Crabapple timeline

[sandbur]

Somewhat neglected Kerr outback is loaded. The one by my house has few if any apples.

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I need to pick those apples and stake the leader up.


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[sandbur]

Comparison of Kerr with the seedling I decided to call Sweet Dog.

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[DrDirtNap]

Comparison of Kerr with the seedling I decided to call Sweet Dog.

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Interesting color on the Sweet Dog. I’m assuming it has a sweet taste?


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[sandbur]

Comparison of Kerr with the seedling I decided to call Sweet Dog.

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Interesting color on the Sweet Dog. I’m assuming it has a sweet taste?


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Sweet with more texture to it like later apples as compared to Trailman and earlier crabs.
It is dropping right now.

I had a couple on the counter overnight and decided it was almost pear flavored.


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[sandbur]

Kerr was dropping a few apples and many others were tightly attached.


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[sandbur]

Note the limb with no leaves in lower center.
It’s a licking branch.

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[gunfun13]

Note the limb with no leaves in lower center.
It’s a licking branch.

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Disappointed my scions didn't take this year. Might have to hit you up to try again Art.

 

[FallGuy88]

Sandbur, if I wanted to plant apple, pear and crab apple trees in USDA Zone 3 do you have recommendations as to what would survive and also what the deer would enjoy the most?

 

[sandbur]

Note the limb with no leaves in lower center.
It’s a licking branch.

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Disappointed my scions didn't take this year. Might have to hit you up to try again Art.

Were they just my scions or others, too?


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[sandbur]

Sandbur, if I wanted to plant apple, pear and crab apple trees in USDA Zone 3 do you have recommendations as to what would survive and also what the deer would enjoy the most?

I struggle with the pears. My opinion on those is worth nothing.

For deer, I would plant Norland, Trailman, Dolgo, Chestnut, haralson,and Kerr crab. This is approximate order of ripening/ dropping.

Haralson or Haralred has died out for some people in zone 3 in Minnesota.

You should also check that Kerr is zone 3 hardy. My two Kerr survived -41 for a brief period last winter.

My Kerr have fruited heavily and I wish they would gain more height for deer feed. Production might be limiting growth in height.

I have seen the rootstock that is Big Dog growing in zone 3.


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[gunfun13]

Were they just my scions or others, too?


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I was ~80/100 this year. The Trailman and Garden crab scions you sent had good success rates, but 0/4 on Buckman.

Could have been technique, I bench-bark grafted them because of small scion size rather then W/T or Cleft. I also did this with small goldrush scions from GRIN which went 3/4 though.

 

[sandbur]

Were they just my scions or others, too?


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I was ~80/100 this year. The Trailman and Garden crab scions you sent had good success rates, but 0/4 on Buckman.

Could have been technique, I bench-bark grafted them because of small scion size rather then W/T or Cleft. I also did this with small goldrush scions from GRIN which went 3/4 though.

Some of these crabs have very small scion, especially on years with a heavy fruit load.

I also suspect we had some winter damage on scion, even though it looked good.




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[Bowsnbucks]

FWIW - I've pruned some inner limbs and older water sprouts on apples and crabs to cause new water sprouts to grow the next year. Most times the new water sprouts are bigger diameter than the scion wood from the outermost limb ends. I've asked several university prof's if water sprouts make good scion for grafting and they told me "yes." Doing the extra pruning may help produce larger diameter water sprout scion for the following year. It's worked for me here.

 

[sandbur]

FWIW - I've pruned some inner limbs and older water sprouts on apples and crabs to cause new water sprouts to grow the next year. Most times the new water sprouts are bigger diameter than the scion wood from the outermost limb ends. I've asked several university prof's if water sprouts make good scion for grafting and they told me "yes." Doing the extra pruning may help produce larger diameter water sprout scion for the following year. It's worked for me here.

I suspect there is some difference in years to fruit if you use water sprouts instead of horizontal limbs.

Expert opinion?


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[Bowsnbucks]

That - I don't know Bur. They just said water sprouts were good to graft with. It may slow down the fruiting process, but I don't known one way or the other on that.

We'll see if Appleman ,Maya, or Prof. Kent weigh in on that.

 

[Jhoss]

Zumi Crab - this is an "ON" year where fruit will bend but not break (never had a broken branch yet) the limbs and the leader. During the OFF year there still is a relatively nice crop - just about half of a full load. These will be gone (all dropped or "squirrelled") by Christmas.

A closer look at the same tree:

 

[sandbur]

Zumi Crab - this is an "ON" year where fruit will bend but not break (never had a broken branch yet) the limbs and the leader. During the OFF year there still is a relatively nice crop - just about half of a full load. These will be gone (all dropped or "squirrelled") by Christmas.
View attachment 26626
A closer look at the same tree:
View attachment 26627

How big is the fruit?


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[sandbur]

That - I don't know Bur. They just said water sprouts were good to graft with. It may slow down the fruiting process, but I don't known one way or the other on that.

We'll see if Appleman ,Maya, or Prof. Kent weigh in on that.

If it is true that they are slower to fruit, then water sprouts might be a better choice if you want a natural semi dwarf to grow taller for a deer apple.

Might Centennial and Kerr have remained short trees and have fruited early .


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[Jhoss]

How big is the fruit?


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I would say just bigger than a large cherry.

 

[sandbur]

Doing well again with scrapes under it.

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