Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Spray your trees?? Those apples look good. Man-eater guarding the stash!
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2014 Grafting Adventures of CrazyED
- Thread starter CrazyEd
- Start date
CrazyEd
5 year old buck +
2023 Notes:
In general, a lot of the trees that had substantial crops last year took the year off. Mainly Wolf River, Honeygold and Kerr. It was a dry year. Little to no rain from April to June. Then it seemed like we had timely rains, enough to be ok but still pretty dry.
Liberty is a consistent, reliable producer of high quality, large fruit, without spraying. It makes excellent fresh cider, single variety or blended. Excellent for fresh eating and good storage quality. Glad I planted a bunch of these.
Enterprise huge crop, giant apples, high quality, without spraying. Storage quality is best in class. Fantastic fresh eating quality. Solid fresh cider, have 3 gallons of hard cider currently brewing. TBD. Wish I would have planted more of these.
Black Oxford , consistent reliable producer of high quality fruit. Medium to large fruit, no spraying required. Extremely dense, dry fruit. Great for drying, poor for cider. Shredded and pressed 3-5 bushel and yield 2.5 gallons. Let them get partially soft as recommended by Ben but maybe should have waited longer or stored in warm temps longer, didn’t want to press in Feb.
Pears, Kieffer in particular are very reliable. Large, high quality fruit.
In general, a lot of the trees that had substantial crops last year took the year off. Mainly Wolf River, Honeygold and Kerr. It was a dry year. Little to no rain from April to June. Then it seemed like we had timely rains, enough to be ok but still pretty dry.
Liberty is a consistent, reliable producer of high quality, large fruit, without spraying. It makes excellent fresh cider, single variety or blended. Excellent for fresh eating and good storage quality. Glad I planted a bunch of these.
Enterprise huge crop, giant apples, high quality, without spraying. Storage quality is best in class. Fantastic fresh eating quality. Solid fresh cider, have 3 gallons of hard cider currently brewing. TBD. Wish I would have planted more of these.
Black Oxford , consistent reliable producer of high quality fruit. Medium to large fruit, no spraying required. Extremely dense, dry fruit. Great for drying, poor for cider. Shredded and pressed 3-5 bushel and yield 2.5 gallons. Let them get partially soft as recommended by Ben but maybe should have waited longer or stored in warm temps longer, didn’t want to press in Feb.
Pears, Kieffer in particular are very reliable. Large, high quality fruit.
Attachments
sandbur
5 year old buck +
Have you tried freezing the BlackOxford before pressing? It might give better yields.
When I wish to press frozen apples, I just rinse frozen apples in a tub of water and immediately press when they thaw.
CrazyEd
5 year old buck +
I have not but it’s a good call out for sure.
CrazyEd
5 year old buck +
I just had to do a few more. It felt good to get the knife back in my hand.
I went to the farm yesterday and planted (1) Court Pendu Plat I grafted a few years ago that I still had in my garden. A nice little tree. I still have about 25 trees in my nursery at the farm which will probably wait another year before planting. I also ordered 3 cherry, 2 peach, 1 plum and 1 pear from turkey creek. Then I came home and grafted these (25) to mm111. Most of my trees are b118 and they have done but I do have some trees on m111 that have also done well. So I’m diversifying a little. Most of the scion came from Grin but I did cut a few at the farm and one very kind forum member sent me another. Roots from Cummins.
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I went to the farm yesterday and planted (1) Court Pendu Plat I grafted a few years ago that I still had in my garden. A nice little tree. I still have about 25 trees in my nursery at the farm which will probably wait another year before planting. I also ordered 3 cherry, 2 peach, 1 plum and 1 pear from turkey creek. Then I came home and grafted these (25) to mm111. Most of my trees are b118 and they have done but I do have some trees on m111 that have also done well. So I’m diversifying a little. Most of the scion came from Grin but I did cut a few at the farm and one very kind forum member sent me another. Roots from Cummins.
.
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bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
looks like a nice mix. Starkspur golden is a golden delicious variety? I might be out of room pretty soon, but I would like to give northwest greening a try, I'm guessing my favorite local crabaaple is a seedling of northwest greening. Might be too sweet, or tasted it when well ripened.
Just electrical tape? I have done pruning tape then over wrapped with electrical tape. Was worried what the tape's glue does to the scab area. I remove the electrical tape in june and pruning tape around mid to late july. Indoor grafts were about 80%, outdoor about 60-70% successful. Outdoor got grafted too early, about a month before leafout.
