Planting a cider orchard

[Boone]

I planted my 1st Franklin cider trees today. It will be interesting to see how they do in our clay. Also I hope they are ok for a few days, i won't be able to get back to cage, screen, and get pea gravel down.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

^^^^^ That's a good looking Franklin !! The 2 I planted last year were just smaller whips. Different vendor.

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Spraying isn't an issue as this orchard is very close to home, can see it from my living room windows. That being said if I can keep likely cider apples to one end, and not worry so much about the varieties just for wildlife to make spraying easier and consolidated.

I know nothing about making cider but I can assume it's something I'd take on years from now. For now I'm more than happy to buy from the local orchard, someday though when more time becomes available I could see it being a fun hobby. My local orchard is such a friendly place, but he won't talk about cider. Big secret he won't share, he's the one guy that actually talks less after hitting the hard cider!

Those are great links, just when I thought I've ran out of apple reading you guys find more thanks!

Making hard cider is really easy. It’s way easier than beer and I always like carbonated and use champagne yeast which gives it tiny bubbles and is not too fizzy however. The process goes plant trees, wait til they produce and pick, press apples add a few chemicals to kill wild yeast and bacteria and then pitch yeast in the 5 gallon or smaller carbon and slap a cork with airlock and let it bubble away. When it stops remove cider and discard yeast and crud at bottom of carbon and clean it put back in carbon with airlock and let it continue to ferment and age and settle. I always add a clearing agent in beginning of process to get it clear. After the second time in carboy can bottle or can filter sludge again and let it continue to ferment. If bottling at this point add a bit of sugar to give bubbles and add non fermentable sugar to backsweeten if it’s not sweet enough. It should be ready in 3 weeks or so to drink.

 

[aerospacefarmer]

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Bottled

 

[Boone]

^^^^^ That's a good looking Franklin !! The 2 I planted last year were just smaller whips. Different

^^^^^ That's a good looking Franklin !! The 2 I planted last year were just smaller whips. Different vendor.

I was really impressed with the trees. I got them from Woodstock in Wi. I'm just hoping they are ok for a few days unprotected.

 

[buckvelvet]

Anyone get the feeling that @aerospacefarmer could be seen on an episode of moonshiners with his 'apple juice' in crates in the trunk doing door to door deliveries. :)

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Anyone get the feeling that @aerospacefarmer could be seen on an episode of moonshiners with his 'apple juice' in crates in the trunk doing door to door deliveries. :)

You found me out buckvelvet lol

 

[Telemark]

I planted my 1st Franklin cider trees today. It will be interesting to see how they do in our clay. Also I hope they are ok for a few days, i won't be able to get back to cage, screen, and get pea gravel down.

Where did you buy your Franklin?

 

[aerospacefarmer]

I planted my 1st Franklin cider trees today. It will be interesting to see how they do in our clay. Also I hope they are ok for a few days, i won't be able to get back to cage, screen, and get pea gravel down.

Boone it’s a good thing you have a pic of that tree because it may be gone when you get back to put a cage on it. Seriously you can’t leave cages off for even a few hours. Looks like not much vegetation so they will hit that tree hard. I hope I am wrong but give us update please

 

[Boone]

Where did you buy your Franklin?

Wallace Woodstock in Wi

 

[Boone]

Boone it’s a good thing you have a pic of that tree because it may be gone when you get back to put a cage on it. Seriously you can’t leave cages off for even a few hours. Looks like not much vegetation so they will hit that tree hard. I hope I am wrong but give us update please

I came back 24 hrs later with concrete wire cages, aluminum screen, pea gravel, and black fabric. One tree a rabbit nawed on about a inch around the base. I'm hoping it's ok, the other trees were untouched. Lesson learned, do everything the same day.

 

[H20fwler]

I planted my 1st Franklin cider trees today. It will be interesting to see how they do in our clay. Also I hope they are ok for a few days, i won't be able to get back to cage, screen, and get pea gravel down.

Franklin is on my short list of trees I want to try, I like everything I've heard and read about them.

 

[Telemark]

Franklin is on my short list of trees I want to try, I like everything I've heard and read about them.

Me too. I'm saving a spot for several of them in my orchard.

 

[2ndHand]

Me too. I'm saving a spot for several of them in my orchard.

I purchased 26 Franklins from Cummins Nursery last year. They were small in size but all survived the winter.

 

[Telemark]

I grafted three. They are in the basement relaxing. I am very happy with my Cummins trees, so that might be a good option for me in the future.