Bilodeau crab
- Thread starter sandbur
- Start date
rocksnstumps
5 year old buck +
Darn it Sandbur, now you made me look these up. As I already was planning on getting in an order for Winter Wildlife and Kerr trees and ended up adding in a couple of these too. Cider and late season were just trigger words I couldn't pass up, I'm so gullible...
rocksnstumps
5 year old buck +
Also an FYI on this variety for others as when I googled it turns out was named by Claude Jolicoeur who is the author of The New Cider Maker's Handbook. Since I have a copy of the book, I looked Bilodeau up and noted that while SLN has this listed as Season: Late that Claude notes in his own orchard (zone 4) that it has a harvest date of early to mid Sept. Not sure how long it might hang on a tree but still sounds like a great cider apple and good eater. Noted to be around 1-3/4" dia.
sandbur
5 year old buck +
I would like to taste it next to Chestnut crab. Shape looks similar. Some chestnuts are very red, some more yellow.
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rocksnstumps
5 year old buck +
Bilodeau is described as bright yellow covered with a nice red (not striped), with some years varying amounts of russet. Claude admits to trying to figure out if inital graft given to him was maybe some named variety but never did positively identify it but mentions that mostly looks like the Robin crab (whatever that is) He also was growing a Chestnut and a Hewes crab in his orchard at the time of book publication and not the same although not much fruit from those yet.
For those that know or care about this stuff
Sugar: high, SG 1.065 (1.050 - 1.076)
Acidity: high, TA 7.5g/L (6.2 - 8.9)
Tannin: medium
Juice yield: medium to high
For those that know or care about this stuff
Sugar: high, SG 1.065 (1.050 - 1.076)
Acidity: high, TA 7.5g/L (6.2 - 8.9)
Tannin: medium
Juice yield: medium to high
rocksnstumps
5 year old buck +
Sandbur
Just ran across a nursery that has scions for this variety something like $5 ea
https://www.perfectcircle.farm/scionwood-and-cuttings/wl9l6ahfj81y8dd8lhqkdvka6jnw2y
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Rocksnstumps - Nice find! That nursery has some good varieties to plant. Thanks for posting!
sandbur
5 year old buck +
rocksnstumps
5 year old buck +
Curious if others that have this variety have an opinion on how vigorous a grower it is. I have a couple on antonovka rootstock and seems a modest grower. But is it bilodeau or the rootstock? Have one planted on light soil at the land and a second in heavy soil back home and neither is winning any races. Doing ok but chestnut crab from blue hills nursery on assume maybe dolgo rootstock is growing very well nearby and that is a yr younger tree.
Smokegobbler
5 year old buck +
I have one that's also on antonovka. Getting about 12 to 16 inches of growth per year (about average for my soils). Looks like I'll get a few crabapples from it this year.
sandbur
5 year old buck +
Please give us an evaluation and pictures of the apple.
I have one that I think is on dolgo. I need to check the tags. I may have lost the tag off of it.
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rocksnstumps
5 year old buck +
Thx for feedback so far. Mine are on 3rd leaf and still not above 5 ft cage. Nearby Chestnut crab has put on close to 3 ft this year
Smokegobbler
5 year old buck +
Appears a university in Ontario performed DNA testing on Bilodeau (earlier this year) and determined it's actually Trail, which is a parent of Trailman.
sandbur
5 year old buck +
Appears a university in Ontario performed DNA testing on Bilodeau (earlier this year) and determined it's actually Trail, which is a parent of Trailman.
That is good to hear. I tried to graft a Trail years ago and it didn’t take.
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rocksnstumps
5 year old buck +
Interesting they finally did the detective work. This thread however is bad for my wallet. After reading I had to dig out my copy of new cider makers handbook by Jolicoeur and do a bit of reading again on bilodeau. Doing that a few of the other cider tree names stuck in my head.
So of course yesterday I get a SLN catalog in the mail and lookie there! They are now also offering douce de charlevoix which is said to pair nicely with bilodeau. Had to restrain myself but still got another 5 trees on order. Been wanting to try some Smokehouse for awhile too so guess scratched that itch at same time. Dunno much about MN 1734 but ask me about them in another 10 yrs!
Ps, hate having to do the extra step of phone shift key for caps all the time so just roll with it...
So of course yesterday I get a SLN catalog in the mail and lookie there! They are now also offering douce de charlevoix which is said to pair nicely with bilodeau. Had to restrain myself but still got another 5 trees on order. Been wanting to try some Smokehouse for awhile too so guess scratched that itch at same time. Dunno much about MN 1734 but ask me about them in another 10 yrs!
Ps, hate having to do the extra step of phone shift key for caps all the time so just roll with it...
Smokegobbler
5 year old buck +
First decent crop of Bilodeau/Trail (tree from SLN) are ripening. Nice juicy crunch similar to Trailman, but a bit sweeter. A very good, fairly large, early crab.
A side note, I also have a Trail originating from GRIN. which appears to be a different apple (completely yellow, very sweet with a softer texture). I prefer the SLN version (photo below).
A side note, I also have a Trail originating from GRIN. which appears to be a different apple (completely yellow, very sweet with a softer texture). I prefer the SLN version (photo below).
sandbur
5 year old buck +
A buddy and I have a tree with fruit from GRIN where the fruit doesn’t match the description or picture. I need to check my label, but I think it was supposed to be Jonsib crab. I don’t actually have a whole tree, but it is on a franken tree.
sandbur
5 year old buck +
I should have Mn 1734 within a year or two. It has been in the ground awhile, but gophers set it back. I purchased St Edmunds Russet at the same time and this is the first year it fruited.
