S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
On one of our properties whenever I do some tsi work crabs start popping up from the extra sunlight. I am to the point now where I cut down the old crabapple trees to create more space for the younger ones.
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Crabapple Varieties & guys' comments / input
- Thread starter Bowsnbucks
- Start date
On one of our properties whenever I do some tsi work crabs start popping up from the extra sunlight. I am to the point now where I cut down the old crabapple trees to create more space for the younger ones.
sandbur
5 year old buck +
I find about 15 -20 wild crabs to every wild apple over 2 inches in diameter that I find.
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Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Sandbur - How fast do your crab seeds grow when you plant them ?? What amount of growth do you typically see in a year after the seeds break the ground in a pot - or if they are field planted ??
sandbur
5 year old buck +
I can get you a picture from trees in my garden. I would say two feet or more. When I started seeds in the house in late winter, some would get well past 30 or 36 inches.
Plant 5-10 seeds and then thin to the fastest three growers. Wait a week or two and thin to the single fastest grower. Sometimes I might select for a red stem or redder leaved variety hoping for redder cider. You can make choices while thinning.
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sandbur
5 year old buck +
I would say two feet and the deer nibbles on these once.
When I brought frozen pots of seeds into the house in late winter and eventually transferred to root growers, I think I had one tree out of 50 or so reach 36 or 38 inches.
I prune them back when planting anyway.
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sandbur
5 year old buck +
I found one Firecracker hanging on the tree and we have had multiple frosts. It was probably the best tasting Firecracker I have tasted.
I have also been eating a few Wicksons from the tree. They have a unique flavor at this point. For some reason it reminds me of Frostbite. Apples look totally different, though.
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I have also been eating a few Wicksons from the tree. They have a unique flavor at this point. For some reason it reminds me of Frostbite. Apples look totally different, though.
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sandbur
5 year old buck +
Pete Kuhns
Yearling... With promise
Really looking forward to growing Kerr. Somewhat hard to find scion / whips. Only One Green World sells them <-- that's the only place I could find.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Pete - Kerr has grown really well for us. It's a later apple / crab that we've had no problem with. Beside the wildlife benefit, it's a good eater.
Walden Heights Nursery usually handles Kerr, but they're out of stock until next spring. They've had Kerr for several years now.
Walden Heights Nursery usually handles Kerr, but they're out of stock until next spring. They've had Kerr for several years now.
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sandbur
5 year old buck +
silver_yummies
5 year old buck +
How do they taste??I picked my wicksons this week. A few had dropped, some pulled loose easily, and some were well attached. That sounds like a good deer crab with a longer drop time.
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sandbur
5 year old buck +
How do they taste??I picked my wicksons this week. A few had dropped, some pulled loose easily, and some were well attached. That sounds like a good deer crab with a longer drop time.
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Ok. So far, chestnut, even centennial and Trailman beat them.
I was a bit disappointed in taste.
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Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
^^^^ I always heard Wicksons were a big flavor explosion. Maybe next year we'll have some to try at camp. Even if the flavor isn't great for people, it should be a good deer crab though. Thanks, Bur, for the info about it's varied readiness to drop. That's a good characteristic for deer & other critters.
sandbur
5 year old buck +
Each apple seems to have a specific time at which they taste best for our taste buds.
I had been eating Kerr, then Liberty, and might have waited too long on Wickson. They were still well attached, so I ate other apples.
For apples for deer on Nov . 1, my choices would now be Kerr, wickson, and the rootstock crab which is probably Columbia.
My neighbor also has a loaded apple crab growing in the ditch. TC might still have these last two varieties.
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Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
^^^^ Is that Yellow Dog you speak of at TC's ??
sandbur
5 year old buck +
Yes for later. Also see if he has Big Dog and Guard Dog. Guard Dog is edible. The others are better for deer.
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Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
^^^^ Thanks Bur.
