Apple, Stayman Winesap, Bare Root

Stayman Winesap Apple (Malus domestica)

Stayman Winesap is a late heirloom apple with dense flesh, rich acidity, and a spicy aroma. It is useful for baking, cider blends, and fresh eating after some time in storage.

Key Characteristics

Rich flavor for pies and cider blends

Sweetness and acidity give the fruit more depth than a mild dessert apple. Use it to bring a sharper note to juice, or bake it when you want an assertive apple flavor.

A keeper with a skin-management trade-off

Sound fruit keeps well under good refrigerated conditions. Stayman can crack after uneven moisture, so steady watering and timely picking help protect the usable harvest.

A triploid needs an orchard plan

Stayman produces poor pollen for other apples and should not be counted as their pollinizer. It is a seedling of Winesap, rather than simply another name for the original Winesap cultivar.

Pollination Partners

Plant at least two other compatible, pollen-producing varieties alongside it. Options in our 2027 selection include Gibson Gold, Gold Rush, Enterprise, Gala, Honeycrisp. This triploid should not be counted as a pollen source for those partners. Cross-pollination depends on overlapping bloom, not matching harvest months.

For additional orchard pollen diversity and spring flowers, consider Prairie Fire crabapple, where its bloom overlaps the apples it supports.

Rootstock and Mature Size

Semi-dwarf Rootstock (M106 or M111): approximately 12–20 feet. Mature size varies with soil, training, and pruning. Give dwarfing rootstocks secure support; the M.106/M.111 option may be either rootstock, so allow for the larger end of its range.

Product Details

• Sun: Full sun to light partial shade; full sun is best for fruiting.
• Soil: medium to medium-dry, well-drained soil; avoid standing water.
• Mature height: Approximately 12–20 feet; see rootstock and pruning guidance above.
• Bloom: Mid- to late-season; pink buds opening to white flowers.
• Fruit: Red-skinned fruit with dense, juicy flesh and spicy sweet-tart flavor.
• Uses: Baking, cider blends, fresh eating after storage, and winter keeping.
• Ripening: October
• Chill hours: Approximately 800 hours.
• Pollination: Plant at least two other compatible pollen-producing varieties.
• USDA hardiness: Zones 5–8.

General Apple Orchard Guidance

A good start

Choose well-drained soil and enough room for the mature tree. Water consistently while roots establish, mulch with space around the trunk, and keep vigorous grass and other competitors away from the young root zone.

Fertility and fruit-tree guilds

Use a soil test to guide lime and fertilizer rather than feeding heavily by default. Our Tree Planting Kit fertilizer blend is an optional planting supplement; keep concentrated fertilizer away from bare roots and avoid excess nitrogen.

Interested in permaculture and stacking functions around your fruit trees? Explore our fruit-tree guild guide for ideas on combining plants for flowers, ground cover, and mulch while giving your tree room to grow.

Practical pest and disease care

Prune for light and airflow, thin crowded fruit, and remove fallen or mummified apples. Monitor for codling moth, apple maggot, and plum curculio; bagging clean young fruit after thinning can help in a small orchard. Identify a problem before choosing a treatment, and avoid insecticides during bloom to protect bees.