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Orchard Listings Index > Alabama
Alabama Orchard Listings
Classical Fruits
8831 Hwy. 157
Moulton, AL 35650
Lawrence County
Due to the death of the orchard's owner, Classical Fruits is no longer in business.
Orchard Dale Fruit Farms Inc.
14264 Roosevelt Highway, Rt. 18
Waterport, AL 14571
Orleans County
Phone: (585) 682-5569
Apples: Ginger Gold, Gala, McIntosh, Cortland, Red Delicious, Empire, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Crispin, Idared, Cameo, Fuji, and Granny Smith
Other Fruit: Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries,Blackberries,Sweet Cherries, Peaches, Pumpkins
Website: www.brownsberrypatch.com
Pepper Orchard
Highway 72 East
Athens, AL 35611
Limestone County
Phone: (256) 230-6029
Scott's Orchard
2163 Scott Road
Hazel Green, AL 35750
Madison County
Phone: (256) 828-4563
Open: July - December; Sunday 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Monday - Saturday 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Directions: Go north out of Huntsville on U.S. highway 231-431. Go through Hazel Green, turn left at first street- Charity Lane. GO west approximitly 7 miles to 4 way stop. Turn right on Scott Road, go north 2.5 miles to orchard and sales building on the right.
Apples: Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Jonathan, Winesap, Rome Beauty, Arkansas Black, Granny Smith, Empire, Mutsu (Crispen), Jonagold, Fuji, Gala, Ginger Gold
Website: www.suncompsvc.com/scotts/
Steele Orchard
1695 County Road 1141
Cullman, AL 35057
Cullman County
Phone: (256) 734-5249
Open: Mid-August thru November 30; Monday-Saturday 8:00 am - 6:00 pm; Sunday 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Directions: From I-65 Exit 308; go West on Hwy. 278 for 3 1/2 miles; turn right on County Road 1141, about 2 miles on left.
Description: Eight different varieties of homegrown apples. Homemade southern fried apple pies, some peach. Jellies, apple butter, preserves, candied and caramel apples, dried apples by the bag, cookbooks, peelers and other related products with gift section. Apple gourds, apple wood chips for grilling, drinks.
Alabama's Apple Industry
Alabama growers have generally followed the trends of the U.S. as a whole in regard to establishing apple varieties. Sports of Red Delicious have largely dominated apple production in the state for many years, with selections of Golden Delicious being second in importance. Other varieties such as Jonathan, Rome, and Arkansas Black are grown but are secondary to the Reds and Goldens.
Historically, Alabama as well as the entire Southeast has had problems producing Red Delicious selections that develop acceptable red skin color for the wholesale market. The heat of August and early September is largely responsible for the poor red finish of Red Delicious grown in the South. And the shape or "typiness" of eastern-grown Red Delicious, which tend to be more round than elongated, have been considered inferior to Red Delicious grown in Washington state.
Golden Delicious selections grown in Washington also have beautiful, smooth, russet-free skin, whereas many Golden varieties grown in the Southeast develop a rougher, russeted appearance although their internal quality is fine.
Southeastern apple producers have adjusted to the competition in producing Reds and Goldens by selecting outstanding varieties. In the case of Red Delicious, the most highly colored and superior performing spur-type varieties are Redchief (both strains), Oregon Spur II, and, more recently, Scarlet Spur. Sharp Red and Early Red One are also acceptable, but because they are nonspur types, growers have largely stopped planting them.
In general, only spur-type Red Delicious selections are usually acceptable to the industry today. There is no doubt that additional Red Delicious varieties will emerge in the future. Cumberland Spur, a spur-type Red Delicious variety discovered as a sport in Jackson County, Alabama, (and recently patented) could well become the most outstanding Red Delicious in the East.
In contrast to the use of spur-type selections of Red Delicious, the commercial industry primarily uses nonspur selections of Golden Delicious. Among Golden Delicious selections grown in the Southeast, Smoothee has become the commercial producers' variety of choice. Firmgold and Lysgolden (Goldenir) have also performed well and are being grown commercially. All of these selections produce attractive, mostly russet-free fruit of high quality.
Although the following standard varieties are less popular, a number continue to be grown successfully in the state:
- Granny Smith performs quite well (standard, nonspur Granny Smith variety preferred).
- Ozark Gold, generally considered an early type of Golden Delicious, does well and has attractive golden fruit, but it possesses only fair flavor that is not nearly as good as Ginger Gold.
- Mutsu (a Japanese-type Golden Delicious) grows well and produces very high-quality fruit, but it seems to perform best in northern counties. Low yields have been a problem in central counties as well as northern counties.
- Several Jonathan selections have been grown in the state. Nured and Jonnee appear to be among the best varieties, and both have done quite well, especially in northern counties.
- Rome, particularly the Law Rome variety, and Arkansas Black (spur and nonspur selections) perform quite well as late varieties.
Among newer varieties introduced in the 80s and 90s, certain ones have performed quite well and are already being used by commercial producers. The latest selection to gain prominence is Ginger Gold, which will most likely develop into the leading early Golden type grown in the Southeast. It produces high yields of quality fruit that have already been accepted by the wholesale industry.
Another very promising variety is Jonagold (Golden Delicious X Jonathan). Upon its release, it was not considered to be a variety for the Southeast because of the heat, but it continues to show promise as a commercial variety. It may well become a standard variety in the future.
Fuji (and its sports) has adapted well to southeastern conditions and continues to be planted by commercial producers. Since its appearance is secondary and its internal quality is outstanding, growers remain optimistic about its future and are already successfully marketing the fruit.
Gala (and its sports) has proven just as successful as Fuji, and it is already being marketed by commercial growers. Gala has rapidly become the early season variety of choice. Although Royal Gala is the most heavily planted sport, it is anticipated that most of the other recently released sports will also perform well. With the emergence of Gala and Ginger Gold, growers now have two of the most outstanding early season varieties ever grown in the Southeast.
Source: Alabama Cooperative Extension
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