The crab apple trees in the local towns are fully loaded with a lot of small apples. I chewed on a few. They are kind of dull and bitter. There are truckloads of fruit on some of these trees and its just starting to fall. Wondering what the experts think??
The crab apple trees in the local towns are fully loaded with a lot of small apples. I chewed on a few. They are kind of dull and bitter. There are truckloads of fruit on some of these trees and its just starting to fall. Wondering what the experts think??
I planted a Adirondack, Red Jewel and Sugar Tyme this year in the yard for winter interest but if they prove to have as much wildlife value as I hope they may get planted in the deer orchards.
l hope you are correct. I planted 18 of them in my woods 2 springs ago and they are all thriving so far. In my woods there are 15 common wild apple, 18 red splendor crabs, 6 nice Siberian or Manchurian crabs, and 6 pathetic Manchurian or Siberians crabs. My brother planted the Siberian and Manchurian many years ago and I am not sure which is which. One looks great, the other looks pathetic. I tried 5 dolgos from chief river nursery a few years ago and they all died right away.
Next spring I am hoping to plant 15-20 of these and then put the remainder in pots and fall plant them. Hard for me to get super excited about apples in bear country, but I wanna at least make an attempt.
I have seen some red splendor seedlings with a variation in size of the apples. You might have some good surprises in that planting. Just like with dolgo seedlings versus grafted dolgo.
Grafted tends to be consistent. Seedlings are good and sometimes less good.
Color of flowers, color of young twigs, Color of fruit inside, sometimes seeds, leaf pattern, signs of diseases like cedar rust. Few other things you can tell one from another.