A few blossoms started!

Flip! 31-32 here this morning. Possible little light frost. I got out there at 3:30 and got the fire rockin in a low spot next to my home orchards. It got the air moving, we'll see what happens. 10 % of the Honeycrisp are starting to open and everything else is in full bloom. Went up to another orchard I have at a friends camp yesterday which is all Liberty's and HC's they are still all in 1st pink to pink.
 
Great pics George.....I guess you thinned properly last year lol;) I am going up tomorrow to spray again after 2 weeks since the captan and 2 inches of rain. That really sucks We are supposed to go to 36 tonight so you will probably be colder. Keep those fires burning and good luck
 
Just went back out, everything looks fine. Momma was in her glory w/ all the flowers! :) Looks like the trees got hit w/ a snow storm!DSCN2323.JPG
 
Glad to hear you didn't get frozen out, Maya. Let's hope we can all dodge a late frost/freeze.
 
Thanks BnB! Hope everyone makes it ok too. We still have low temps foretasted for tomorrow.:eek:
 
Nice picture, maya.

One of my flowering crabs is almost ready to flower.
 
I had a heavy frost last night but no blossoms have opened yet. Seems late this year, usually they are done by Memorial Day. This year it looks like they might be peak for the long weekend! One more frost tonight then we warm up.
 
LOL Good to hear NH. We had a good frost this morning. I got out at 3:30 and started another fire. 28 at 5:45. I just went out and everything looks fine. I cut into several blossoms/ fruitlets and they looked fine. DSCN2320.JPG
 
Zestar! in my backyard just started opening up yesterday. Quite a few blooms on this 3rd year tree on G.30 roots! Forecast looks great for the foreseeable future. Cortland on B9 should be blooming within a few days here too, it's not far behind.
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My Zestar!s are all pollinated except for those few stranglers that all trees have.It's been real windy here but we have had 3 fairly warm dry days so everything should get pollinated well. My neighbor lost half his honey bees this past winter, but the ones that made it are all over the trees. Looks like all my mason bees made it.

This was a Mac, I think.DSCN2295.JPG
 
I can't get enough of these pics. So great to look at, keep 'em coming!
 
My Zestar!s are all pollinated except for those few stranglers that all trees have.

Hey Maya,
How can you tell when they've been pollinated? What does a noob like myself look for or how do we know?
Thanks.
 
I don't have pics Ed but I'll go get a couple. Home today with back problems, but I could use an orchard walk!

Basically the anthers turn from nice yellow with all that pollen to brown. Then the petals start to fall and you see the little fruitlet.
 
You can see the tips on these Zestar! anthers all turned brown and all but one dropped it's petals. They are all dried out. Compare to the pics above where the anthers are vibrant yellowDSCN2342.JPG
 
...and the tiny little fruits starting to developDSCN2343.JPG .
 
Thanks Maya that is helpful!
 
Great photo's Maya! - Thanks for sharing...;)
 
Crystal clear photos Maya. Thanks!! What model camera are you using?
Just a relatively cheap Nikon Coolpix 100. It does most everything I want.

OK, got to get ready to spray. FYI, I just got an alert from UVM, at pink and bloom they are warning against using Captan as they are seeing some phytotoxicity to the blooms. I have used it in the past and noticed some burning of the edges but nothing bad. They are suggesting other weak fungisides such as Mancozeb or Polyram. I'm not sure, but I think these may be legal in most states for use without an applicators license. This application is for use against scab. For those of you not growing disease resistant varieties, it would be prudent. Not just for better quality apples, but also to keep healthier leaves and thus better growth in young trees. That's another reason I always suggest disease resistant varieties such as Liberty, Enterprise and so forth. You don't have to worry about scab w/ these varieties! It makes growing apples for deer easier.
 
Maya - Since you are talking spraying, what would you recommend for a good all-around spray for young apple trees being grown for deer? My camp has Liberty, Enterprise, Goldrush, Wolf River, N.Y. 35 Bonkers, Prairie Spy, plus Whitney, Dolgo, Centennial, Centurion, Chestnut, Hyslop & Trailman crabs. They have all been planted last spring or this spring. One spray for fungal diseases - another for insect pests? Any suggestions are much appreciated.
 
Bowsnbucks, the main thing for deer apples imo is to keep them healthy enough to get a good start. Keep underneath the trees clean of competition and keep the entire orchard mowed as much as possible. Make sure they get as much sun as possible and good airflow. Also stake and keep window screen on the bases of trees to keep both mice/vols and borers away. And above all cage them from deer using individual cages or block fence for at least 4-5 years.

Now, a main fungus which is a problem is scab, which will infect both leaves and apples. In early years on these younger trees it will slow growth if leaves are moderately to highly infected. So for deer apples that will slow things up for you. Another fungal problem is ceder apple rust, which again can slow growth. If you don't have red ceder anywhere near you (up to 1-3 miles depending on orientation) this won't be a problem.

A good all around fungicide for scab is Captan 80 or 50wp It should be applied at a rate of 2 tablespoons per gallon of water. A fine mist so that the leaves are covered, but if it is dripping off, you sprayed to much. Timing is critical, spray at tight cluster, petal fall and at 7-14 day intervals thru June. If you get over 2" of rain it should be applied again reguardless of how long it's been since the last spray. Scab spores are released on a rain so the main idea is to make sure the trees are covered before the rain.

Captan is not very effective on CAR, but it's better than nothing. The spray schedule for scab will cover CAR. There are better fungicides for CAR but I believe in most states they are restricted use. With both these fugus's though, they can be eliminated with the planting of disease resistant varieties. That's why I and others have been suggesting varieties such as Liberty, Enterprise, Galarina and so forth. They eliminate at least the problem of scab and several are disease resistant to CAR too. Most crabs are very easy to grow and will do good without spraying. All the talk on this site and the other one about the 5000 different varieties being grown is unnecessary imo, at least for deer. Which is what you asked about.

As for insects tent caterpillars and sometimes aphids on young trees can be a problem and slow growth. They can be spot sprayed w/ Malathion or a regular spray of Imidan will normally keep them at bay. It can be sprayed with captan and at the same schedule. as Captan. However it is important to note that it should only be sprayed at first light or last light so you do not kill any bees that may be flying around during the day. Use at the same rate at 2 tbls. Also the use of dormant oil spray in springtime can be effective against mite and aphid numbers and can be picked up at most garden centers. Use as directed on label.

There is a lot more to spraying apples, but this a decent starter schedule for deer apples and will get them a better head start than if you did no spraying. If you have any wild apples in the area you can be assured the will effect your trees of these maladies and maybe more. Can you grow them without spraying yes and sometimes no depending where you live in the country and how bad the fungal diseases and pest saturation is in your area.
 
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