Crabapple timeline

[bigboreblr]

The way they describe franklin seems to be best for hard cider. Bittersharp high brix. Find put ifbit makes an ok fresh cider. Likely freeze then press.

 

[sandbur]

I like Franklin as a wildlife apple since it slowly drops apples until March. It has a really nice framework as well, but it seems a little spindly on B118 rootstock. I think a Franklin on a seedling rootstock would be an ideal wildlife apple.

I know Franklin was marketed as a cider apple, but I know nothing about cider so I can't speak to that claim. The apples are pretty ugly and they do not taste good to me, but the deer like them.

My Franklin also held late. It grew very well.

 

[KickapooKid#1]

Here is my Franklin cider on B118 as of today. It’s grown well for me but hasn’t blown me away with production and for taste human consumption since I don’t press cider. Apples do hang well for me.

 

[rocksnstumps]

Here is my Franklin cider on B118 as of today. It’s grown well for me but hasn’t blown me away with production and for taste human consumption since I don’t press cider. Apples do hang well for me.

Another comment about Franklin cider on B118 for those that worry about frost dates. Seems to be an early blooming group compared to other stuff. Have several trees at least 50%+ blossoms while most other apples/crabs like red splendor among others about a week out. In zone 4b.


Another reference point for those in different parts of the country the wild plum are just past peak and the uber tall pear in center of pic at peak

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Sanbur,

You gave me some scions last year. Still got plenty. Just wondering if you're sharing that tree with the world. Not sure if I ever checked out midwest deer trees. Trailman scions you gave me were 1st to wake up, right behind the kerr. Did save 2 for myself out of the 6 or so. One's at home, the other at farmland. Parked any extra on a mautre tree, so I always got some scion material for years to come. Probably around 12 varieties on my mature trees. Definitely any tree I only got 1 of is on there, even if I have to whack a top of an ordered tree.

Bowsnbucks,

IF you need some sundance or galarina scions, should have some next year. Bought a sundance on M7 and whacked off the top 8 inches to make 3 more on m111's. Scooped up 3 galarina's on m111 for a living experiment. Pruning well, pruning ok, and barely touching the 3rd one. Maybe let her go for 5 years if I can help myself.

Sorry to respond so late - but our camp has a number of Sundance & Galarina trees already. Thanks for the offer, though!!! Good luck with your trees.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

My Franklin also held late. It grew very well.

Our Franklin has grown well for our camp too. Haven't tasted any - but it seems to be a good deer tree. No headaches with it - so far.

 

[bigboreblr]

I got a franklin at home. IT's still yuong, but cummins calls it a bloom group 4. It didn't bloom yet, but it seemed the buds broke maybe a little bit before my liberty did. My liberty was drowning in buds when I planted it in 2023, no flowers on it this year. I did prune both agressively, the liberties a bit more.

I keep track of zone, bloom, ripe times, and diseaees on my tree chart. I want to change franklin from bloom group 4 to 2.

 

[Native Hunter]

Franklin gets Fireblight here. So far it hasn't been severe, and I'm just going to let it grow and keep an eye on it. Mine is on B118, so I have it anchored down with 2 T-posts and clothesline to keep it from falling over.

 

[rocksnstumps]

I have 4 Franklin cider on B118 but relatively poor soil and not down south with a long growing season. Aka these trees don't rocket out of the ground here and not having any problems with leaning from wind or fruit load. Trees do ok when not tons of top growth and on b118.

Just a different data point so internet anecdotal does not become a generalization accepted by all. Bought these trees first yr available to the public so would expect Natives trees and mine are similar age.

Not wanting to refute others experience on their land but caution against broad assumptions unless you can correlate conditions that align with your area.

 

[sandbur]

I suspected something like this stalled out some of those I replaced. Live and Learn.

 

[sandbur]

A fair amount of my trees are resting this year. One Kerr has loads of blossoms, one very few. Same for Chestnut Crabs. With luck, I may have a fair number of Noran this year and some seedlings have lots of blossoms. I also have some blossoms on Norkent.

The corn plot is going in today.

 

[sandbur]

This picture is from my yard. A finger of the corn plot runs between plums on the right and on the left. There is a waterhole behind the plums and spruce.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Bur -
Your place looks great!!! No deer or other critter would be unhappy there. Long-term plan paying off for years into the future.

 

[sandbur]

The last two winters, I heavily pruned Violi’s and it has a fair amount of blossoms this spring. I planted it in 2014.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Our Violi's hasn't set the world on fire. It's growing, but it's been a slow go. It does get shaded by some big pines in the morning - that may be the reason. Not cutting it down though.

 

[sandbur]

This is the first I have noticed in a few years.

