Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
Nice pictures Sandbur. I planted Big Dog recently, so in a few years we can see how it does in KY growing conditions.
Apple Trees for Deer
- Thread starter sandbur
- Start date
BrushyPines
5 year old buck +
How old are your dolgo, centennial and chestnut?
sandbur
5 year old buck +
One chestnut and one dolgo are over 30 years old. I have younger ones of both.
The centennial is on B118 and is one of my first grafts from a class about ?? 10 years ago. Maybe 12 years.
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Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
FWIW - I have a Centennial at camp on Antonovka since 2013 and it's now only about 10 - 11 ft. tall at the top of the leader. Maybe it's a non-vigorous variety and it won't get overly tall ??
Your Yellow Dog seeds have grown to 2 ft. up to 30 inches tall. They're doing great - spent the winter in pots on our south-facing patio sheltered from the worst winds. Buckman seedlings are shorter - about 1 ft. to 14" tall. I expect to see bud swell on both varieties in another week or 2.
Your Yellow Dog seeds have grown to 2 ft. up to 30 inches tall. They're doing great - spent the winter in pots on our south-facing patio sheltered from the worst winds. Buckman seedlings are shorter - about 1 ft. to 14" tall. I expect to see bud swell on both varieties in another week or 2.
sandbur
5 year old buck +
Centennial should probably NOT be on the list after I have heard about your experience with it on Anty.
My Trailman is on Anty and is a nice tree. From SLN. St Lawrence Nusery.
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sandbur
5 year old buck +
It will be interesting to see what you get for fruit from those seeds.
Yellow Dog is not disease free, but produces fruit about every other year with little care.
It holds into winter as a good source.
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Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Bur -
Our Centennial on Ant. is not in the best site either. It's the only Centennial we have, so I can't even compare it to another Centennial planted in a better spot. There are 2 other seedling apple trees from SLN right near it (30 ft. away) - and those are 16 ft. tall. They were all planted at the same time. So maybe it's just that Centennial isn't a "big, tall" variety?? You guys with no bear problems may be able to use Centennial if it doesn't get over 20 ft. tall. Maybe 12 to 14 ft. would work for some of you??
I'll see what this year and next - Good Lord willing - bring to that Centennial. I'll give it a shot of lime and more 10-10-10 and see what happens for growth.
I'm interested to see what kind of growth I can get on these Yellow Dogs. They should BOOM upwards this spring & summer. They will be pampered. As for disease - we don't really have a CAR problem at camp. Scab would probably be the one that we might see at our location. Our older trees' fruit get fly speck and sooty blotch - but the deer don't mind. I'll get a better idea of DR for Yellow Dog here at home this year. CAR, FB, frog-eye leaf spot are around our neighborhood, so they'll get a taste of those this summer.
Our Centennial on Ant. is not in the best site either. It's the only Centennial we have, so I can't even compare it to another Centennial planted in a better spot. There are 2 other seedling apple trees from SLN right near it (30 ft. away) - and those are 16 ft. tall. They were all planted at the same time. So maybe it's just that Centennial isn't a "big, tall" variety?? You guys with no bear problems may be able to use Centennial if it doesn't get over 20 ft. tall. Maybe 12 to 14 ft. would work for some of you??
I'll see what this year and next - Good Lord willing - bring to that Centennial. I'll give it a shot of lime and more 10-10-10 and see what happens for growth.
I'm interested to see what kind of growth I can get on these Yellow Dogs. They should BOOM upwards this spring & summer. They will be pampered. As for disease - we don't really have a CAR problem at camp. Scab would probably be the one that we might see at our location. Our older trees' fruit get fly speck and sooty blotch - but the deer don't mind. I'll get a better idea of DR for Yellow Dog here at home this year. CAR, FB, frog-eye leaf spot are around our neighborhood, so they'll get a taste of those this summer.
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sandbur
5 year old buck +
A link from our SWCD says centennial can reach 25 feet in height.
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DrDirtNap
5 year old buck +
I’ve got Buckman and Big Dog in North MS. Buckman has been in the ground a few years and fruited for the first time last year. Good size apples but they didn’t seem to want to drop. I knocked them off as I was pruning a few weeks ago. That may change as the tree ages.
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Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
That's good info to know. Thanks Bur!!
sandbur
5 year old buck +
I have had them holding some fruit at this time of year. I can check my pictures.
Our snow is nearly gone, but most years I am pruning in deeper snow and often on snowshoes. The deer are looking for recently fallen apples in those conditions.
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sandbur
5 year old buck +
Those fruited early. Which rootstock did you use?
I just did a quick search and found a picture of my pickup covered with about a foot of snow on April 2 , 2018. Those late droppers are important for our northern deer herds in those years.
I doubt you see snow on April 2 down there. :)
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DrDirtNap
5 year old buck +
My Buckman is on P18 and I can’t remember exactly how old the tree is without going back to my records. It did fruit early...probably should have pulled all the fruit off last year. The tree is about 8-9 ft tall now and has been relatively disease free. My Big Dog trees are much younger.
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DrDirtNap
5 year old buck +
And we never have snow on April 2. Most years only a dusting or two and maybe no snow at all.
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H20fwler
5 year old buck +
Your crabs look great! I have got to get a couple Kerr.
I've got a Chestnut crab on M111 and it seems to be a very slow grower for me, four years in the ground (loamy clay) and it is maybe 5' tall? Are they known to be slow growers? I fertilized it last year and again last week hopefully it will take off soon.
I've got a Chestnut crab on M111 and it seems to be a very slow grower for me, four years in the ground (loamy clay) and it is maybe 5' tall? Are they known to be slow growers? I fertilized it last year and again last week hopefully it will take off soon.
silver_yummies
5 year old buck +
I’ve not experienced them to be slow growers on B118 and M111. I’m also 4 years old with mine and they’re all 10’ at least. I had a nice crop of chestnut crabs on most of them last year as well.
H20fwler
5 year old buck +
Well crap...mine must be a goofy one or it doesn't like something underground.
Tree Spud
5 year old buck +
These are the trees I would recommend for feeding deer from August and well into February. This location is where USDA zone 3 and 4 meet.
We can get into the specific discussions a bit later if needed. The trees are hardy and relatively disease free. I have lots of CAR here.
Chestnut crab would be a great choice for the Wisconsin and Minnesota bow openers.
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Great stuff Sanbur, you providing actual personal time evolved experience is so incredibly valuable here.
I have planted and will be receiving most of the varieties you recommend.
The one tree I have not been able to obtain that I want to add is the Big Dog crab apple.
sandbur
5 year old buck +
I shipped all of my scion last week and have shared with about 15 people this year .
I saved 2 or 3 of Big Dog and Buckman for 3 rootstocks from my old chestnut crab. It throws suckers out about at the drip line. I dug these quite a few years ago and they are in a good location for hunting and near conifers for winter survival/ cover.
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