Tomkins County King Apple
Malus domestica 'Tomkins County King'
Tomkins County King is a very large apple that has proven good for all uses from dessert, pies, sauce, cider and drying. The fruit is smooth, yellow with an orangish red, and some striping. The flesh is yellow, tender and course, but has a rich, sub-acid balanced flavor. It is not a good storage apple, showing water-core and greasiness overtime. The tree is dwarfish, but precocious and somewhat vigorous. The variety is a tri-ploid so requires cross pollinator with another normal variety.
Alternate Names: Flat Spitzenburg, King, King Apple of America, Toma Red, Tommy Red, Tom's Red, Winter King
Tomkins County King is also commonly known as King. It originated in New Jersey around 1750, but gained its fame in New York. It was introduced around 1804. It once was a common drying apple in California.
Many heirloom varieties have some natural resistance to apple scab and other diseases, since they were often discovered and grown well before fruit growers started to use chemicals for disease control. However, you may still want to be vigilant about fire blight, apple scab, and other fungal diseases and spray when the need arises. Protect from insect damage like normal.
- Height: 10-12
- Spread: 10-12
- Zone: 4-8
- Color: Bright red