2014 Grafting Adventures of CrazyED

[CrazyEd]

Hey Matt, good to see that your still grafting a "few" trees.

Yeah, i've done about 100 / year for probably the last 5 years or so. Some are given away to friends and family but a majority still end up at the farm.

 

[CrazyEd]

I'll take a few pics when i dig from my nursery at planting time but I have some incredible 2 year old trees on B.118. Lots of trees with big caliper and well feathered, and some probably 8'+ tall, 1" at the base. (2) #5 crab. Winter Wildlife is always vigorous, and super easy to train that fruit early and often, I have a bunch of those ready to go. All Winter Hangover, Anaros, Violi's, Monster Crab, Yates. While I am only planting 20 trees these grade out at the top end. For me it's easier to keep a tree in the nursery another year and really baby it, than try to plant it to soon.

 

[Tree Spud]

Bought a few things from MDC and Coldstream this year. Can't get it in the ground due to severe weather, was supposed to plant tomorrow. Delayed 2 weeks now. Stock should be fine in cool temps, keeping it damp and above freezing. Haven't dug apples from Nursery yet.

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I have had good luck with Cold Stream. We still have frost in the ground and even the County tree program pick-up has been pushed out a week. Currently 21 deg F here and been snowing/sleeting for 2 days. I am pushing all planting out till the end of April. Probably our latest green up in last 4-5 years.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Matt - Those grafts look really good. Bucketful of nice future !! Those evergreens look healthy too. Keep up the great work !!

 

[CrazyEd]

Was supposed to plant 2 weeks ago, but due to weather we delayed. we are a go for tomorrow. Dug these beautiful trees on B118 roots. Grafted 2 springs ago.

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[buckvelvet]

Very nice! Mine dont seem to be as big as that for the most part. Have fun!


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[sandbur]

Hiked the park today with the dog. I noticed this tree for the first time so I tbudded a few when I got home. Decent looking yellow Crab.

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Could that be Golden Hornet?


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[sandbur]

I'll take a few pics when i dig from my nursery at planting time but I have some incredible 2 year old trees on B.118. Lots of trees with big caliper and well feathered, and some probably 8'+ tall, 1" at the base. (2) #5 crab. Winter Wildlife is always vigorous, and super easy to train that fruit early and often, I have a bunch of those ready to go. All Winter Hangover, Anaros, Violi's, Monster Crab, Yates. While I am only planting 20 trees these grade out at the top end. For me it's easier to keep a tree in the nursery another year and really baby it, than try to plant it to soon.

I’m glad to see you are getting into crabs. Nice variety! I think I have some of your scion, via Stu. Thanks!

If I get off work early enough, I need to start top working. Trail, winter wildlife, shafer, Eastman sweet, tolman sweet, and two of my seedlings I call Buckman crab and Arts Berry crab (ABC). There is something else in there that I cannot remember...


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[H20fwler]

Bought a few things from MDC and Coldstream this year. Can't get it in the ground due to severe weather, was supposed to plant tomorrow.

This is the fourth year I've planted trees from Coldstream, I've been very happy with trees I received from them.

Your grafted two year old trees look GREAT...the Cherry Bomb crab scions I grafted from you last year are doing well. I too am adding more crabs to the farms I still need to try some Winter Wildlife and All Winter Hangovers.

 

[buckvelvet]

@CrazyEd what do you use to dig your trees out? Im afraid to use a shovel, i dont wanna break any roots...


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[CrazyEd]

Not golden Hornet, too small. To me looks more like harvest gold.

Hiked the park today with the dog. I noticed this tree for the first time so I tbudded a few when I got home. Decent looking yellow Crab.

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Could that be Golden Hornet?


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[CrazyEd]

@CrazyEd what do you use to dig your trees out? Im afraid to use a shovel, i dont wanna break any roots...


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Shovel to loosen, then I just pull. A few roots may get broken but that is part of the process.

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[CrazyEd]

i think this is what i dug and planted. need to verify tags next time i go to the farm. This puts me just under 150 trees in the ground.

Winter wildlife
Winter wildlife
Winter wildlife
Anaros
Violi's
All winter hangover
Black twig
Liberty
Enterprise
Late hang green
#5 crab
Monster
Monster
Galarina
King david
Northern spy
Westfield seek
Yates
Yates
Jonathan

 

[buckvelvet]

@CrazyEd do you top any of them if the roots seem a bit under developed?

Or trim scaffolds back that may be in the right height zone but to long comparably to the height of the leader?


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[CrazyEd]

@CrazyEd do you top any of them if the roots seem a bit under developed?

Or trim scaffolds back that may be in the right height zone but to long comparably to the height of the leader?


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They all get pruned back at time of planting. In fact after I took these pictures, I headed them all back. Every one. Ben always recommended that.

 

[buckvelvet]

Thanks Matt!


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[CrazyEd]

Here are a few more pictures of my nursery. Today I sent in there and kind of dug up about 65% of my trees and re-planted, re-shuffled. As much as I dont like the transplant shock, I have such a small nursery to work with on my suburban lot I have to re-organize. I try to do it early before trees are leafed, today was a pretty good day for it. A little sunny but when trees are out of dirt, I keep them in a bucket of water out of the sun. When everything was back in, I watered like crazy.

So here is 65%. I left about 40 of the largest trees in the nursery, the 40 that were still in the ground were all way bigger than the bundle of big trees pictured here.

Here's what I didn't dig

Then I tilled up everything nice.

Then I dig a trench

All done.

And I still have room to add the 100 I am grafting this spring on the back side. This is mostly 50% top soil, 50% mushroom compost. The box is 2"x12". I pack the trees in. Some 6-12" apart.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

That soil looks UNREAL !!! No wonder your trees are big. Great job on a good-looking nursery.

 

[buckvelvet]

I 2nd @Bowsnbucks on the dirt @CrazyEd has in his nursery, that looks stupid good.

 

[CrazyEd]

I 2nd @Bowsnbucks on the dirt @CrazyEd has in his nursery, that looks stupid good.

Yeah guys I do invest in pretty good soil. If I didn't, my native ground at home is heavy clay that once saturated and then dries it becomes concrete. It was impossible to dig in and even hard to pull transplants out. This stuff is perfect. Highly organic, well drained but holds moisture well, and when it's time to get trees out it doesn't take too much effort to get a great root ball. I also till it very well when it's planting time. Even like all these re-plants I just did, I tilled the crud out of as deep as I could it so it's nice and loose. OH yeah on the bottom, before I even filled the box with dirt, I put a good 5" of rotten leaves in the bottom.

Although as stated previously last year it was too good, too hot and it killed 90% of my grafts. So you have to be careful. However, that said I ordered the same mix I have ordered for the last 3 years (I keep expanding) and never had a problem before. I think I just got a hot batch. I've since tried to spread that hot stuff around a bit and will be adding just straight topsoil this year to fill in a few low spots.