Crabapple timeline

[Tree Spud]

Reporting back on the Franklin Cider. Fruit is still very hard right now but seeds are showing brown. Taste is definitely pretty tart but hint of sweetness. Not any where as sweet as a ripe Chestnut or Whitney but at least to me I don't consider it a spitter. Maybe the flavors still have some to develop. Will check back in a couple weeks and see what numbers are still hanging from several trees fifth leaf on B118. Sorry about the washed out pics, guess I need to adjust the camera auto setting some. Pic is one of about average size but have to admit my soil is nothing special and plenty of grass and weeds too.

View attachment 37416View attachment 37417

I have 2-2nd leaf and 4-1st leaf. Slow growers at this point.

 

[H20fwler]

I’m very interested in the Franklin reports also. Since it has come out I’ve heard some varying DR, growth vigor and drop times with it in different areas of the country.
I’ve still got high hopes for it but it may not be all it was hyped to be in the beginning.
I’ve got four in the ground and plan on putting a few more in, I have plenty of room to give them a good tryout.

 

[sandbur]

I have 2-2nd leaf and 4-1st leaf. Slow growers at this point.

My Franklin seems to be growing quickly.


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[Tree Spud]

My Franklin seems to be growing quickly.


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We had a not so optimal growing season this year, poor rains and 3-4 week drought conditions. The trees did survive which is a good thing.

 

[sandbur]

I picked some Firecracker today. Most are at watercore and the taste is improving.

They are having a slow drop, with some still firmly attached. If this pattern holds for a few years, this might be a good October deer crab in the north country.


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[TreeDaddy]

I have a Dolgo and callaway from wildlife group planted bare root jan 2019

They are loaded with fruit this year

Any thoughts on propagating from seed?

Do they require any stratification,etc?

thanks,

bill

 

[sandbur]

I have a Dolgo and callaway from wildlife group planted bare root jan 2019

They are loaded with fruit this year

Any thoughts on propagating from seed?

Do they require any stratification,etc?

thanks,

bill

I live in Minnesota and I plant the seeds in the fall. Winter stratifies them and they emerge in the spring.

This spring was my only failure in about a dozen tries. We had two weeks of very warm and then two weeks of very cold. The ground cracked over the seeds and then froze too death in my estimation.

I dry the seeds, plant in the fall and cover with 1/4 inch of sand. Protect them from mice with screen or they will dig the seeds up.

I plant them directly in the garden or in pots in the garden.


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[Bowsnbucks]

We have 2 Franklin cider apple trees at camp. They are growing well for us - planted as whips of about 2 ft. tall, spring 2017. The bigger of the two is about 9 to 10 ft. tall. It has about 15 apples on it, 1 1/2" dia. They have russet scattered over them, and I haven't tasted them yet. Trees are well-branched, and I see no disease problems here. Their planting locations are on high ground with plenty of breeze & sun all year. Soil is well-drained clayish-loam.

 

[BuckSnort]

Cornerstone Crab (as I’ve named it) is a local I’ve been keeping an eye on and sent to a few people on here. It’s the rootstock of a grafted crab. Every other year it has heavy crops. Just a few fruit have started to drop this week. I ate a few today and they are really quite good, not tart like many of the crabapples I’ve tried.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

WOW!! That tree's loaded. Great size for deer to handle easily too. That would be a dandy tree to have for wildlife. Nice find!!

 

[TreeDaddy]

^^^^^^^^^^

obscene

That tree could star in a Native Hunter post

bill

 

[b116757]

I just made an order of several crabs and a couple Franklin’s to try from Turkey creek. I believe some of the crabs I ordered are Sandbur’s. puppies.

I grew up in northern Wisconsin and my grandmother was pretty good about planting apple cores growing up so I’m fairly curtain she planted the crab apple in my brothers yard from seed. He has a two story house and this tree is probably 10’ over the roofline at least it is a massive apple tree. It produces 1/2-3/4” fruit that hold all winter the grouse and song birds eat all winter long on this tree. All droppings from the birds are vacuumed up by the local deer herd. I’m going to have him cut me some scions this winter is anyone interested in a few to try out?

The photo doesn’t do the tree justice only slightly more than half is in the photo. We where putting a new roof on his place when I took the photo.

 

[rocksnstumps]

Good point about Turkey Creek still having an interesting variety of trees in stock. I believe he still has Kerr which at times can be hard to find.

I'll put a plug in for him since even though he is a member here he does not even bring up all the trees he could sell us. To me that makes him a class act, best of luck to him.

His description of Franklin seems to me is about the Franklin Apple, which is NOT the Franklin Cider otherwise mentioned a lot here. Jury is still out on Franklin Cider for maybe ok wildlife tree or maybe not or maybe something special. The TC website mentions something about Franklin and early 1900s so it has been around awhile."A selection from historic Arbor Day Farms. Originating in before 1900 this variety shows very good disease resistance."

