Cortland Apple Tree Facts
The Malus domestica "Rosaceae," known as the "Cortland" apple, is a relative of the "McIntosh" apple with a similar look, texture and taste. Horticulturists at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, created the tree by hybridizing the "Ben Davis" and McIntosh apple in 1915. By 1965, the Cortland apple tree -- and its succulent, hard apples -- was the third most important apple cultivar grown in New York state. Does this Spark an idea?
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Type
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The Malus domestica "Roseacea" is a cold hardy tree, which means it survives, and thrives, on below freezing temperatures in the winter. Like other cold hardy apple trees, like the "Red Delicious," the "Gala" and the "Empire," the cold temperatures are essential to the Cortland apple tree's producing quality, juicy, hard fruits in autumn and spring.
Characteristics
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Cortland apples do not brown when sliced, making them ideal for fruit salads and toppings. The Cortland apple grows to about 20 feet tall and 10 feet wide, a large though average size for hardy apple trees. The deciduous tree produces green leaves in a simple oval shape, with a tip at the end and softer underside. In mid to late spring, the tree produces white and pink flowers. The apples are medium sized, with a deep red or red-potato like coloring. The white flesh flavor is mild, but sweet.
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Growing the Trees
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The Cortland apple tree grows ideally in hardiness zones 5 through 8, according to experts at Backyard Gardener. Plants in these zones can tolerate winter temperatures from -20 to 10 degree Fahrenheit and produce delicious fruits. The tree requires partial sun to full sun, especially in the spring and summer months for the apples to ripen. Normal to moist soil keeps the tree nourished.
Production
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The harvest time for Cortland apples is from September to October. In 2001, a total of 543,944 Cortland apple trees were planted on 3,494 acres in New York, according to the researchers at Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. From 2000 to 2004, Cortland apple trees produced, throughout the United States, 2.3 million bushels of apples each year. Note that a bushel is roughly 45 pounds.
Location
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The Cortland apple grows most abundantly in New York. It is a "New York State Apple" like the Empire and the McIntosh. However, the Cortland apple tree is also grown abundantly in Quebec and Ontario because it adapts well to freezing temperatures.
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References
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