweet, juicy

(Johnson's Fine Winter? p 385Apples of New York Vol 1 https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15441957)

Grimes Golden -Its skin is yellow with some russet, flesh is yellow, firm, crisp, juicy, aromatic, sweet, and spicy. It ripens in September and stores fairly well. see also orangepippin
p154 Apples of New York Vol 1 https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15441561


There would be some cross pollination between the two, but probably not as much as I would like for you to have. For this reason, you probably would be able to utilize a Grimes Golden. It has excellent fruit, is a good pollinator and blooms over a long period of time. PS: there is no direct correlation between ripening period and blooming periods. But, as it turns out Aunt Rachel is an early bloomer and Johnson's is middle to late. It is not always that easy to assume bloom periods though.


Choose rootstock (dwarf or otherwise)
MM111 (semi-dwarf), 14 to 16 ft high, space 15-20’ with 20’ sep between rows. 3 to 5 years before bearing.


20170416 Both Malykin apples leafed out. No flowers. Sandviks & Bushes apples blooming.
20170319 "D" the one near the walk has leaf buds
20161217-18 pruned Malykin’s apples

Co planting:
Suppressors
Amaryllidaceae-Amaryllidoideae daffodil [2] deterring deer and rabbits [3]
Zephyranthes simpsonii, Zephyranthes atamasca, Hymenocallis occidentalis
A circle of bulbs should be planted underneath where the drip line of the apple tree will be when it is fully-grown.[3]
Apiaceae: carrots [2]

Attractors
bee balm, hyssop, borage [2]
Apiaceae: dill [2] fennel and coriander [3] native Eryngium sp "rattlesnake master"; Daucus pusillus _American_ Queen Anne's Lace, Osmorhiza longistylis, Chaerophyllum tainturieri, Angelica venenosa


Repelers
nasturtium [2] (deterrent of the notorious codling moth as well as many other insects)
Southernwood [2]
Tansy [2]
10 Pest Control Plants: mint, peppermint, basil, dill, marigold, sunflower, lemongrass, citronella, lavender, coriander [4]

Accumulator
10 Dynamic Accumulators: borage, comfrey, chickweed, yarrow, nettles, chicory, amaranth, moringa, lamb’s quarters, mulberry[4]
yarrow, chicory or dandelion [3]

Nitrogen
lupine, peas [2]
10 Forms of Nitrogen-fixing Foliage: pigeon pea, ice cream bean, Siberian pea, lupin, clover, vetch, Fabaceae: Apios americana (groundnuts) , kudzu, honey locust, carob (Here’s a massive list) [4]
Clover, vetch, peas a, beans and alfalfa [3]

Mulchers - Ground cover
10 Useful Ground Covers: sweet potato, red clover, salad vegetables, parsley, peanuts, squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, rhubarb, strawberries [4]

Other
chard, kale [2] therefore collards?
Echinacea [2]


Site:
soil test
The amendments should be worked into the soil to a depth of 12 to 18 inches where the tree will root, not just the planting hole.
full sun
air "drainage" (not by fence row, wooded area (ha), bottom of hill
water drainage



From [1]
The rootstock can be a "seedling," which produces a full size or standard tree, or the rootstock can be "size-controlled" or "dwarfing," which produces a tree that is smaller than full size. The rootstock determines the relative size of the tree but does not affect the type or quality of fruit that the tree bears. Different rootstocks are desirable because they can control the size of the apple tree, reduce the time until the tree reaches fruit-bearing age, and may offer some pest resistance.

Table 1. Rootstock characteristics.
RootstockTree Size as Percent of SeedlingTree Spacing in Row (ft)AnchorageYears to Fruit Production
Seedling*10015-18Excellent6-10
MM.1118514-18Excellent4-6
MM.1068012-16Excellent3-4
M.7a7010-14Fair3-4
M.26**508-12Poor2-4
Mark**35-406-8Good2-3
M.9**354-8Poor2-3
* Mature tree is 12-20 feet tall, depending on variety.
** Trees should be staked and tied to the stake at planting. Commonly used stakes consist of a 3-inch diameter wood pole or a 1-inch diameter metal conduit. The stake should be 10 feet high with 2 feet driven into the ground approximately 6 inches from the base of the tree.

Planting the Tree

Tree Purchase and Preparation - Purchase a healthy 1-year-old nursery tree, 4 to 6 feet tall, with a good root system. A small tree with a good root system will transplant better than a large tree. When you get the tree, protect it from injury, drying out, mouse or vole damage, freezing, and overheating. If the roots have dried somewhat, soak them in water for about 24 hours before planting. If you are unable to plant the tree immediately, there are two options:

  1. Wrap the roots in plastic along with moist sawdust or newspaper, and place the tree in a refrigerator or cooler at 40°F. Never store the tree with fruit or vegetables, as ethylene gas from ripening foods can kill young trees.
  2. "Heel-in" the tree. To heel-in a tree, dig a trench and place the tree roots evenly in it, cover the roots with soil, sawdust or peat, and water the tree thoroughly. The tree can be kept for several weeks using this method before permanently planting.

Planting the Tree - In North Carolina, trees can be set from late fall to early spring. To plant the apple tree, first dig a hole approximately twice the diameter of the root system and 2 feet deep. Place some of the loose soil back into the hole and loosen the soil on the walls of the planting hole so the roots can easily penetrate the soil. Spread the tree roots on the loose soil, making sure they are not twisted or crowded in the hole. Continue to replace soil around the roots. As you begin to cover the roots, firm the soil to be sure it surrounds the roots and to remove air pockets. Do not add fertilizer at planting time as the roots can be "burned". Fill the remainder of the hole with the loose soil, and press the soil down well. Important: The graft union must be at least 2 inches above the soil line so that roots do not emerge from the scion. When you have finished planting the tree, water well to eliminate air pockets and provide good contact between the roots and the soil.

Gala, Ginger Gold, Jonagold, Empire, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Crispin (Mutsu), Stayman, Rome, Fuji