 

[sandbur]

View attachment 37639I just made an order of several crabs and a couple Franklin’s to try from Turkey creek. I believe some of the crabs I ordered are Sandbur’s. puppies.

I grew up in northern Wisconsin and my grandmother was pretty good about planting apple cores growing up so I’m fairly curtain she planted the crab apple in my brothers yard from seed. He has a two story house and this tree is probably 10’ over the roofline at least it is a massive apple tree. It produces 1/2-3/4” fruit that hold all winter the grouse and song birds eat all winter long on this tree. All droppings from the birds are vacuumed up by the local deer herd. I’m going to have him cut me some scions this winter is anyone interested in a few to try out?

The photo doesn’t do the tree justice only slightly more than half is in the photo. We where putting a new roof on his place when I took the photo.

We also had a Grandma Appleseed in our family. I have several of her trees with some providing a decent eating or cooking apple down to a 1.5 inch crab tree that is over 30 years old. It is on the edge of a sanctuary and I have not monitored it for drop time as I stay out of that area for several months. Perhaps it needs a name and more attention than cutting tag alders around it and a handful of fruit spikes. All I know is that it works.

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[sandbur]

Good point about Turkey Creek still having an interesting variety of trees in stock. I believe he still has Kerr which at times can be hard to find.

I'll put a plug in for him since even though he is a member here he does not even bring up all the trees he could sell us. To me that makes him a class act, best of luck to him.

His description of Franklin seems to me is about the Franklin Apple, which is NOT the Franklin Cider otherwise mentioned a lot here. Jury is still out on Franklin Cider for maybe ok wildlife tree or maybe not or maybe something special. The TC website mentions something about Franklin and early 1900s so it has been around awhile."A selection from historic Arbor Day Farms. Originating in before 1900 this variety shows very good disease resistance."

I think Chris at one time had a crab I call Yellow Dog. The tree shows lots of scab but produces loads of 1 inch or slightly larger crabs every other year with very little care or attention. It has survived two winters of -40 or lower.

It has been a late dropper and provides food in late fall and winter.

There are pictures somewhere in this thread.

Two years ago, I had two yearling bucks under it during the Opening morning of our Nov. rifle hunt. I have two other top works that are producing, also.

This tree is on the end of a row of flowering crabs that I planted about 30 plus years ago. There is a grandma eating apple on the other end of the row. I still don’t know if this is a Grandma seedling crab or a stray from the SWCD flowering crab order.

Bows has a fast growing seedling from it.


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[Charles Clear]

I think Chris at one time had a crab I call Yellow Dog. The tree shows lots of scab but produces loads of 1 inch or slightly larger crabs every other year with very little care or attention. It has survived two winters of -40 or lower.

It has been a late dropper and provides food in late fall and winter.

There are pictures somewhere in this thread.

Two years ago, I had two yearling bucks under it during the Opening morning of our Nov. rifle hunt. I have two other top works that are producing, also.

This tree is on the end of a row of flowering crabs that I planted about 30 plus years ago. There is a grandma eating apple on the other end of the row. I still don’t know if this is a Grandma seedling crab or a stray from the SWCD flowering crab order.

Bows has a fast growing seedling from it.


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I actually purchased 2 yellow dog on M111 from Chris a couple weeks ago! Looking forward to getting them in the spring

 

[sandbur]

I actually purchased 2 yellow dog on M111 from Chris a couple weeks ago! Looking forward to getting them in the spring

Like I said above, they are not disease free for me, but they work.

Did Chris see much disease on them?


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[Charles Clear]

Like I said above, they are not disease free for me, but they work.

Did Chris see much disease on them?


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He did not say, nor did I ask though. I wanted it on m7, but he told me it wasn't a vigorous grower compared to others like Big Dog.

 

[sandbur]

He did not say, nor did I ask though. I wanted it on m7, but he told me it wasn't a vigorous grower compared to others like Big Dog.

I wonder how much difference rootstock makes in the growth.

I want to point out that those trees from my place are not trademarked or patented or whatever the name is. I make no profit from their sale. I have chosen to do it this way. You can cut scion or buds from them at anytime.

I share my experiences here and would like feedback, as the trees probably WILL perform differently in different climates and with different soils. If/when they don’t work out on other deer acres, please don’t blame me. We are just trying to learn together.


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[Charles Clear]

I wonder how much difference rootstock makes in the growth.

I want to point out that those trees from my place are not trademarked or patented or whatever the name is. I make no profit from their sale. I have chosen to do it this way. You can cut scion or buds from them at anytime.

I share my experiences here and would like feedback, as the trees probably WILL perform differently in different climates and with different soils. If/when they don’t work out on other deer acres, please don’t blame me. We are just trying to learn together.


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Thank you Art! I'd never blame you. I think I speak for everyone when I say we appreciate your knowledge and everything you bring to this forum!