Dustin:

I don't think you will find systematic, detailed information on antique apple varieties that will reliably predict their growth habits when used to multi-graft trees, which I am assuming is your intention. What you can find, by individually googling varieties, are descriptions of various cultivars as sold and described by nurseries, and you can probably get some anecdotal descriptions here. Over the years, I have planted a dozen antique varieties, but am down to about 6 right now, having removed a number that were poor performers for one reason or another. Ashmead's Kernel and Albemarle Pippin have been the best antiques for me, but some others were disease-prone, poor producers, poor keepers, poor quality, or all of the above. The best apples I grow are more modern types like Goldrush, Blushing Golden, Fuji and Pink Lady, although we do use the antique Yellow Transparent as our best early sauce apple.

If you want to try multi-grafting antiques, I would suggest you begin with 3 or 4 selected varieties, and be prepared to adjust and try others as your experience grows. Your variety selection is best based on the proposed use of the apples; i.e. culinary use (piemaking, sauce), cidermaking, or long-keeping apples for fresh eating. You may get some individual suggestions, but no one is really in a position to tell you what varieties to try, since that is up to you. But you can choose those that appeal to you from your googling activity, then ask if anyone has experience with them here.

With all due credit to your extension office, my experience with over 35 apple varieties is that they all bloom within a few days of one another, and it is rare (though not impossible) to suffer total crop failure due to late frosts. Apples bloom later than fruits like peaches and plums, and most of the time the weather is settled enough that some blooms survive even with a late frost. There was a major exception this past Easter in the mid-South with a heavy, 4-day freeze, but that is very unusual, and hopefully will not be repeated for many years.

If you post again, you might provide a little more detail on your grafting plans, rootstock type and source, and your planting site. Every little bit of information helps when trying to provide useful advice and assistance.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

The Home Orchard Society in Portland has compiled a bunch of information on apples and other fruit including relative vigor of about 4000 apple varieties. It classifies all of the varieties into one of 3 categories by vigor.

There's a $10 charge to download the file. I assume the money goes to support the HOS.

There's also another one on bloom periods. http://www.homeorchardsociety.org/ebooks/

Here is a link that might be useful: sample of Tree Vigor booklet

I hate to follow my own post, but I should mention that Brogdale has information on a couple thousand varieties of apples (plus other fruits) and includes pictures, bloom period, harvest date, and storability. Its free.

Here is a link that might be useful: Brogdale Apples