Empire
McIntosh x Red Delicious
Across the consideration criteria
How it grows
- Cold hardiness
- -28°F
- Ripening
- Mid-season
- Vigor
- Moderate (Inferred Default)
- Disease tolerance
- Moderate
- Drainage need
- Moderately Well
- Soil pH
- 5.8–7
- Graft requirement
- Graft Required
- US availability
- Widely Available
Considerations
Wood hardy to about -28°F.
Mid-season harvest.
Moderate overall resistance across the pome pathogens.
Canopy moderately resistant to fire blight, the dominant pome disease.
moderate (inferred default)
Prefers a pH band of 5.8–7.
These are intrinsic to the apple or pear. On a real property, Folia scores each against your site; here they're shown on their own.
Grows alike
similar to growYarlington Mill
shares its disease and spray profile · blooms in the same window
Zestar
shares its disease and spray profile · blooms in the same window
Wickson
shares its disease and spray profile · ripens in the same window
SweeTango
shares its disease and spray profile · blooms in the same window
Ashmead's Kernel
shares its disease and spray profile · blooms in the same window
Red Delicious
shares its disease and spray profile · blooms in the same window
Climate-adapted alternatives
more resilient picksCortland
similar winter hardiness · similar heat tolerance
McIntosh
similar winter hardiness · similar heat tolerance
Macoun
similar winter hardiness · similar heat tolerance
Northern Spy
similar winter hardiness · similar heat tolerance
Black Oxford
similar winter hardiness · similar heat tolerance
Priscilla
similar winter hardiness · ripens in a similar season
Could Empire grow on your land?
See how Empire scores against your specific property, with local precedent, climate, and the tradeoffs for your ground.
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