Has anyone heard of good apples being grown in the North ?

By good I mean firm, crispy & sweet (Granny Smiths, Cox's Pippin), not the shiny, red, mushy, tasteles crap they pass off as apples in the markets.

I've asked someone to bring some small saplings for me from England, but they've been told they need quite cold weather for at least 2 months for them to fruit.

I live in Mae Hongson area at 500m & it gets pretty cold at night Jan Feb (below 10 deg C), but daytimes are still pleasantly warm, does anyone have any idea if this would work ?

I think that the common wisdom is that the colder the weather that a variety of apple can withstand the better the quality of the apple will be both for texture and flavor. Good quality apples seem to always be grown in places where it freezes in the winter and there are frosts before the harvest season. It doesn't seem that you will grow a good quality apple in Thailand.

Chownah

google apple chilling requirements and you should get your answer.

Thanks for the replys, but no good news !

Thanks SBK, lots of info out there if you know what question to ask.

So it sounds like the only ones that stand a chance are the varieties grown in California or Australia, has anyone tried these, are they any good ie not powdery & tastless ?

We buy apples here all the time, kids love them and we have fruit after dinner every night. Just last night we had the very crispy ones and they are bought by the missus up the street or from the truck that drives around the streets selling fruit and veg.

Now I dont believe these are the expensive imported ones, they would have to be local Thai from somewhere, but I guess they could be from China.

I would like to know also for when I get my country joint, I want to grow many fruit types and apples will be one if possible.

My wife says that all of the good apples at our local market are from china....same for the sali....same for the carrots...

Chownah

I've been told many a times by Thais that though Thailand has a variety of fruits, apple is grown nowhere here. I was surprised and could not believe it first. Now seeing the requirement about chilling temp., I can see why. Or please tell me that I'm wrong and there are places growing here in Thailand.

They are grown in China and make their way down to Thailand by the truckload through Laos (where I am)