Crabapple timeline

[sandbur]

I found another keeper in a farmer’s yard. Deer tracks under it and planted so long ago that no one remembers what it is.

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[greyphase]

Wow, that is a keeper. Great find Bur.

 

[sandbur]

Wow, that is a keeper. Great find Bur.

One adult son says the apple has a pink flesh and is a bit tart. He is the only family member that likes it as an apple. Others use it in pie and sauce.

I think I can see a graft line about at the snowline, or it was hit with a piece of farm equipment years ago.


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[Bowsnbucks]

^^^^ Are you gonna hit him up for some grafting wood ?? Looks to be a dandy !!

 

[sandbur]

^^^^ Are you gonna hit him up for some grafting wood ?? Looks to be a dandy !!

Yup.


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[sandbur]

^^^^ Are you gonna hit him up for some grafting wood ?? Looks to be a dandy !!

What scion I can reach will be very small.


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[sandbur]

I was about to ask about that. I recall your "Big Dog" and that you had thought it might be a Columbia? I grafted a Columbia onto a M111 last year and it grew well, will be ready for transplanting this year.

Interesting to see those Chestnut crabs hang so late. When would you say the bulk of them drop? I know it's considered an early to mid season crab, but that'd be nice if it did kind of a slow drop.

For me, chestnut crabs are a slow drop over the month of Sept and a bit of October.

Those deer in the spring were mostly cleaning up on windfalls under the chestnut. My chestnuts currently have just an occasional apple or two.

I think Garden, Big Dog, is a Columbia crab.
Hard and largely inedible for us.


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Deer are digging under the chestnut crabs by my house. No crab apples left on the tree..

Garden/Columbia is attracting deer and has some apples.

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[sandbur]

I was about to ask about that. I recall your "Big Dog" and that you had thought it might be a Columbia? I grafted a Columbia onto a M111 last year and it grew well, will be ready for transplanting this year.

Interesting to see those Chestnut crabs hang so late. When would you say the bulk of them drop? I know it's considered an early to mid season crab, but that'd be nice if it did kind of a slow drop.

For me, chestnut crabs are a slow drop over the month of Sept and a bit of October.

Those deer in the spring were mostly cleaning up on windfalls under the chestnut. My chestnuts currently have just an occasional apple or two.

I think Garden, Big Dog, is a Columbia crab.
Hard and largely inedible for us.


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Deer are digging under the chestnut crabs by my house.

Garden/Columbia is attracting deer and has some apples.

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Lots of fruit Spurs on these two trees. More cider to make during retirement!


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[Mortenson]

Looking good. What you have going is where a bunch of us hope to be in a number of years.

 

[Jimmy G]

Looking good. What you have going is where a bunch of us hope to be in a number of years.

Same thought here! Keep the pics and details coming

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[buckvelvet]

Love your threat Art, hope things are going well!

 

[sandbur]

These are extremely variable in apple size. Many are just bird sized and 90% are not winter hardy.


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I have one other Morse bunches that is attracting deer as of today. Most of the bunches are not hardy and have died out.

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[sandbur]

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I just noticed that one of my Yellow Dog topworks has a cluster of it’s first apples. It is on dolgo.

Another seedling is still holding apples until a wind or something shakes it.

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[sandbur]

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Buckman Crab is still holding apples and attracting deer.

A good shaking, like from a wind, puts more on the ground.

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[DLH]

Sandbur

Did you have the swamp crab? I noticed you have a garden crab top worked on a swamp crab. Seems like I remember that tree uprooted and sent shoots off the rootball. Does this sound right or am I thinking of someone else’s post?

 

[cavey]

Thumbs up on all your crabs especially the late hangers... Im super jealous and a bit inspired to start adding more and more crabs to my land.

This winter Ive been out driving around some more looking for some of those wild trees that are still hanging fruit. I drove by this one and about crapped myself... The photo doesnt do the tree justice but it is still holding a "lot" of fruit but what I saw on the ground blew me away. I slammed on the brakes and turned the truck around and did a drive by photo shoot. Im going to go back and beg the owner for some scion. The tree is just beat to hell with year after year of heavy loads - obviously no pruning and the bent over branches are not all from just this year. Its not a very big tree but the ground around it is smothered in inches deep fallen crabs. There are deer tracks around it but it is in an area where there just isnt any to draw in. I have never seen this much fruit on and around a tree... I cant imagine what it looked like a few months ago. Forgive me for the poor pic but there isnt a single leaf on the ground around that tree those are all nice round solid looking crab apples.

