Crabapple timeline

[sandbur]

Considering you are a finder of apple varieties, I'd like to hear what 3 trees you would have if you could only have 3 at your property. Could pick 3 for eating and 3 for wildlife.

I do try to find info on apples and their history. I barely have room at home for a few more. Hoping to add frostbite because of its historical significance. I have cranberry at home, which I believe is a close relative to niedzwetzkyana

What is the history of Frostbite that intrigues you?

For eating would be KinderKrisp, Chestnut Crab, and Zestar. Prairie Magic or Trailman would also be good choices.

For deer, I would choose three trees that feed deer through the fall and winter. Big Dog and Buckman do that. Courthouse Crab also seems to do that. I would like a very cold winter to test it’s hardiness as it is growing in a town and about 1/2 mile from a river with open water. It is some sort of rootstock, probably a seedling, as is Big Dog.

Now, I will change the question, just like a politician always does…

What three apple trees would I use to feed deer through the fall and into winter?

Chestnut Crab for early bow season and up to about now. Big Dog for the period from late October into winter.

For the period in between… right now Red Baron is dropping and still loaded with fruit. I need to check my records and see if that is typical. Noran still has some fruit. I have a variety of young trees and a couple of mature seedlings outback, but that is a ‘no go area’ until rifle season.

Kerr has a ton of fruit, but it tends to be just a little small for a deer tree. Perhaps on Anty would bet better.

Sorry rambling answer.

Two current pictures of Red Baron.

 

[sandbur]

This is the trunk of Red Baron and it shows what sunscauld does to trees. Some call it SW winter injury. This tree is over 30 years old and memory tells me it is on Anty.

The tree is close to last legs and may be overbearing because of that. It tends to bare every other year and hasn’t had many disease problems.

I have protected a root sucker in the left side of the picture for future topworking.

 

[bigboreblr]

Frostbite is a survivor. At my camp several people tried to plant apple trees, all typical big box store stuff. Nothing took. Did my homework before planting up there, zero losses out of 35 or so so far.

Thought frostibte would be a welcome additon to camp. A bad cold snap in 1918 killed about every apple tree, except frostbite stay alive. So, university of minnesota used frostbite for alot of their offerings.

Ramble away. You got a ton of good information to add.

Courthouse I have is at camp and on a branch at home. No winters yet for the 2025 grafting. -38 deg F was 2022/2023 at camp, or recorded at a spot that probably was a few degrees warmer than camp. 2023/4 and 2024/5 has been easy like -15 and -18. Average january min temp is 4 deg F. Old forge area had a -52 deg F day is 1979. Buckman is up there too.

 

[homerj]

Frostbite was developed in 1921, but not released to the public until 2008.

 

[bigboreblr]

Read about it elsewhere, but cummins nursery talks about it some.

Cummins Nursery

Fruit Trees, Scions, and Rootstocks for Apples, Pears, Cherries, Plums, Peaches, and Nectarines

www.cumminsnursery.com

 

[sandbur]

Read about it elsewhere, but cummins nursery talks about it some.

Cummins Nursery

Fruit Trees, Scions, and Rootstocks for Apples, Pears, Cherries, Plums, Peaches, and Nectarines

www.cumminsnursery.com

Thank you for the link. I didn’t realize it had survived the cold period in 1917-18.

 

[sandbur]

One guess on what variety of tree they head to first?

 

[bigboreblr]

I forgot if my kerr at camp is on anty or B118. Wanted to try B118 up there with a tree or two. B118 may have some leaning issues, however kerr makes good branch angles. Might offset it a bit. Can't argue B118's growth rate.

 

[Kooch]

View attachment 84116
One guess on what variety of tree they head to first?

Chestnut

 

[sandbur]

Chestnut

Bingo. There are very few apples left on the chestnuts in my home orchard.

 

[sandbur]

Chestnut

Do you have a Chestnut Crab in the ground for your early bow hunts? Perhaps they would drop a bit earlier in your climate as spring arrives quicker.

 

[Kooch]

Do you have a Chestnut Crab in the ground for your early bow hunts? Perhaps they would drop a bit earlier in your climate as spring arrives quicker.

Yep.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

We have 5 chestnut crabs growing at camp on Anty. Super wildlife trees. Lots of critters are benefitting from them. Went with them on advice and cheerleading from Sandbur. Thanks Art, for your accurate info on them!!

 

[sandbur]

We have 5 chestnut crabs growing at camp on Anty. Super wildlife trees. Lots of critters are benefitting from them. Went with them on advice and cheerleading from Sandbur. Thanks Art, for your accurate info on them!!

You are welcome. My Chestnut Crabs in the home orchard are about done dropping.

I am currently eating Sweet Dog and Snowsweet. Most Haralred and Haralson are being given away for cooking or mixed with the above two for my morning oatmeal.

Sweet Dog

 

[sandbur]

What is the history of Frostbite that intrigues you?

For eating would be KinderKrisp, Chestnut Crab, and Zestar. Prairie Magic or Trailman would also be good choices.

For deer, I would choose three trees that feed deer through the fall and winter. Big Dog and Buckman do that. Courthouse Crab also seems to do that. I would like a very cold winter to test it’s hardiness as it is growing in a town and about 1/2 mile from a river with open water. It is some sort of rootstock, probably a seedling, as is Big Dog.

Now, I will change the question, just like a politician always does…

What three apple trees would I use to feed deer through the fall and into winter?

Chestnut Crab for early bow season and up to about now. Big Dog for the period from late October into winter.

For the period in between… right now Red Baron is dropping and still loaded with fruit. I need to check my records and see if that is typical. Noran still has some fruit. I have a variety of young trees and a couple of mature seedlings outback, but that is a ‘no go area’ until rifle season.

Kerr has a ton of fruit, but it tends to be just a little small for a deer tree. Perhaps on Anty would bet better.

Sorry rambling answer.

Two current pictures of Red Baron.

View attachment 84040View attachment 84041

Red Baron is my most heavily dropping tree at this point. Deer nibble at the apples but don’t seem to eat a lot. When I taste them, they have no flavor. Perhaps the deer know the same thing.

Firecracker is still dropping but is about 80% finished. Deer are eating these dropped apples.

 

[sandbur]

The Buckman Crab looks sharp in the morning sunlight. The wind has knocked a few apples of, but the normal drop hasn’t started yet.

 

[Teeder]

View attachment 83330
Buckman Crab that Small Chunk grafted for me a few years back.

How's the flavor on the Buckmans?
I have a couple planted, but no production yet.

 

[bigboreblr]

Sweet dog a good deer tree? Also, you have frostbite apple at your place sanbur?

Hunting 3 days at camp. Will do some scouting for new places to put trees. Got 10 anty, 5 m111, and 2 onx87 pear rootstocks coming from mehrabyan in ithaca again. Probably most will be your crabapple finds. M111's will be courthouse, liberty macoun, and maybe noran.

You plant any m111's at your place? Debating whether they're zone 3 suitable. Got anty, siberian, dolgo, and a b118 up there on the sandy zone 3 soil so far. Not sure I got a bad batch or m111's, just seems they dont take off with crabapples like they do with apples.

 

[sandbur]

How's the flavor on the Buckmans?
I have a couple planted, but no production yet.

I need to do a taste test again. This is the first time I have had any amount of fruit in my home orchard. The original tree is in a ‘no go area’ until rifle season.

Memory tells me it is only for the deer.

 

[Teeder]

That was my guess based on Ryan's description.