Help me pick my trees!

NY Hunter

Yearling... With promise
Hey everyone,

New guy here in the southern tier of NY. Been doing lots of reading and finally decided to start a post.

By the map I'm in zone 5 but I'm a little higher elevation than most so to be safe I'm looking at zone 4 trees.

I'm looking at planting about 20 trees this spring, few for me but mostly for the deer. Disease resistance is important along with bearing lots of fruit annually. I didn't think we had cedar trees around here but I'm not too far from Cummins and they said they are indeed around so I guess Cedar apple rust is something to watch out for.

MM111 rootstock is my preference based on what I could find (supposed to be better in clay soils). B118 would be my second choice.

Let me know what you guys think of this list and anything else I'm missing! Some of the dates were a guess so I'm open to suggestions and corrections.
 

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Forgot to mention the different colors on my list are for different food types
 
NY Hunter - Cedar apple rust (CAR) isn't always a deal-breaker. Some varieties get CAR on the leaves but it doesn't affect the fruit. Your list looks like a really good mix. I'll say you might have Kerr ripe before November though. One of the guys on here from the Southern Tier says Ida Red does real well for him there. It's a good eating apple - one of my favorites - and I believe he posted pix of his still holding apples as of last week. Galarina is also a good DR, late hanger. Guys from N.Y. on the forum have pix of them holding well into the winter.
All-Winter-Hangover has been a great crab apple for us, but it's still a 5 year old tree. We haven't had a massive crop of them yet to see how long they actually hold on. I think the squirrels cleaned the last of ours in November.

If you didn't order yet, I'd do it now !! Nurseries sell out quickly - some by the end of January. Best to place orders in the fall for the following spring. Good luck with your plantings !!
 
I'll look into those Bowsnbucks. I think I've had Ida Red apples before and liked them.

Not sure if my climate is warm enough for goldrush so I might substitute something else for that one. If anybody in NY has experience with it I'd be interested if it grows apples or not. I think the rest of my selection is okay from a temperature standpoint...

Short supply at the nurseries for sure! I'm running into that as I'm shopping around at different places.
 
Hey everyone,

New guy here in the southern tier of NY. Been doing lots of reading and finally decided to start a post.

By the map I'm in zone 5 but I'm a little higher elevation than most so to be safe I'm looking at zone 4 trees.

I'm looking at planting about 20 trees this spring, few for me but mostly for the deer. Disease resistance is important along with bearing lots of fruit annually. I didn't think we had cedar trees around here but I'm not too far from Cummins and they said they are indeed around so I guess Cedar apple rust is something to watch out for.

MM111 rootstock is my preference based on what I could find (supposed to be better in clay soils). B118 would be my second choice.

Let me know what you guys think of this list and anything else I'm missing! Some of the dates were a guess so I'm open to suggestions and corrections.

It never hurts to be safe, but USDA zones take into account elevation.

Thanks,

Jack
 
Your list looks good, agree on the Galarina for a good DR late wildlife apple. Moonglow pear is a good one also and a great pollinator with good DR. I also like the DropTine crab from Northern Whitetail Crab out of PA it has been a good one for me so far.
 
That's interesting on the elevation being taken into account, makes sense though. I guess I'd rather play it safe because I do get more late frosts than they do down in the valleys.

I did some looking around to try and find Ida Red, couldn't find it anywhere! If anybody knows a source I'd like to give it a try. It seems pretty well recommended on here.

I'll also take a look to see if the timing on Enterprise makes sense to replace the goldrush that isn't so cold hardy.

What would be a good pollinator to pair with my Kieffer trees? I guess they're self pollinating but pollinators trees make a big difference.

This fruit tree stuff is all new to me but really interesting and addicting for sure.
 
