Best late season, LOW/NO maintenance apple.

[Rally1148]

Looks like you could order a few kinds of crabapples and plant them as rootstocks from Coldstream Farm for fall (October-November) delivery http://www.coldstreamfarm.net/c-36-crabapple.aspx

I'll probably just wait until the spring!

You could try rooting some crab apple cuttings. But I do not think you'd be any father ahead than ordering rootstock for March.

I've got one that I grew from seed, so that might end up in the ground pretty soon. We'll see!

 

[buckvelvet]

Rally,

You know how to graft. I'd be looking at your roadsides late season as you drive around and make a note. Then in March head back out and grab some scions and graft. I found some that hung late this past winter that were at a local house. Got permission and cut them. They are growing great. I don't know about the DR of them but, figured the tree was old , looked healthy with no signs of health issues and no dead wood.

I've been doing this already, noting which trees take on heavy loads. Will reassess those specific trees late in the season.

 

[buckvelvet]

Don't mind the crazy guy in your side yard or back 40 armed with only a headlamp and a pair of pruning shears. :)​

 

[Charman03]

Don't mind the crazy guy in your side yard or back 40 armed with only a headlamp and a pair of pruning shears. :)​

Haha

 

[wiscwhip]

While we are on the subject of low/no maintenance apples, what does one REALLY need to look at in terms of an apple planted strictly for deer as far as disease resistance goes? Assume you will never want to eat one. Obviously fireblight resistance is a huge one, it will eventually kill the tree if let go and potentially infect other trees in the area. Is CAR resistance really that important to the wildlife? Any other major resistances that are a must for a plant and forget tree?

 

[CrazyEd]

While we are on the subject of low/no maintenance apples, what does one REALLY need to look at in terms of an apple planted strictly for deer as far as disease resistance goes? Assume you will never want to eat one. Obviously fireblight resistance is a huge one, it will eventually kill the tree if let go and potentially infect other trees in the area. Is CAR resistance really that important to the wildlife? Any other major resistances that are a must for a plant and forget tree?

If you want an apple for deer, liberty b118. Maya has said that for many years and in my 6 years of growing I would agree. Easy training and as resistant as they come. I have (2) 5th leaf trees on M111 that just have their first fruit. My trees are slow to bear because of rootstock choice in central sandy wisconsin. B118 with no setbacks should be 3-4 years tops.

We get a little bit of CAR on Goldrush, black oxford, Frostbite to name a few. I have seen it on leaves only, not the fruit. More visible based on spring precipitation amounts. Wetter years = more car on my land.

 

[chickenlittle]

Similar to badgerfowl. Fireblight resistance is my #1 criteria and then scab. Then I'll look at another other susceptibility or negative like biennial fruiting. No apple is perfect. Strains of bacteria and fungi vary with location as does the climate. Even top rated fireblight resistant varieties can still get it. It just should not spread far down the tree.

Scab can hurt a tree but from what I've seen it just makes ugly fruit. I watched a young 8pt sneak into a scabby McIntosh tree last weekend as I drank my morning coffee. It had so many apples this year that one limb was broken down. I wouldn't plant another one but have no plans to cut it down.

 

[CrazyEd]

Similar to badgerfowl. Fireblight resistance is my #1 criteria and then scab. Then I'll look at another other susceptibility or negative like biennial fruiting. No apple is perfect. Strains of bacteria and fungi vary with location as does the climate. Even top rated fireblight resistant varieties can still get it. It just should not spread far down the tree.

Scab can hurt a tree but from what I've seen it just makes ugly fruit. I watched a young 8pt sneak into a scabby McIntosh tree last weekend as I drank my morning coffee. It had so many apples this year that one limb was broken down. I wouldn't plant another one but have no plans to cut it down.

What is best practice for fireblight removal? Yank entire tree, destroy at another location and clean tools?

 

[Rally1148]

While we are on the subject of low/no maintenance apples, what does one REALLY need to look at in terms of an apple planted strictly for deer as far as disease resistance goes? Assume you will never want to eat one. Obviously fireblight resistance is a huge one, it will eventually kill the tree if let go and potentially infect other trees in the area. Is CAR resistance really that important to the wildlife? Any other major resistances that are a must for a plant and forget tree?

I've been looking at #1 being fireblight. After that it was just overall DR. I think it would depend a lot on if you have other susceptible varieties in the area.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

X2 with Chicken. #1 - fireblight, #2 scab. CAR not really a prob. where camp is located.

 

[Rally1148]

What is best practice for fireblight removal? Yank entire tree, destroy at another location and clean tools?

If it's just a branch, I've been cutting the branch back, into CLEAN wood. Otherwise, I'm planning on cutting the tree in the winter, an bark grafting. I've got some big old trees though, (50+ years old), so I want to save the roots if I can.

 

[chickenlittle]

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Thanks for the link, Chicken.

 

[Mortenson]

I wonder what trees this guy decided going with. I see he hasn't been active in over a year. The thread is a good read though!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

^^^^ I'm glad you bumped this up, Mortenson. Cool to look back on some of the posts. When this thread was first posted, I'd been planting apples and crabs (newer ones) since spring of 2013. I'd still support crabs for deer for low maintenance. I haven't had any real problems with our crabs. A few tent caterpillars on a couple - no big deal. The DR regular apples that are pretty well-known on here have been great too.

Good question about the OP - I wonder what he chose too.

 

[H20fwler]

It is a good read. Seems like crabs were the most recommended.
I would would have suggested some of the NWC, I’ve been able to plant sceen/cage and walk away from them in my tough to get at spots.