 

[sandbur]

Bilodeau crab had lots of blossoms. Does anyone remember it being identified as Trail Crab?

Other crabs appear to have had lots of blossoms. Martha, Big Dog, Buckman, some dolgo seedlings are resting. Some not.

One Kerr was full of blossoms and I stripped them off of the central leader to try and keep it straight. Other Kerr is resting.

Same variation in some seedlings from wild crabs.

 

[Smokegobbler]

View attachment 64728
Bilodeau crab had lots of blossoms. Does anyone remember it being identified as Trail Crab?

Other crabs appear to have had lots of blossoms. Martha, Big Dog, Buckman, some dolgo seedlings are resting. Some not.

One Kerr was full of blossoms and I stripped them off of the central leader to try and keep it straight. Other Kerr is resting.

Same variation in some seedlings from wild crabs.

Bilodeau has been confirmed as Trail. I find it to be best as soon as it turns red.

 

[bigboreblr]

sanbur,

I hunted many cornfields. Thats the best lookin one so far.

You can spray copper fungicide on your cedars. Virtually all of my new tree are low to no cedar apple rust. Exception being a golden delicious, mcintosh, and droptine. I haven't sprayed my cedars this year and may not. But whe I do, those blobs almost disappear. Between the road and the pool is a spot of land with the shale close to the top. Cedars are doing very well as a rpivacy screen. Wife would murder me If I cut them. She's nuttier about her pool than I am about hunting fishing and food plottin'.

Repant disease. It's not quite a virus or bacteria thing. Although these pathogens take advantage of plant stresses. A neighboring fruit farmer I talk to has an opnion about it. IF your too quick to prep a site. Liming, fertilizing, tillage. You o it close to planting time, the trees dont like it. You do it month or months before, they like it alot better. He tries to have something growing on the ground when he plants, grass etc. Almost thinks ithe soil gets too much oxygen. He does both traditional orchard and modern trellis, and still plants traditonal orchards as well, although smaller trees like M7 and g890. Trellis systems you have to monitor the watering system carefully, espcially the ends.

Best results I have seen for me has been use alot of peat moss in my heavy clay soil, till in lime, but wait a few months to plant. I still use agriform tablets, but wonder if they're not too good for heavy clay soil. I usually get a big blob of a deep rooting weed whe I use them. I big my hole, then push a stick making a few holes all point downward. I put the tabelts as deep in as I can. MY old tablet would be about 6 inch in the ground toward the side. Now I do maybe 12-18 inches deep. I break up that deeper soil by digging out what I rortill, then dig in more. Mixing up that harder more orangish clay with some of the stuff on the top and some peat moss and compost. But, giving the ground times to compact it back some.

 

[sandbur]

sanbur,

I hunted many cornfields. Thats the best lookin one so far.

You can spray copper fungicide on your cedars. Virtually all of my new tree are low to no cedar apple rust. Exception being a golden delicious, mcintosh, and droptine. I haven't sprayed my cedars this year and may not. But whe I do, those blobs almost disappear. Between the road and the pool is a spot of land with the shale close to the top. Cedars are doing very well as a rpivacy screen. Wife would murder me If I cut them. She's nuttier about her pool than I am about hunting fishing and food plottin'.

Repant disease. It's not quite a virus or bacteria thing. Although these pathogens take advantage of plant stresses. A neighboring fruit farmer I talk to has an opnion about it. IF your too quick to prep a site. Liming, fertilizing, tillage. You o it close to planting time, the trees dont like it. You do it month or months before, they like it alot better. He tries to have something growing on the ground when he plants, grass etc. Almost thinks ithe soil gets too much oxygen. He does both traditional orchard and modern trellis, and still plants traditonal orchards as well, although smaller trees like M7 and g890. Trellis systems you have to monitor the watering system carefully, espcially the ends.

Best results I have seen for me has been use alot of peat moss in my heavy clay soil, till in lime, but wait a few months to plant. I still use agriform tablets, but wonder if they're not too good for heavy clay soil. I usually get a big blob of a deep rooting weed whe I use them. I big my hole, then push a stick making a few holes all point downward. I put the tabelts as deep in as I can. MY old tablet would be about 6 inch in the ground toward the side. Now I do maybe 12-18 inches deep. I break up that deeper soil by digging out what I rortill, then dig in more. Mixing up that harder more orangish clay with some of the stuff on the top and some peat moss and compost. But, giving the ground times to compact it back some.

My soil is light to medium . Some is very Sandy. Too Sandy for fruit trees.

Interesting information on the replanting disease I keep hoping the trees will come out of it .

I could spray a few cedars closer to the home orchard, but I have about 40 acres of cedars. CAR is not a significant problem in most years.