No luck with DropTine this year H20fwler, looks like they're sold out already :(
 
NY Hunter, welcome, my camp is also in the Southern tier of NY and although listed as Zone 5 we seem to get temperatures well below -20 F several times most winters. As far as apples, I would stick with DR varieties. Liberty, Honeycrisp, Freedom, Querina, Enterprise, Kerr, Galarina, Sundance and Goldrush are all good, they will hang well into December most years. Goldrush may not fully ripen every year at your location but the deer still love them and they are one of my best late hangers, slowly dropping apples from November into January.
I also agree with your choice of rootstock, MM111 will give you a well anchored tree that will usually bear fruit within 4 or 5 years (maybe 3 years with Liberty or Freedom) with the only disadvantage being a few rootsuckers. I have tried several other rootstocks including M7, M106 and B118 and have been disappointed with poorly anchored and leaning trees. This may be a result of my soil or pruning the young tree for height but I have never had this problem with trees on MM111 roots.
 
Welcome aboard NY Hunter, we can all learn from one another, so the more the merrier. I kinda like your spreadsheet, so may I borrow your technique!

Your selection of apple varieties all really good choices, and your thought process is spot on. Same with your selection of rootstocks, both good choices in my opinion. As Bows points out, the Kerr is likely to ripen somewhat earlier than what you project on your graph. My guess is it’s closer to late September. That said, it has a reputation for holding late, so a longer drop period is even better for our purposes.

I am afraid your challenge now is going to be finding the varieties you want, on the rootstocks you want. I started scouring around for the trees I wanted back in November. By now, the pickings are pretty slim. I did a quick check for the varieties you’re looking for at both Cummins and ANC. The only tree either has in stock now is a Honeycrisp on B.118 rootstock at ANC. https://www.acnursery.com/fruit-trees/apple-trees/73/honeycrisp (if you click the down arrow in the “rootstock” box you will see the B.118 is available.) If you have to wait a bit to get what your want, it's not the end of the world.

Again, welcome aboard. Keep us posted on your progress.
 
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NY Hunter, you may want to try Schlabach's Nursery, they are located in Medina NY which may be close enough for you to drive. They have a 2018 catalogue which lists several DR apples including Liberty, Honeycrisp, Enterprise & Goldrush. I believe they also have trees on MM111 rootstock. I have called and found them very helpful in the past.
 
I'll check them out natureboy. Medina is about 2.5 hours from me but I fish up that way on Lake Ontario in the spring time so might work out if they have anything left. Where in the southern tier is your camp? I'm in Corning NY.

Are most of these varieties I want listed with MM111 in the fall? I'm not even seeing them listed on most websites but could be because of availability reasons.

I'll post the spreadsheet in Excel format if you guys want to copy the format. I plan to make a few more tweaks to it and fix the timing on Kerr as suggested.

I'm ordering sawtooth oaks and norway spruces (screening trees) through my local conservation district. If I can find a few apple trees, the chinese chestnuts and maybe a couple pair trees I should have more than enough to keep me busy this spring! Then I'll order what I can't find for next year in the fall.
 
Wait just a cotton pickin minute here. First week of August ripening PRISTINE apple. Get 'em coming - well - that wont happen cuz once you taste Pristine you'll shake them all down with a middle finger to the deer herd.
 
Sharing is caring @Jhoss :)
 
LOL it's a good thing deer don't eat peaches. I'm planting those for me!
 
BEARS. ^^^^^
 
I didn't think of that.... Had 5 in the backyard at one point last year :emoji_scream:
 
Okay guys here's my newest latest and greatest spreadsheet! Can you guys help with info on the Chestnut crab and Trailman crab? Are they disease resistant to fire blight and do I have my timing right?

Also looking for a source for kieffer pears. It seems like most of the bigger nurseries don't carry them for some reason.

I plan to add some late dropping crabs next year when they're available but this list should be a pretty good start.
 

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Put Kerr back on your list. I have planted all the varieties you have listed plus some and I am convinced they are the best deer apple going. They hang into December and do not turn to mush on the tree. You will also get apples in three years or less, and you will need some small victories along the way.
 
Put Kerr back on your list. I have planted all the varieties you have listed plus some and I am convinced they are the best deer apple going. They hang into December and do not turn to mush on the tree. You will also get apples in three years or less, and you will need some small victories along the way.

Yes small victories along the way would be nice. You're only a couple hours north of me so I would think results should be similar.

I'll add Kerr to next year's list. I couldn't find them for this spring

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