My hunting orchard tree list

[Telemark]

Orchard will be on the border of zones 4 and 5.

One part will be in bow range of a tower blind. Bow season starts October 1st. I would like apples that drop, starting in mid-September and through October and hopefully early November.

One part of the orchard will be strung in a long double row of trees in rifle range. Rifle season is usually mid to late November, and muzzleloader is usually early December. Ideally these trees would start dropping in late October and drop through December and possibly later.

My bow orchard list is:

Cortland
Jonamac
Wealthy
Chestnut crab
Macoun
And a local unnamed variety

Possibly Liberty?

These are also chosen as apples for me to harvest and eat. Most important is the deer have a bunch of apples on the ground starting Oct. 1

The rifle/muzzleloader (Nov-Dec.) orchard list so far is:

Drop Tine crab
30-06 crab
Galarina
Enterprise
Sheepnose
Golden russet
Kerr
Dozier
Franklin cider

Ideally these would drop slowly and not draw the deer much before November 1.

Any and all advice is welcome. I don't have any experience, these lists are just from reading this forum and various apple variety profiles.

 

[Prof.Kent]

I am in Zone 5a. Good apples for October thru November and beyond that I grow are Goldrush, Turley Winesap, Jonathan, Honeycrisp, Rome, Fuji, & Golden Russet.
September/October apples are Liberty, Cortland, Spigold, Shizuka, Nova Easygro, Gala, and most other "late season" apples.
I like the ones that hang long (first list). You can always go out and shake the trees to drop some apples.

 

[Telemark]

Thanks, ProfKent.

You think a Gold Rush will be ok on the border of Zone 4? I would really like to plant one, but only if it has a good chance.

 

[Jhoss]

I don't think Goldrush will ripen in zone 4. I'm in zone 6a (about an hour South of Flint, MI) and Goldrush just makes it before a freeze comes in and turns them to mush. When I say just makes it...its just ripening (seeds good and dark) the first week of November and on into the second. Usually we're getting frozen by mid-Nov and I gotta have what I want off those Goldrush trees before a freeze gets them. I don't even start eating those until mid December and after that they just keep getting better! Up in Zone 4 (even the Northern parts of 5a - Like the Professor in Midland (my inlaws are in Midland), they can get the freeze a day or a week before us. So it would be tight I think...tree ripened Goldrush vs. old man winter. But Hunting trees - who cares if its all for deer. Goldrush then would be a winner because its a big time producer!

 

[Telemark]

Thanks for the info. Does the size of the tree affect ripening speed?

 

[Jhoss]

Goldrush 2016. This tree was so loaded it was seriously leaning (my bad, zero thinning). You can see where I picked as high as I could reach and left the remaining for the deer.

 

[Jhoss]

Thanks for the info. Does the size of the tree affect ripening speed?

Yeesh, tough question...my gut says "no" especially after the first and second crop...what you get is what you get. I've been keeping track and very little change from year to year, bloom times (generally full bloom May 15th) and ripening times vary a little more but not a whole lot. My take anyway.

 

[Prof.Kent]

Thanks, ProfKent.

You think a Gold Rush will be ok on the border of Zone 4? I would really like to plant one, but only if it has a good chance.

Gold Rush for me (Midland MI Zone 5) is a good deer apple becuase it hold on the tree a looong time. Taste varies a lot from year to year because it only ripens on warm years here. Although it is supposed to get softer (read "edible") in storage. I wouldn't plant one for fresh eating in Zone 4.

 

[Telemark]

Thanks, guys. I will push it to the bottom of my list. I will probably plant one for deer in the future.

 

[Wild Thing]

The only 2 on your list that I have are Cortland and Wealthy...and they are 2 of my favorites. I am in Upper Michigan - zone 4b:

Cortlands on December 22, last year. They held on all winter but as mentioned above, they would come down with a little "shake" or a stiff breeze:



Red Wealthy on September 1st last year. We picked all of these so I'm not sure how long they would have held on. They are great eating or pie apples:

 

[sandbur]

I am in Zone 5a. Good apples for October thru November and beyond that I grow are Goldrush, Turley Winesap, Jonathan, Honeycrisp, Rome, Fuji, & Golden Russet.
September/October apples are Liberty, Cortland, Spigold, Shizuka, Nova Easygro, Gala, and most other "late season" apples.
I like the ones that hang long (first list). You can always go out and shake the trees to drop some apples.

I have a Nova Easy Gro that should be getting near bearing age. What can you share about taste and ripening time?


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[Telemark]

So Cortlands hang? They don't drop?

 

[aerospacefarmer]

So Cortlands hang? They don't drop?

They drop fast here