Apple crop good, other fruit trees, plots prosper

[Bowsnbucks]

I was up at camp this past weekend to spray fruit trees and seed a couple strips of freshly worked ground. Our older apple trees ( 15 years to 50+ old ) are loaded. Some of our newer apples and crabs have their first apples on them. Centennial, Hyslop, Whitney, Chestnut, Liberty, Enterprise, Wolf River, & All-Winter-Hangover. The A-W-H had about 4 dozen crabapples on it, and I thinned it down to about15. It's our best looking newer tree, although one " wild apple seedling " from SLN is shaping itself like a dream. Limbs are spaced evenly up & down the leader and the angles are almost 90 deg. to the leader !! I have no idea what the fruit will look like, but the tree's form is a winner. It has that " Christmas tree " shape already.

We have a number of crabs that get small, 3/8" to 1/2" fruit and mainly just feed birds, but they're loaded as well. One of our Kieffer pears has it's first 3 fruits. Our hackberry tree is fruiting very well - feeding birds. The newly planted serviceberry trees are growing and pushing new shoots. Hawthorns are polluted with fruit as usual. Corn is up 4" and clover plots are thick and lush, the biggest & oldest clover was freshly mowed this weekend. Buckwheat plot is up and showing that " green haze " appearance. Our honey bee hive is red-hot busy with tons of clover blossoms and wild flowers to visit, then the buckwheat blossoms. All - in - all, camp is doing pretty well.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

Nice! Lets see some pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Would love to see what 50 year old apple trees look like!

 

[chummer]

Sounds like all is going well. My last SNL tree finally started to grow. I was ready to give up on it. It was a month behind the other but now you wouldn't be able to tell. Sounds like the deer will be happy with all that variety.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Thanks guys. I was gonna call it toast on one of my SLN trees 2 weeks ago. It's a Chestnut crab, but this last weekend I noticed tiny red tips starting to emerge from the leader. Mighty happy to see those popping. The other 2 Chestnut crabs we got from them last year are really growing. The Arkansas Black we planted April 25th just popped out, too. We thought that was a goner, but it's pushing leaves all over.:) Hang in there Chummer. I know the country you're in and you get TOUGH WINTERS !!!!

I know Jordan - I have taken lots of pix, but I have to wrestle my neighbor over to show me how to load them. I just took some pix of the All-Winter-Hangover crab that's loaded, as well as some pix of Liberty, Goldrush, Hyslop crab, Chestnut crab. I also have a bunch of pix of plots, our " main " orchard, and the apples and crabs planted in the perimeters of fields within tree stand distance !! When I'm home - the neighbor isn't and vice-versa. I'll have pix of some of our Norway spruce that we've planted over the last 18 yrs. and the hawthorns, too. I can't wait to get 'em on here !!!

NH - We're not over-run with deer yet, but the stage is getting set for good things. We have logging about 1/2 to 2/3 done, so we'll have ferns to spray & kill and next spring - spruce to plant in the cut areas. We needed more security / thermal cover for doe groups and travel corridors between bedding & food plots / fruit trees. Those woods were wide open. We're fixing that !!

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Where is your farm again B n B? Come on over and visit if you can

Paul

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Hello Aero !! It's not a farm - it's a hunting camp. It was a farm probably 80+ years ago, so we have cleared, established fields that we work & plant. We're on a mountain top in Lyc. Co. I'll shoot you a PM ahead of time when I can drive over to your place. I'd love to see your plantings. Nice country up there. Lately every trip up-state to camp we've been busy planting, mowing, logging, spraying, etc. Full schedule all weekend. It's work ..... but it's FUN work !!! I'm sure you know the feeling.

 

[Maya]

Common Bows, no pics????

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Sounds like a plan Bows. I imagine it's about an hour and a bit to Lyco County. Love to show you my place and what I have done. Maya was supposed to come by last year but he stood me up lol. Yea I know the routine. I come up every week and can't seem to get enough done. I do it all by myself so it's not easy. But it's fun and not really work

 

[sandbur]

Guys-I have found that a small group getting together and walking each others land is a great learning experience.
I have had lots of advice from Stu,Freeborn, foggy, wildfire, batman,Jim, Mark, Aaron, and Lee. I'm sure I have missed a few others that have helped me out.

Thanks to all of you guys.

I encourage everyone to try a small gathering for forum friends that you can trust.

 

[aerospacefarmer]

I have had 3 guys from the forum to my place so far. Spur, chicken little and a guy from QDMA site years ago. It's very rewarding to hear comments from guys who understand the efforts

 

[Maya]

I tried to go see someones property in Pa., but he was to good for me! :p

 

[aerospacefarmer]

I tried to go see someones property in Pa., but he was to good for me! :p

Ummmm you mean you were too busy to come by. You went to those snooty orchards in Adams County haha. Come down and help me hand thin my trees lol. I think some have too many

 

[Bowsnbucks]

If you want to come to see my camp, Maya - the door's open !!! We can do some PM directions .......... just be prepared to give pointers on tree care / pruning !!!:D:p

 

[Maya]

If you want to come to see my camp, Maya - the door's open !!! We can do some PM directions .......... just be prepared to give pointers on tree care / pruning !!!:D:p

We'll be down sometime Bows, probably not this year though. I'll probably be doing some more pruning demo's again for the QDMA in NY next spring. Next summer we are heading to Tenn. and N. Carolina for a look see at some properties, maybe we'll have time to stop by.

 

[Maya]

Ummmm you mean you were too busy to come by. You went to those snooty orchards in Adams County haha. Come down and help me hand thin my trees lol. I think some have too many

Ummmm you mean you were too busy to come by. You went to those snooty orchards in Adams County haha. Come down and help me hand thin my trees lol. I think some have too many

Here's a beauty I'll thin for you Aero! ;) 50 % of my Honeycrisp are all frost ringed. :(

 

[sandbur]

Here's a beauty I'll thin for you Aero! ;) 50 % of my Honeycrisp are all frost ringed. :(View attachment 5414

I was going to ask you what a frost ring looks like.

 

[Maya]

30 yards away and these Zestar!s were fine!

 

[Maya]

Liberty's too. Not sure if the thicker canopy helped or the varieties are a little hardier. I suspect a little of both.

 

[sandbur]

George- Did you have any apples on a north slope that might have fared better because of a later bloom?

 

[Maya]

I have an orchard of Liberty's that I planted for a client on a north slope, but I haven't seen it this spring. I'm sure it's in good shape though just because they are Liberty's. Mine are all fine and produced well this year despite the cold and frost. This is a B118 3rd leaf. Wow I just noticed. You can really see all the hail damage on the top of those branches from last years storm.