Crabapple timeline

[sandbur]

This is a wild crab with a large scrape under it. The week before rifle season I saw one of the largest bucks on the farm under it, three times. He would poke his head out at last light.

The neighbor’s daughter was thrilled when she killed this buck on opening morning along the fence line. My daughter said she is glad that young lady shot it as it means more to her than it would to any of us.

We need more of this attitude instead of the intense competition over deer. We need to get young people enthused over deer hunting. It took me decades to reach this point of thinking. My daughter is way ahead of me with the thinking.

 

[gunfun13]

View attachment 85648
Courthouse Crab is starting to produce more fruit. It is a graft from the rootstock under a flowering crab at our local courthouse.

Wonder if it it's a commercially produced clonal rootstock?

 

[sandbur]

Wonder if it it's a commercially produced clonal rootstock?

I have no idea. Big Dog is also a rootstock that was used decades back.

From what I hear, Bailey’s is the most common supplier for the Minnesota nursery business.

 

[Kooch]

I planted six Crabapple trees this year, using tubes for the first time, weed fabric with mulch and window screen around the trunk inside the tubes. So far, so good. They were green and lush until it cooled off. I got them from Bluehill. They are on Dolgo rootstock, 2 year old trees. I watered them at planting time, then once more later in the Spring. Then, the rain started. I didn't water anything the rest of the Summer.

2 Kerr - exhibited the slowest growth of them all. They are just to the top of the 5' tubes, maybe a couple inches above.
2 Dolgo - one outgrew the other significantly. I assume some difference in the soil or how to roots were arranged in the hole.
1 Trailman - this one was huge when I got it and I had to really trim it back to fit into the tube. I was worried I'd killed it. But it ended up rocketing straight up and is about 2' above the tube now.
1 Chestnut - second to the Trailman, this tree had the most rapid growth.

I've got 9 more ordered for Spring from Bluehill.
2 Sweet Dog
2 Big Dog
2 Buckman
2 Kerr
1 Dolgo - this will be in the center of the 9 trees on a 3x3 grid

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I'd recommend checking the base of the tree tubes for mice nests now and periodically during the winter. The mice on my place like to nest inside the tubes and eat the apple tree bark for a snack.

I like your apple tree varieties, those are great deer options.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

View attachment 85635
You know you are getting old when spruce that you hand planted are this size.

I'm not far behind you, friend!! My earliest spruce aren't quite that big - but they're getting close.

Your Violi's crab looks much better than ours at camp. I planted it in a spot that gets too much shade now that some pines have grown really high. Ours isn't half as high as yours.

Pics of your habitat look really good for deer, pheasants, grouse, and turkeys. You did a ton of great work over the years, Art!

 

[sandbur]

Wonder if it it's a commercially produced clonal rootstock?

After thinking about it, I suspect seedling. There is a row of flowering crabs that were probably planted at the same time when the addition was built. Two rootstocks have fruited and the one we call Courthouse Crab has the biggest fruit.

 

[sandbur]

I'd recommend checking the base of the tree tubes for mice nests now and periodically during the winter. The mice on my place like to nest inside the tubes and eat the apple tree bark for a snack.

I like your apple tree varieties, those are great deer options.

I have dropped those little bars of Tomcat rodenticide in the tubes. That was decades ago. The formula may have changed and some rodenticides will kill the cat or dog if they eat the mouse.

 

[sandbur]

Is buckman dropping any fruit or holding tight?

Some is dropping.

 

[sandbur]

The logging lease camp went from 3a to 4a. You look at the USDA at my home, I am in a tiny blob of zone 6. You can't sell a used snowblower anymore.

At camp, mid October to mid November is prime time. Otherwise many guys just hunt from their home areas. in NY you can bow hunting October till mid November. Then rifle hunt till early December, A week of muzzleloader late December. some places have targeted hunts till February.

However, go into the adirndack portion of NY, muzzleloading is a week mid October, then after that you can rifle hunt till early December. Alot of guys hunt up there because you can use a rifle sooner.

You got months and months to shoot a deer in NY. Now all bow season is crossbow too. Still cant fill those doe tags......