I'm about 2/3'rds done removing trees that I am relocating. Tried digging around then under, then digging around a little under and using a hose to wash away dirt. Seemed both were a real pain. Bought a 3 tined pitch fork yesterday and see if that helps some. MY nursery garden and planting sites were amended and rototiller down to about 24 inches, but my heavy loam is still a real pain to dig. Should of got some sand and added it to that spot. Pretty much resolved to grow pots from now on, got (20) 3 gallon and (6) 6 gallon ones. After this year's run, going down to maybe 10-15 pots a year.
How was the hard cider? Got pristine and trailman for an early cider growing. Refield and enterprise or maybe some empire for mid to late season. Put a bartlet and keiffer in the ground to add some sorbitol to the mash, i like sweeter hard ciders. Franklin cider is another I got growing too. Sure that wickson you got grafted will be great too.
Just electrical tape? I have done pruning tape then over wrapped with electrical tape. Was worried what the tape's glue does to the scab area. I remove the electrical tape in june and pruning tape around mid to late july. Indoor grafts were about 80%, outdoor about 60-70% successful. Outdoor got grafted too early, about a month before leafout.
I'm about 2/3'rds done removing trees that I am relocating. Tried digging around then under, then digging around a little under and using a hose to wash away dirt. Seemed both were a real pain. Bought a 3 tined pitch fork yesterday and see if that helps some. MY nursery garden and planting sites were amended and rototiller down to about 24 inches, but my heavy loam is still a real pain to dig. Should of got some sand and added it to that spot. Pretty much resolved to grow pots from now on, got (20) 3 gallon and (6) 6 gallon ones. After this year's run, going down to maybe 10-15 pots a year.
How was the hard cider? Got pristine and trailman for an early cider growing. Refield and enterprise or maybe some empire for mid to late season. Put a bartlet and keiffer in the ground to add some sorbitol to the mash, i like sweeter hard ciders. Franklin cider is another I got growing too. Sure that wickson you got grafted will be great too.
Last edited:
CrazyEd
5 year old buck +
Still brewing following Ben’s recipe. However I’m ready to add sugar and bottle it. Probably after spring break though.
I do have pristine and trailman, and Franklin.
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sandbur
5 year old buck +
I have put e tape on inside out. If put on the regular way, I just slit the tape with a scalpel.
cavey
5 year old buck +
Ive gone to doing the first wrap with plastic marking ribbon then go over that with reversed electrical tape - I used to just use electrical tape but had the bark lift off with the adhesive to many times;
Then tried the slit the tape but got burned a few times cutting to deep - the stretched tape pulled the bark apart along the slit.
The marking ribbon and e tape works for me now - it is maybe a bit of overkill but I have had few issues
CrazyEd
5 year old buck +
In sand country, this planting process has worked out well for us. As you can see, we don't have dirt or soil we have pure sand. Thankfully it rained a ton overnight so there is as much moisture in the ground at time of planting. Each tree we amend the hole with 3 bags of composted manure, then we put down a 6'x6' piece of 6mil black plastic, and 2 bags of pea gravel on top of that. 48"x18" window screen to protect the trunk, and approximately 5' round concrete mesh cage anchored by a single t-post. Conduit to keep the tree growing straight, affixed to the tree with aglok.
sandbur
5 year old buck +
I do not plant in pure sand, but just a few comments on my part. When the soils is light, I add some moisture holding crystals to the hole and also just a bit of pel lime as my pH is low on the lighter soils. It is ok on the better soils.
I did try some water proof barrier on some trees and lost one tree that I blame on the bartier. It was a 10-12 year old tree and we only had a few light rains. I did occasionally give it 5 gallons of water, but the water stayed on top of the barrier and it was bone dry under it. I caught that in time to save a few other trees. I did have mulch on top of the barrier and grass grew into it. None of the water was reaching the root zone.
I pulled the barrier out and ran 25 gallons to each tree on the other trees.
CrazyEd
5 year old buck +
Our whole farm is pure sand, so we do not have any choice. It's either push the limits or don't plant at all, clearly, I'm pushing the limits :)
I would not recommend plastic in any other conditions, but we have seen it hold moisture in a good way. Did you use pea gravel on top of the barrier? We always create a slight depression to help funnel water down through the plastic near the trunk of the tree.
