Uploaded December 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Tomboy is a new dessert crab apple that I grew from a seed. The genetic parents are Wickson and rubaiyat. It is small, rough and rustic looking on the outside, but hiding a super sweet flesh with pink highlights. Best name ever for this little apple! While dessert crabs can be excellent and a few are much loved by apple growers and collectors, they are very underrepresented, with only a handful of varieties.
This category of apples has massive potential for breeding new excellent varieties, since we have some excellent parents to work with in Chestnut Crab, Wickson, Trailman, Centennial and Crimson Gold. Just from the seeds I grew out this year of this same cross, 108 seeds, and the other crosses I made with Wickson, including Wickson x Appleoosa and Wickson x Black strawberry, we can expect probably dozens of new excellent varieties. I say that with some conviction, because out of the 4 Wickson x Rubaiyat crosses I have fruited, 2 are already named, Tomboy and Cherub and one more is promising. And then there are the literally thousands of intentionally cross pollinated, and naturally pollinated seeds with dessert crab parentage that I and other people are growing out from seed I've collected. Dessert crab will someday be very diverse and very popular with home orchardists and fruit collectors, but I hope also they will find their way into stores.
I sell seeds in the winter. Best way to find out when seeds become available is to join me on Patreon, or follow my blog @ skillcult.com/blog
#shorts
Support on patreon.com/skillcult has been critical in keeping me experimenting and making content. If you want to help me help others, this is probably the best way to do it. Thank you Patrons for supporting the mission!Donations can also be sent via PayPal @: paypal.com/paypalme/SkillCultBuy less, but buy it through my links! Shopping through my affiliate links generates revenue for me, at no extra cost to you, click links here, or go to my Amazon Store page: skillcult.com/amazon-store But seriously, buy less, do more.Standard gear I recommend. I either use or have used all of it. Council Tool Boys Axe: amzn.to/3z0muqIBahco Farmer's File: amzn.to/3Hbdhij King two sided sharpening stone: amzn.to/32EX1XCSilky f180 saw: amzn.to/3yZzM71ARS 10 foot long reach pruner: amzn.to/3esETmMVictorinox grafting/floral knife: amzn.to/3Jki1E9Wiebe 12” fleshing tool: amzn.to/3sB0qSlAtlas Elbow Gloves: amzn.to/3FwB5g6BOOKS:The Axe Book, by Dudley Cook: amzn.to/32kx7sNBushcraft, by Mors Kochanski: amzn.to/32q2rpTSubscribe to my channel for more insightful Self Reliance related content: youtube.com/skillcult/subscribe Click the bell icon to be notified of new content. Subscribing doesn’t mean that much on it’s own.Blog and website: skillcult.com/blogInstagram and Facebook @SkillCult
Tomboy is a new dessert crab apple that I grew from a seed. The genetic parents are Wickson and rubaiyat. It is small, rough and rustic looking on the outside, but hiding a super sweet flesh with pink highlights. Best name ever for this little apple! While dessert crabs can be excellent and a few are much loved by apple growers and collectors, they are very underrepresented, with only a handful of varieties.
This category of apples has massive potential for breeding new excellent varieties, since we have some excellent parents to work with in Chestnut Crab, Wickson, Trailman, Centennial and Crimson Gold. Just from the seeds I grew out this year of this same cross, 108 seeds, and the other crosses I made with Wickson, including Wickson x Appleoosa and Wickson x Black strawberry, we can expect probably dozens of new excellent varieties. I say that with some conviction, because out of the 4 Wickson x Rubaiyat crosses I have fruited, 2 are already named, Tomboy and Cherub and one more is promising. And then there are the literally thousands of intentionally cross pollinated, and naturally pollinated seeds with dessert crab parentage that I and other people are growing out from seed I've collected. Dessert crab will someday be very diverse and very popular with home orchardists and fruit collectors, but I hope also they will find their way into stores.
I sell seeds in the winter. Best way to find out when seeds become available is to join me on Patreon, or follow my blog @ skillcult.com/blog
#shorts
Support on patreon.com/skillcult has been critical in keeping me experimenting and making content. If you want to help me help others, this is probably the best way to do it. Thank you Patrons for supporting the mission!Donations can also be sent via PayPal @: paypal.com/paypalme/SkillCultBuy less, but buy it through my links! Shopping through my affiliate links generates revenue for me, at no extra cost to you, click links here, or go to my Amazon Store page: skillcult.com/amazon-store But seriously, buy less, do more.Standard gear I recommend. I either use or have used all of it. Council Tool Boys Axe: amzn.to/3z0muqIBahco Farmer's File: amzn.to/3Hbdhij King two sided sharpening stone: amzn.to/32EX1XCSilky f180 saw: amzn.to/3yZzM71ARS 10 foot long reach pruner: amzn.to/3esETmMVictorinox grafting/floral knife: amzn.to/3Jki1E9Wiebe 12” fleshing tool: amzn.to/3sB0qSlAtlas Elbow Gloves: amzn.to/3FwB5g6BOOKS:The Axe Book, by Dudley Cook: amzn.to/32kx7sNBushcraft, by Mors Kochanski: amzn.to/32q2rpTSubscribe to my channel for more insightful Self Reliance related content: youtube.com/skillcult/subscribe Click the bell icon to be notified of new content. Subscribing doesn’t mean that much on it’s own.Blog and website: skillcult.com/blogInstagram and Facebook @SkillCult
