B
badgerfowl
Guest
With our cold sink I've learned to try and stay away from the iffy ones regarding hardiness. I can't wait til the crabs get some age on them. Wish I would have planted them sooner.
B
badgerfowl
Guest
Stopped by our place friday afternoon after a morning of fishing. Finally a weekend w/o the heat and humidity. Got a chance to spray the apple trees again and some more for a food plot later this month.
Apple trees look good. Sprayed the bonide fruit tree spray a couple weeks ago too. Very little insect activity (aphids/ants) which is the main pest I see in the summer. Dumped 1.5" out of the rain gage.
Saw a doe in the field when I pulled in. She took off and then I drove around to the apple trees and got out and notice two little guys out there. They must have been laying down as I came in. I started walking toward them and got about 60 yards away before they took off.
Close-up of the clover, cut back on June 7.
Even a few stragglers. Saw at least an apple on all three Freedom and one on a Wolf River.
Prairie Spy from CrazyEd finally coming around. Just have to have patience w/ some trees.
Apple trees look good. Sprayed the bonide fruit tree spray a couple weeks ago too. Very little insect activity (aphids/ants) which is the main pest I see in the summer. Dumped 1.5" out of the rain gage.
Saw a doe in the field when I pulled in. She took off and then I drove around to the apple trees and got out and notice two little guys out there. They must have been laying down as I came in. I started walking toward them and got about 60 yards away before they took off.
Close-up of the clover, cut back on June 7.
Even a few stragglers. Saw at least an apple on all three Freedom and one on a Wolf River.
Prairie Spy from CrazyEd finally coming around. Just have to have patience w/ some trees.
B
badgerfowl
Guest
Thanks! We got an inch of rain Thursday night and everything was pretty dry on Friday. No water standing in our driveway. Definitely need to keep getting about an inch every week. Looks like there might be a couple chances this week.
B
badgerfowl
Guest
Yup, its pushing 5' now. Some of the crabs I planted in April are just as tall but in 10 years you shouldn't be able to tell the difference. The hudson's golden gem right next to it, planted same time, is also starting to push upwards. That was a slow starter as well the first couple years.
CrazyEd
5 year old buck +
It is not surprising. I see the same thing in my home nursery with all the 200-300 grafts i've done. Some are crazy vigorous and some are the complete opposite. I've had trees grow 4' in one year and the one next to them only grew 12". Sometimes the same varieties are on the same spectrum of growth, some times they are not. When i buy rootstocks, some look like brooms others look like a twig with a few roots. Maybe one was a good graft, maybe the next is a sloppy one. So many variables.
Back to the prairie spy though, those 2 PS trees were grafted at the same time, and they were both mid-upper of their class, quite vigorous. Im guessing maybe that one you planted took the transplanting shock a bit hard. Now that it's finding its legs hopefully it's off to the races. Mine has basically been a medium grower.
I wish i still had time and organization skills to take notes like this :)
B
badgerfowl
Guest
I'm sure 2 kids have nothing to do with little time!
I just keep track of where trees are in my little document. That way if the tags ever fall off I should be able to figure out what's where. I don't have 200 to keep track of thankfully!
I just keep track of where trees are in my little document. That way if the tags ever fall off I should be able to figure out what's where. I don't have 200 to keep track of thankfully!
B
badgerfowl
Guest
Have planted a brassica plot each of the last two weekends. Timely rains afterwards have gotten things moving on the first plot. Had over an inch sunday morning following saturday's planting so that should get this one going. Plot is where the mowed part is in the picture below. This one wasn't sprayed before so we'll see how it goes. Did spray gly after mowing.
1st leaf chestnut crab on B118 from Cummins. All of my cummins trees this spring are looking good. You can see 4 of the 5 in this pic. Each started out as ~3' whips.
Dolgo on P18
Golden Hornet on MM106
1st leaf chestnut crab on B118 from Cummins. All of my cummins trees this spring are looking good. You can see 4 of the 5 in this pic. Each started out as ~3' whips.
Dolgo on P18
Golden Hornet on MM106
B
badgerfowl
Guest
Here's the other chestnut crab on B118
This Kerr on P18 has some browning leaves. Hopefully I didn't hit it w/ gly previously.
Northwest Greening B118 from CrazyEd.
Recent storm knocked the top off one of the HP in my screen on the right. Can't really tell a difference as I've got hundreds of trees in there.
This Kerr on P18 has some browning leaves. Hopefully I didn't hit it w/ gly previously.
Northwest Greening B118 from CrazyEd.
Recent storm knocked the top off one of the HP in my screen on the right. Can't really tell a difference as I've got hundreds of trees in there.
Merle Hawggard
5 year old buck +
Looking great badger!
B
badgerfowl
Guest
Have you planted many apples bueller? I didn't even bother amending the soil w/ the 10 I planted this year. Just threw them in and caged/matted. The SLN trees aren't as aggressive as the cummins and CrazyEds NW Greening but I'll give them a year or two before making any judgements. They were smaller, younger trees to begin with. Plus I've never tried the antonovka rootstock before. B118 seems to do well at our place for rootstock.
B
badgerfowl
Guest
thanks!
B
badgerfowl
Guest
Looks like cummins has it on G935. Not sure what that is like. Says semi-dwarf. I had to go w/ MM106. First time trying that particular rootstock. Going well so far.
CrazyEd
5 year old buck +
I am ordering so scions from GRIN on the GH so i'm going to give it one more shot I think before I break down. Although I did break down and buy a few Franklin cider apples from Cummins this year. and 3 plums. Maybe I just just throw a damn GH on the order too :)
bueller
Moderator
I personally haven't planted any apples. My dad has put in various types of crabs and standard, none really successful. Although most are neglected and probably the wrong rootstocks. I have a couple pears from SLN that are doing well but they are so slow compared to what I see you and others showing for growth on apples. I've lost about half of them though, again neglect is an issue. In the future I may make a "backyard" orchard where I can take care of what I plant.
B
badgerfowl
Guest
Why not! I've got 2 centennial crabs on order for next year. The centennial I planted last year was loaded w/ fruit the first year. I picked them off after the coons started attacking all my other trees. No fruit this year and its growing like a weed. I'm really looking forward to all these crabs in the coming years.
B
badgerfowl
Guest
Yup, apples and neglect don't really work. Years ago my dad planted a few in a clearing in the woods and the deer made quick work of them.
After planting, most of what I do is reactionary. Pruning, spraying, etc. I can never get ahead but if you plant and cage/mat right away it seems to get them off to a good start. Just this year I've been spraying bonide fruit tree spray and that seems to be helping a bit. Not every young tree is loaded w/ ants/aphids like in years past. I don't feel like doing the imidan/captan sprays so sevin and bonide will have to do.
Next year I will hopefully spray oust before greenup so I don't have to spray while the trees are leafed out. I may have nuked a tree this year because of that. It's not looking good.
In your sand, you may have to do what Ed does w/ the soil amendments in the planting hole to be truly successful. Although we can do a bunch to help the trees, these late frosts always have the last say!
