Chestnut Crab

[sandbur]

So when does the parent of Trailman which is Trail aka Bilodeau ripen in relation to these?

Noticed my Bilodeau finally has a 1/2 doz apples recently after some patient waiting. Think it is on Antonovka roots

I need to check notes. Not sure if I recorded it.

 

[Smokegobbler]

Photos of Trail and Trailman taken today (Northern Indiana). I'll be picking both this coming week. Trail will turn completely red by the end of August, but the texture starts to go bad at that point (crisp, sweet and juicy earlier). The last photo is an open pollinated Chestunt Crab seedling that fruited for the first time this year. About twice this size of Chestunt crab and looks like it will ripen a couple of weeks later. Looking forward to trying it.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

Chestnut has been my best crab. Great eater as well. My treeshave been loaded the last 5 years.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Chestnut has been my best crab. Great eater as well. My treeshave been loaded the last 5 years.

This is an Interesting thread for me I have a chestnut on M7 that I planted 4 years ago. It has never had a crab make it. I even grafted a Clark’s crab from 39th parallel onto it and that is thriving. The tree is probably 12’ tall with good limbs but still waiting on that fruit!

 

[bigboreblr]

Any comparable apple trees that fruit the same time as chestnut?

smokegobbler,

I think finding new crab varieties in the wild can be real tough. Been doing that for about 2 years. You might got a winner you want to share. I have 2 young cosmic crisps planted next to a bunch of late dropping crabapples like AWHO, winter wildlife, violi's, turning point, and galarina.

I canceled an experiment I was doing. Letting cosmic crisp seeds grow. Thought they would of been geneitically too similar, being grown around a bunch of other cosmic crisps.

Might even bag a few apples and polinate them directly with a q-tip.

 

[sandbur]

Photos of Trail and Trailman taken today (Northern Indiana). I'll be picking both this coming week. Trail will turn completely red by the end of August, but the texture starts to go bad at that point (crisp, sweet and juicy earlier). The last photo is an open pollinated Chestunt Crab seedling that fruited for the first time this year. About twice this size of Chestunt crab and looks like it will ripen a couple of weeks later. Looking forward to trying it.

I had no notes on Trail. Thanks.

That chestnut crab seedling looks great. I wish more people grew seedlings. I have one chestnut seedling that produces a decent crab but not a great eater. Best just for deer.

Any comparable apple trees that fruit the same time as chestnut?

smokegobbler,

I think finding new crab varieties in the wild can be real tough. Been doing that for about 2 years. You might got a winner you want to share. I have 2 young cosmic crisps planted next to a bunch of late dropping crabapples like AWHO, winter wildlife, violi's, turning point, and galarina.

I canceled an experiment I was doing. Letting cosmic crisp seeds grow. Thought they would of been geneitically too similar, being grown around a bunch of other cosmic crisps.

Might even bag a few apples and polinate them directly with a q-tip.

we were in the UP and I saw lots of wild crabs there and in northern Wisconsin. Far more than I find.

 

[rocksnstumps]

Burr. As in cold lol.
The northern half of MN is much colder than most of UP. Those great lakes make great heat sinks to moderate temps. Can see much better chance for crabs to not get frosted out.The USA plant zone map tells the story

 

[bigboreblr]

You hit usda zone 3 and apple varities dry up real quick. That is the one downside to these unique crabs, knowing their limits.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Chestnut is about ready here in northeast KS and Trailman is as well. Both tasted good enough to me today, but I like everything slightly tart anyhow. Seeds are dark brown.

 

[Dantana]

This thread has me really wishing I had planted more Trailman and Chestnut. Currently only have 1 of each, both young and not yet producing. I did graft a few Trailman this past spring. I will probably topwork a few trees next year with Chesnut.

 

[bigboreblr]

This thread has me really wishing I had planted more Trailman and Chestnut. Currently only have 1 of each, both young and not yet producing. I did graft a few Trailman this past spring. I will probably topwork a few trees next year with Chesnut.

Throw kerr into that mix of trees too. I topworked a few trees tis year. You can mix them in one tree. I didn't though. Used 8-10 branches and put kerr on one tree, and trailman on another. replacing rusty droptine and pristine. One branch on each tree I parked another scion. Think pristine had AWHO and buckman on branches, and the droptine to kerr had courthouse on one branch.

 

[Teeder]

That may be an idea for me for kerr. I've planted 3 and they are by far the slowest growing and poorest looking trees that I have. Maybe I'll just graft some onto other trees.

 

[Dantana]

Throw kerr into that mix of trees too. I topworked a few trees tis year. You can mix them in one tree. I didn't though. Used 8-10 branches and put kerr on one tree, and trailman on another. replacing rusty droptine and pristine. One branch on each tree I parked another scion. Think pristine had AWHO and buckman on branches, and the droptine to kerr had courthouse on one branch.

I have a couple Kerr but wasn’t able to get any scion from them this spring.

My topworking has had good graft success, but not good growth. I think I’m leaving too many nurse branches that are taking up all the nutrients.

 

[bigboreblr]

I'm getting 12-18 inches of growth on my topworked trees. Nurse branches pushing 4+ feet. I water the trees twice a week.

My st year doing topwork. But, seen enough grafting to know they'll be looking pretty good next year. Just prune that tree good this winter.

Not sure if its the best idea, but I nip the top leaf or two off the competitive nurse branches,

 

[sandbur]

Chestnut is about ready here in northeast KS and Trailman is as well. Both tasted good enough to me today, but I like everything slightly tart anyhow. Seeds are dark brown.

How long are drop times for each in your climate?

 

[Turkey Creek]

Trailman drops relatively quick I feel like. I will keep a better watch this year and let everyone know when the last apple is gone, but the damn squirrels speed up the process a bit. Chestnut doesn't drop as fast. Wind I think plays a significant portion on hang time. My trees are subject to 40 mph winds frequently and I am sure that causes fruit to drop a bit faster than they would otherwise.

 

[sandbur]

Trailman drops relatively quick I feel like. I will keep a better watch this year and let everyone know when the last apple is gone, but the damn squirrels speed up the process a bit. Chestnut doesn't drop as fast. Wind I think plays a significant portion on hang time. My trees are subject to 40 mph winds frequently and I am sure that causes fruit to drop a bit faster than they would otherwise.

In my environs, Trailman drops quickly and Chestnut has a long drop time that usually matches the first two weeks of bow season and a bit earlier. Even up into the third week.

 

[Teeder]

In my environs, Trailman drops quickly and Chestnut has a long drop time that usually matches the first two weeks of bow season and a bit earlier. Even up into the third week.

When is your bow season?

 

[bwoods11]

When is your bow season?

MN starts in mid September.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Have probably 5 chestnut crabs planted between home and the land. The best one by far is the one in the front yard and it has a whopping 1 apple on it. I’d very much like to get a good representation of what they taste like from that one apple, when should I pluck it?