Sandbur have you grafted any crabs to B118 rootstock?

 

[sandbur]

Thumbs up on all your crabs especially the late hangers... Im super jealous and a bit inspired to start adding more and more crabs to my land.

This winter Ive been out driving around some more looking for some of those wild trees that are still hanging fruit. I drove by this one and about crapped myself... The photo doesnt do the tree justice but it is still holding a "lot" of fruit but what I saw on the ground blew me away. I slammed on the brakes and turned the truck around and did a drive by photo shoot. Im going to go back and beg the owner for some scion. The tree is just beat to hell with year after year of heavy loads - obviously no pruning and the bent over branches are not all from just this year. Its not a very big tree but the ground around it is smothered in inches deep fallen crabs. There are deer tracks around it but it is in an area where there just isnt any to draw in. I have never seen this much fruit on and around a tree... I cant imagine what it looked like a few months ago. Forgive me for the poor pic but there isnt a single leaf on the ground around that tree those are all nice round solid looking crab apples.

Sandbur have you grafted any crabs to B118 rootstock?

View attachment 22461

I feel some areas are full of gems with these wild crabs. If this is a wild tree and not grafted, those root suckers away from the trunk look interesting.

I have grafted crabs on B128 and dolgo. Both have done well. Ranetka has been slower for me, but the rootstock seemed to not have as many of those tiny hair roots as the dolgo and B 118.

I got a message from another former forum member. He found a yellow crab still holding some fruit, and reports it had crunch, sweetness, and tartness this fall. That’s one he and I hope to graft if he gets permission for scion.

Watch for blooming trees in the spring and take a picture of them. The picture helps you remember the location and periodically check the tree during the summer and fall for fruit size/ drop time/ even suitability for cider/ sauce.


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[sandbur]

Thumbs up on all your crabs especially the late hangers... Im super jealous and a bit inspired to start adding more and more crabs to my land.

This winter Ive been out driving around some more looking for some of those wild trees that are still hanging fruit. I drove by this one and about crapped myself... The photo doesnt do the tree justice but it is still holding a "lot" of fruit but what I saw on the ground blew me away. I slammed on the brakes and turned the truck around and did a drive by photo shoot. Im going to go back and beg the owner for some scion. The tree is just beat to hell with year after year of heavy loads - obviously no pruning and the bent over branches are not all from just this year. Its not a very big tree but the ground around it is smothered in inches deep fallen crabs. There are deer tracks around it but it is in an area where there just isnt any to draw in. I have never seen this much fruit on and around a tree... I cant imagine what it looked like a few months ago. Forgive me for the poor pic but there isnt a single leaf on the ground around that tree those are all nice round solid looking crab apples.

Sandbur have you grafted any crabs to B118 rootstock?

View attachment 22461

I feel some areas are full of gems with these wild crabs. If this is a wild tree and not grafted, those root suckers away from the trunk look interesting.

I have grafted crabs on B128 and dolgo. Both have done well. Ranetka has been slower for me, but the rootstock seemed to not have as many of those tiny hair roots as the dolgo and B 118.

I got a message from another former forum member. He found a yellow crab still holding some fruit, and reports it had crunch, sweetness, and tartness this fall. That’s one he and I hope to graft if he gets permission for scion.

Watch for blooming trees in the spring and take a picture of them. The picture helps you remember the location and periodically check the tree during the summer and fall for fruit size/ drop time/ even suitability for cider/ sauce.


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B118 not B128.


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[sandbur]

Sandbur

Did you have the swamp crab? I noticed you have a garden crab top worked on a swamp crab. Seems like I remember that tree uprooted and sent shoots off the rootball. Does this sound right or am I thinking of someone else’s post?

Yes, I have the swamp crab and need to see if I have a picture of it on this phone. It is doing well and had deer sign under it and 1/2 inch fruit.

I wonder if my garden crab is going to outgrow the. Swamp crab rootstock it is on. Time will tell, but that combination has produced fruit quickly.


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[Bowsnbucks]

Cavey, post #56 - WOW. What a find !! I'd LOVE to stumble onto a tree like that.

Bur - I'm guessing Stu found the yellow crab still holding ??