CrazyEd
5 year old buck +
Took my dog for a hike X-Mas morning at the huge park by our house. I always love searching for new apples, crabs, and pears growing in some wild sections of this place. It seems like every year is different on what is holding and what is not. I've been studying the place for about 5 years now. So far I've grafted around 7 different trees from this park and i'm always looking for more. Here's a few pictures from the area, as well as some of the trees I found that were holding. Fruit size at this place ranges from baseball sized to pea sized, and I've found stuff that drops starting in August and some that has hung on as long as march.
Places like this are exactly why I don't bother planting apples from seed and trying to graft the new varieties. I don't have time for that type of experiment. I have so many choices as it is between this place and my forum friends. To me grafting is much more efficient when it comes to time. I have so many larger apples and crabs, I've been trying to supplement my plants with various smaller sizes for song birds and other critters.
Here are a few of the trees I ran across today. The few tests I like to do is the shake test, see how strong the fruit is in holding. The better it holds, the longer it hangs. I also like to do the squeeze test to see what the flesh looks like, is there any flesh left inside or are they shriveled up prunes at this time.
These are not a crabapple, not sure what they are. Anyone?
Here's a picture of one of the areas. There are fruit trees pretty much scattered all over the place, you just have to look around for them.
Here (below) is a pear tree (bigger in the middle) and a crab apple (to the right of the pear) growing together. The crab apple I call cherry bomb, because the fruit look like cherry bombs. I have a 6' feathered graft in my nursery from this tree.
Another big area with lots of trees.
Places like this are exactly why I don't bother planting apples from seed and trying to graft the new varieties. I don't have time for that type of experiment. I have so many choices as it is between this place and my forum friends. To me grafting is much more efficient when it comes to time. I have so many larger apples and crabs, I've been trying to supplement my plants with various smaller sizes for song birds and other critters.
Here are a few of the trees I ran across today. The few tests I like to do is the shake test, see how strong the fruit is in holding. The better it holds, the longer it hangs. I also like to do the squeeze test to see what the flesh looks like, is there any flesh left inside or are they shriveled up prunes at this time.
These are not a crabapple, not sure what they are. Anyone?
Here's a picture of one of the areas. There are fruit trees pretty much scattered all over the place, you just have to look around for them.
Here (below) is a pear tree (bigger in the middle) and a crab apple (to the right of the pear) growing together. The crab apple I call cherry bomb, because the fruit look like cherry bombs. I have a 6' feathered graft in my nursery from this tree.
Another big area with lots of trees.