A look at the orchard

[Bowsnbucks]

A number of guys on here with sandy soil say they have good luck with them. If they work in some areas - that's good.

Not all of our B-118 trees have tipped or leaned, but the only trees that have are on B-118 rootstocks. We won't replace B-118 trees that are solidly rooted and straight, but if any fizzle - they'll be replaced by MM-111, Antonovka, P-18, or Dolgo rooted trees.

 

[Native Hunter]

I've had several B118 trees to fall over. My solution has been to straighten them back up with temporary bracing and heap a 16 inches high x a 4 foot circle of dirt on top of them at the ground line. My hope is that the trees will take root above the B118 roots in the extra soil I added. It seems to be working but it's going to take more time before I know for sure. Just the weight of the extra soil is helping to hold the trees upright. I started this two years ago, and all trees are very healthy.

I spoke with a person at a highly respected nursery about this, and he said he was basically recommending the same thing as I mentioned above when assisting someone with a B118 problem.

PS - Most of my trees are on MM111, and I've never had an issue with any of them.

 

[gunfun13]

Back in 2019 I was looking to order 100 B118 rootstocks to graft as I understood that to be the preferred wildlife rootstock for sandy soil at the time, but everyone was sold out. I was somewhat reluctant to substitute M111 as I believed it was better suited for heavy soil, but I did. Seems that may have been a blessing in disguise now.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

substitute M111 as I believed it was better suited for heavy soil, but I did. Seems that may have been a blessing in disguise now.

Our soil is heavier clayish loam, and we've had no problems with MM-111. That's the rootstock a Penn State professor recommended for our soil, using soil map data & description.

 

[williams111]

Natureboy how have your trees/orchard done? Which ones are the standouts?

 

[Natureboy]

Natureboy how have your trees/orchard done? Which ones are the standouts?

The orchard is doing well, with the exception of 20 - 30 trees on B118 rootstock that are either leaners or have completely fallen over. I try to spray every two weeks or so due to Marssonia leaf Blight that is prevalent in my area. I would rate my standout trees to be Liberty, Querina, Sundance, Kerr and Gold Rush. Of those, Liberty is probably my favorite, it is a dependable annual bearer that starts dropping about the middle of September and continues through the middle of December. Almost the entire archery and gun season and the orchard is a deer magnet during that time of year. Maintaining the trees does take quite a bit of time from trimming, fertilizing, spraying, removing bear damaged limbs and harvesting.

 

[williams111]

The orchard is doing well, with the exception of 20 - 30 trees on B118 rootstock that are either leaners or have completely fallen over. I try to spray every two weeks or so due to Marssonia leaf Blight that is prevalent in my area. I would rate my standout trees to be Liberty, Querina, Sundance, Kerr and Gold Rush. Of those, Liberty is probably my favorite, it is a dependable annual bearer that starts dropping about the middle of September and continues through the middle of December. Almost the entire archery and gun season and the orchard is a deer magnet during that time of year. Maintaining the trees does take quite a bit of time from trimming, fertilizing, spraying, removing bear damaged limbs and harvesting.

Thanks for the update!