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Shavel Sharp Cider Apple

scionwood
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Malus spp.
This is a twig for grafting. Fall, red-striped skin.

Bittersharp cider apple. Unknown parentage. Yarmouth, ME, c. 1960.

In our ongoing search for local bitter cider apples, this is a current favorite. Introduced to us by cidermaker Steve Barr who declared it the most bitter apple he’d ever tasted. It’s right up there. Small (1½–2") red-striped fruit is very juicy, highly astringent and very difficult to eat. We dare you to try one and keep a straight face! The original tree may be a seedling or possibly a rootstock with a failed graft. Our name for it is a combination of the current owners’ name and the farm’s traditional name.

Scionwood made available through the generosity of the Shavel family at the old Sharp Farm. Blooms mid-late season. Z4.
ships in early spring
Quick Details
Harvest Season
fall
Skin Color
red-striped
Hardy to Zone
4
Compare
Compare with other Cider Apples
Variety Product Type Harvest Season Skin Color Hardy to Zone
Bramtot bare-root trees fall russeted green 4
Cellar Hole Bitter bare-root trees fall pink-spotted yellow 4
Cranberry bare-root trees fall dark red 4
Dabinett bare-root trees late fall red-striped 4
Fuel Service bare-root trees fall yellow 4
Harrison bare-root trees mid-late fall yellow 4
Harry Masters Jersey bare-root trees fall red-striped 4
Hewe’s Virginia Crab bare-root trees fall red 4
Kingston Black bare-root trees fall russeted red 4
Major bare-root trees early fall pinkish rosy red 4
Medaille d’Or bare-root trees late fall russeted yellow 4
Otterson bare-root trees fall dark red 4
Piel de Sapa bare-root trees fall russeted gold-green 4
Porter’s Perfection bare-root trees late fall red-blushed 4
Redbyrd Bitter bare-root trees red-blushed 4
Shavel Sharp bare-root trees fall red-striped 4
Shire’s Everlasting bare-root trees early fall bright green 4
Vilberie bare-root trees late fall green 4
Yarlington Mill bare-root trees fall red-striped 3
Robert’s Crabapple bare-root trees fall deep purple 4
Gnarled Chapman scionwood fall russeted yellowy-green 4
Shavel Sharp scionwood fall red-striped 4
Additional Information

Scionwood

Scions are twigs, not trees. They have no roots and will not grow if you plant them. They are cuttings from dormant branch tips, intended for spring grafting.

We do our best to provide ¼" caliper stock. Because of factors beyond our control (such as weather!) stock may be 3⁄16–3⁄8".

We sell scionwood in two ways:

  • By the stick: One 12" stick can graft 4-6 trees.
  • By the foot: Minimum order of 10 feet per variety. For orchardists grafting large numbers of trees of a particular variety. In our own nursery work, we are usually able to graft 6-8 trees from one foot of scionwood.

You can graft right away or store scionwood for later use. It will keep quite well for several weeks stored in sealed ziplock bags in the refrigerator.

For more info:
About Scionwood

Apples

Choosing the Right Apple

Not sure where to start? Check out our Apple Chart!

Choosing a variety: Not every variety may be right for you. All-purpose apples are just that—they’re good for a bunch of jobs. If you're planting just one tree, perhaps start there. However, if you’re a history buff, consider the historical varieties and maybe plant one that originated nearby. If you don’t eat many apples but love pies, go for the pie apples. If you’re a dessert connoisseur, skip all the others and go for the highly flavored dessert varieties. Some are strictly for cider. Some are great to put out at the camp for summer use. Some are perfect for those who want fall fruit but don’t have a root cellar. Others keep all winter and into the following summer.

  • Summer apples ripen in summer, are generally crisp only for a short period, do not store well, and are often best for cooking.
  • Fall apples store longer and are useful for a wide variety of purposes.
  • Winter apples ripen mid to late fall, store well, and reach their best flavor after weeks, or even months, of storage.
  • Dessert apples are delicious eaten raw.
  • Crabapples are less than 2" in diameter. Some crabs bear edible or culinary or cider-making fruit. Some have persistent wildlife fruit that hangs on the tree for weeks or even months. Others have hardly any fruit at all. Some are beautiful ornamentals.
  • Cider apples are especially suited to making fermented “hard” cider. Some cider apples are also good dessert fruit, but most are not.
  • Subacid means tart!
  • Russet or russeting is a skin texture (fairly common on apple varieties and on a few pears and potatoes) which looks and feels somewhat like suede.
  • Bloom is a naturally occurring dust-like yeast film on the skin of some varieties of apples, plums, grapes and blueberries.

Cider Apples

Each year we offer a different assortment of the best European and American cider varieties, including new wild apple introductions from local fruit explorers and cidermakers. Many of these are NOT for fresh eating. They do however possess qualities that make them very desirable for fermented cider production.

Seedling Apples

These trees were grown from seeds, rather than grafted onto rootstock like the other apple varieties we offer. These standard-sized trees will grow to 20–30'.

Flowering and Culinary Crabapples

A crabapple is any apple with fruit smaller than 2" in diameter. All crabs bear edible fruit, some more favorable for culinary use than others. Some fruits are persistent, hanging on the branch through winter and providing forage for robins, jays and waxwings in the early spring. The flowers, tree form and even the shape of the leaves can vary subtly or profoundly. Most are magnificent in bloom and ornamental year round, especially in winter when the leaves drop and the trees show off their interesting forms.

Growing Apples

  • Soil: Adaptable, but prefers well-drained fertile soil.
  • Sun: Full.
  • Pollination: Requires a second variety for pollination. Any apple or crabapple blooming within a quarter mile will probably do.
  • Planting and Pruning: See our planning and planting and pests and diseases pages for more information about soil prep, planting, pruning, and pest control.
  • Spacing:
    • For trees on Malus domestica (standard) and Bud 118 rootstock, 20–25' apart.
    • M111 semi-dwarf, 15–20' apart.
    • G890 semi-dwarf, 10–15' apart.
    • Bud 9 dwarf, 5–10' apart.

Shipping

Orders for scionwood placed after February 20 will ship around late April through mid-May, in the order in which they were received. Sorry, we cannot expedite these orders.