It's always best for someone planting to figure out what works best for them. What may work for one may not work for another.
sandbur
5 year old buck +
I used wood mulch on top of the plastic. It degraded and grass grew into it. Your use of rock is much better and I now use rock on a permeable weed barrier. I purchased a load of rock that is up to 3/4 inch in size, but it seems to work. This is pretty much for areas that I won’t mow. I do leave a slight dip around the tree on lighter soils.
I didn’t mean to criticize your method, but just to recommend that wood mulch should not be used over plastic or else that it should be monitored that moisture gets under the mulch.
I am lucky to have areas of better soil that I planted with apple trees and I ignored the blow sand areas.
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
CrazyEd,
What rootstock do you like. I have alot of sand at camp, but find places where tree decomposition washes down the hill and settles more in little valley areas.
2 spots I am converting are more sandy on the edges of an old log landing.
Got 10 anty rootstock and 4 dolgo seedlings from last year that I can use. Bought a dolgo on B118 from turkey creek, but the march we are having is a mess. Looking at the weather I have for this weekend up there. I got lows in the mid to lower 20's and have silky dogwood and a 5ft tall anty seedling from 2021 with leaves on it already. Likely be a foot of fresh snow to shovel too. The dolgo on B118 went at my home instead. Anty seedling is in a purgatory hilled bucket under my porch. Thinking the silky dogwood wont be going up there too.
Thinking the rootmker pots I have will be much easier to transplant stuff. Can do in August throgh october with no issues.
What rootstock do you like. I have alot of sand at camp, but find places where tree decomposition washes down the hill and settles more in little valley areas.
2 spots I am converting are more sandy on the edges of an old log landing.
Got 10 anty rootstock and 4 dolgo seedlings from last year that I can use. Bought a dolgo on B118 from turkey creek, but the march we are having is a mess. Looking at the weather I have for this weekend up there. I got lows in the mid to lower 20's and have silky dogwood and a 5ft tall anty seedling from 2021 with leaves on it already. Likely be a foot of fresh snow to shovel too. The dolgo on B118 went at my home instead. Anty seedling is in a purgatory hilled bucket under my porch. Thinking the silky dogwood wont be going up there too.
Thinking the rootmker pots I have will be much easier to transplant stuff. Can do in August throgh october with no issues.
H20fwler
5 year old buck +
That is a good read! Very good advice.
Here a bag of mulch around each tree helps with retaining moisture during dry spells.
My soil is loamy clay and voles are a nonissue.
Earthworms really seem to like dirt under mulch so I feel that is good for the roots. Don’t know why but I like seeing lots of big worms in the ground in my mind it makes me think the ground is healthier.
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
B118 lovers are in the minority here. Really wanted to put that dolgo and a pair of 30-06 on B118 up there too see if it can work ok put there. Pretty sure it would be good. Not getting the cold we used up there. Seem every other year is a very poor winter with no snow. This past season was the 1st I did not buy a trail permit. Wasn't missing much. Sold my 2020 skidoo grand touring last year, still got a old 2010 polaris to play with when the weather agrees.
Should be about 2-3 inches of snow up there by tomorrow. Planting probably won't go so bad. The anty rootstock I got are monsters. 3 or 4 are too big for my rootmaking pots. Will just plant and maybe graft at the same time. Not sure how long they'll take to wake up for this year up there. Will have 6 or 7 growing in pots for the fall, all Anty. Droptine, Crossbow, AWHO, WW, and Violi. MAybe a kerr, finishing my grafts tonight.
Should be about 2-3 inches of snow up there by tomorrow. Planting probably won't go so bad. The anty rootstock I got are monsters. 3 or 4 are too big for my rootmaking pots. Will just plant and maybe graft at the same time. Not sure how long they'll take to wake up for this year up there. Will have 6 or 7 growing in pots for the fall, all Anty. Droptine, Crossbow, AWHO, WW, and Violi. MAybe a kerr, finishing my grafts tonight.
g squared 23
5 year old buck +
Getting some movement ! Kept them in dark basement for about a month. Just moved to garage, north facing window. Because I didn’t have enough trees as it is ;)
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When do you advise moving to a nursery or rootmaker pot/bag? I had some pears all wake up and send up a good shoot, I moved them all to pots and most died. Maybe I handled the roots poorly?
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