On top of that, you can shoot does in the summer with nuisance deer permits for farmers.

Complicated seasons. Sounds like Minnesota.

 

[sandbur]

How long ago was that Kerr planted? I just ordered one to add to my collection.

Kooch asked the same question.

Here is the tag.2013

 

[sandbur]

I planted six Crabapple trees this year, using tubes for the first time, weed fabric with mulch and window screen around the trunk inside the tubes. So far, so good. They were green and lush until it cooled off. I got them from Bluehill. They are on Dolgo rootstock, 2 year old trees. I watered them at planting time, then once more later in the Spring. Then, the rain started. I didn't water anything the rest of the Summer.

2 Kerr - exhibited the slowest growth of them all. They are just to the top of the 5' tubes, maybe a couple inches above.
2 Dolgo - one outgrew the other significantly. I assume some difference in the soil or how to roots were arranged in the hole.
1 Trailman - this one was huge when I got it and I had to really trim it back to fit into the tube. I was worried I'd killed it. But it ended up rocketing straight up and is about 2' above the tube now.
1 Chestnut - second to the Trailman, this tree had the most rapid growth.

I've got 9 more ordered for Spring from Bluehill.
2 Sweet Dog
2 Big Dog
2 Buckman
2 Kerr
1 Dolgo - this will be in the center of the 9 trees on a 3x3 grid

Did Ryan specify if they were grafted dolgo or dolgo seedlings?

 

[Kooch]

Grafted.

 

[sandbur]

Kooch, take a look at the thread on Kerr crabs others have reported slow growth.

 

[sandbur]

Just my opinion here. Results could be different on different soils or in different climates. I also want to add that I don’t make any money from the sale of Buckman Crab.

Let’s compare two half sisters and we are assuming that my ID of Buckman as a dolgo seedling is correct.

Kerr Crab is better eating and slightly bigger in fruit size. It is great for cider. In the Kerr Crab thread and other places, it is mentioned to be a natural semi dwarf. I have had trouble getting the tree big enough so I can remove or shrink the cage so deer can access the fallen apples. My Kerr are on B 118 and are from Cummins.

Buckman Crab has a heavy fruit and skips a year of production here and there. Just like Kerr. Not as tasty as Kerr, but it seems to grow faster and reach a larger size than Kerr.

I would look for Kerr on standard size rootstock if you are trying it for deer. Kooch can give us a report in a handful of years. I hope I am still around.

In short, plant Kerr near the house or camp so you can enjoy the fruit. Plant Buckman further away for the deer.

Both seem to hold fruit later in the season.

Two pictures to follow , here for comparison.

Pictures are not loading well. I will try a separate reply.

 

[sandbur]

Buckman Crab grafted for me by Small Chunk onB118. The fence is 5 foot tall and I estimate the tree at about 19 feet in height. Planted in 2019.

 

[sandbur]

View attachment 85705View attachment 85706
Buckman Crab grafted for me by Small Chunk onB118. The fence is 5 foot tall and I estimate the tree at about 19 feet in height. Planted in 2019.

This is the first year with significant anounts of fruit.

 

[sandbur]

Kerr crab in B118 from Cummins. Planted in 2013. Granted there is more Reed canary competition here, but the similar tree in my home orchard is just slightly taller where there is no RC.

I would estimate this tree to be 15 feet tall.

 

[sandbur]

I orverpruned my Kerr in the home orchard this spring and it is severely struggling. I was trying to shrink the cage. I may also have fireblight or some other issue as I have lost about four trees in a cluster. The other trees were on Anty. Too little snow cover, change in moisture from tiling the adjacent field, or what else I don’t know.

 

[bigboreblr]

Kooch,

No turning point in the order? That's a well liked one from chainsaw. PArent tree is about 30 miles away from my camp.

Sandbur,

There's a lot to complain about in NY. However, you can get 5 deer tags and like 4-5 months to use them. If you're not sick of being out in the cold by then, PA is right next door with January flintlock season. 3 tags for out of state folks for only $126. Their public land has food plots! And they manage their forestland logging to favor wildlife too.

One of the best apples out there, Granny Smith. It was a seedling that grew in a compost pile.