Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
I was going to plant 1 or 2 Yates a couple years back - but never did. I could kick myself now. BH handles Yates, so maybe I'll try to find a spot to plant one. Your Yates tree looks great, Native.
Native Hunter Apples 2023
- Thread starter Native Hunter
- Start date
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
Even though it is a few weeks from ripening, I’m going to go ahead and post pictures of Black Limbertwig. This apple will be deep red when fully ripe. The crop this year is low - maybe 50 apples on a big tree. But, the apples are nice looking. Tree is very DR to all major diseases. I had 2 of these. We moved both with a backhoe for the new road. One died, and this one is recovering. But, we put it in a place with a little to much shade I think, which hurts it. I do recommend this variety.
b116757
5 year old buck +
I have a Freedom and a Redfree both must be on a dwarfing rootstock and have never gotten terribly large. I bought them both many years ago before I really cared that much about rootstocks. Neither has been an outstanding apple not bad really but between their smaller size and relatively early drop times there not optimum deer apples. They are both reasonably disease resistant in my minimal spray orchard. I’ve only ever sprayed a couple times in the last 20 years for cambium minor issues in the orchard. I do like having them for a longer drop time of apples for the deer but I wouldn’t plant a large number of those two verities.
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
That’s good information. I have considered Redfree for a home eating apple but never followed through. I want to add two more trees at my home this fall. I already know that one will be another Sundance.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Do you have any Galarina there??
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
I just put one in the ground this spring. It’s looking good so far.
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
Our recent drought has ended this morning, which is good, but I'm housebound until the rain stops. I'm going to go ahead and post pictures from last season of 2 similar crabapples. Both of these trees are at the farm and strictly for deer.
First two pics are Dolgo from Wildlife Group. Very DR and productive. Has slow fall and winter drop, however, a few (maybe 30%) hang on all winter and never fall.
Third pic is Eliza's Choice Crab. Very similar to Dolgo, but fruit is a tad larger and maybe deeper red.
PS - Crabapples not dropping is a problem in the south. These two varieties aren't perfect, but they fall reasonably well and are much better for me than Golden Hornet. None of my Golden Hornet ever drop and just hang all winter - turning into dried up mummies.
First two pics are Dolgo from Wildlife Group. Very DR and productive. Has slow fall and winter drop, however, a few (maybe 30%) hang on all winter and never fall.
Third pic is Eliza's Choice Crab. Very similar to Dolgo, but fruit is a tad larger and maybe deeper red.
PS - Crabapples not dropping is a problem in the south. These two varieties aren't perfect, but they fall reasonably well and are much better for me than Golden Hornet. None of my Golden Hornet ever drop and just hang all winter - turning into dried up mummies.
4wanderingeyes
5 year old buck +
On really dry years, what do you notice negative about the apples, or the trees.
Like, are the apples smaller, less of them, do they drop earlier? Leafs drop, turn brown? Do you notice it the following year as well, even if it goes back to a normal moisture year?
I have had apple trees since 2002, but not really many, or in an orchard area since 2014. I am now just starting to get large amounts of apples on most trees.
Like, are the apples smaller, less of them, do they drop earlier? Leafs drop, turn brown? Do you notice it the following year as well, even if it goes back to a normal moisture year?
I have had apple trees since 2002, but not really many, or in an orchard area since 2014. I am now just starting to get large amounts of apples on most trees.
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
Yes, I have noticed that drought years will affect the crops. In a really bad drought year, I think you can get some premature dropping, but the deer seem to gobble them up even if they are green. Also, the size can be smaller. I have been known to give some of the eating apples in my yard some water during droughts at times. This isn't because I'm worried about the tree, but because I want my fruit quality for eating to be good.
It seems like crabapples are affected less by droughts, but I notice a difference in both apples and crabs. However, it seems that both can bounce back well the next year if the trees are healthy and well established. Good luck with your trees.
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
I've not had a serious problem.
At home the deer come into my yard at night and clean up anything that falls. When I have good apples falling at home, I will make a trip through the yard just before dark and pick up any good apples that have fallen during the day.
Rabbits love apples too. I watch them eating apples all of the time - even during the day.
Squirrels would rather hit the mulberry tree than fool with apples. I've had a little trouble with coons before, but it hasn't been horrible. They had rather ruin someone's garden with sweet corn than eat apples. This year I have lost a few apples to Junebugs, and it caused me to pick some Priscilla a little earlier that I wanted to.
So, I do have a few issues but not enough to ruin everything completely.
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
I’m going to go ahead and post pictures of Terry Winter. This is a small to medium apple that is supposed to be very similar to Yates in most respects. It’s an OK deer apple, but I think Yates is superior. Yates generally has bigger crops and drops a little longer. Terry is very disease resistant, but I wouldn’t plant it again unless I had a lot of room to spare.
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
Back earlier I gave you a preview of Sundance. This is my first crop, and I’m now excited about this apple. It seems to be bulletproof in all respects.
I’m just now beginning to get the red blush on the yellow skin that I have seen in pictures. I’m getting an occasional apple to drop, but I have calculated that the prime ripening at my location will be about September 1. I’ve already taste tested and like it, but know that the flavor will sweeten even more in storage. My plans are to add one or more Sundance next spring for my own personal use.
I’m just now beginning to get the red blush on the yellow skin that I have seen in pictures. I’m getting an occasional apple to drop, but I have calculated that the prime ripening at my location will be about September 1. I’ve already taste tested and like it, but know that the flavor will sweeten even more in storage. My plans are to add one or more Sundance next spring for my own personal use.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
You may have already said - but what year did you plant that Sundance?? Great production, Native. Good size fruit too.
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
Bows, it was planted in the spring of 2017, so it has taken 6 years to fruit. However, on my first crop, I estimate that there were close to 200 apples. I’ve thinned some, and a few have fallen, but there is still around 100 apples on that tree. And, yes they are big. I think some of the largest ones look as big as the biggest apples like Granny Smith and Honeycrisp I see at the grocery that were grown commercially.
The tree is on MM111, and the note I kept say that I set it much deeper than recommended. Back at that time I was occasionally doing that just to see if it would cause a tree to take root above the graft and form natural roots. I was on the bigger is better kick at that time.
I still like bigger trees, but I’m now considering planting a few on G.890 in some tight places. Cummins sells Sundance on that rootstock, and I may just buy a couple from them. And, I’m definitely getting another one on MM111.
Getting a load of good apples like that on the first crop was a surprise to me. In my experience, it usually takes a tree two or three years of bearing to get all of the kinks worked out and start doing well.
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Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
We got our Sundance from Cummins too. Ours are on MM-111 and P-18 to get some wood on them (bears). They DID suggest G890 roots if I wanted to plant one here at home in our yard where our space is limited. They told me G890 is a good all-around rootstock, with a number of good traits. Your posted tree's doing great.
The last Sundance I planted at camp was 2 or 3 years ago - no fruit on that one yet.
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
Some of these low hangers are 3.195 inches, and some of the higher ones look like they could be bigger.
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
Glad to help. This kind of apple information is what I was looking for 20 years ago and couldn't find. So, as Elvis would say, "I did it my way....." And yes, as the song says, "...regrets I've had a few...."
