Crabapple timeline

[sandbur]

I wouldn't write off commercial varieties. Galarina, enterprise, sundance, yates, and granny smith, Even heard red delicious has a good later drop time.

Hate to put up all these crabapples and not have a few regular ones around. For guys who dont enter the bulk of their property, put some liberty trees near the cabin.

Wish RE gould was on here more often. He found one about 10 miles from where I hunt. Cherry Valley. Got to get there next spring.

Does your chestnut, dolgo's, trailman, and kerr make crops every year? I got young ones at home and they all wake up pretty early versus regular apple trees. Notcing Violi and 30-06 are probably 2-3 weeks later to leaf out.

It seems like all trees skip a year, sooner or later. Yearly maintenance reduces this , but it still happens.

 

[sandbur]

someone said flintlock.... Was excited to go shooting at the farm's quarry before easter, but its raining.

I got 2 OK ones so far I found. Grafted the last week. Both Are Bienniail. One is doing just fine right next to a stream about 10 feet away. That one might be the better find. Us woods folks look above the trunk, but the real advantage to others here is whats below the trunk. Drough resistance for folks down south, Rot / flood rsistance for folks in colder regions. Everyone has some land thats too wet to do stuff with other than dogwood.

That one I call warden's crab, right down the road from the DEC region headuquarters.

I saw a few posts back sandbur was killing some honeysuckle near crbaapple. You can still treat them. I put diesel motor oil mix on the stumps. If it's a known tough survivor that regenates easily, put a piece of paper towel soaked in diesel / oil and a small rock ontop. Works well at camp. I usually mix 4 parts motor oil to 1 part gasoline for starting camp fires. IDeally something 50/50 oil diesel would be good. Think the motor oil stays on the wood longer. I've used this at home to kill vines on trees that dig into the tree. I'll leave a soda bottle with some in the bottom and put the vine in there. Small plastic bag and soaked paper towels works too.

I can’t remember killing any honeysuckle. I do battle woodbine and wild cucumber during some years. Woodbine is a constant problem.

 

[sandbur]

I spent a few days this week taking out old trees and trees dying from what i think was fireblight.

My trees that are about 35 years of age are showing that age. Flowering crabs on own root, trees on Anty always seem to be more problems.

My oldest nursery tree is a chestnut crab on some rootstock from Bailey’s. The rootstock bares a 1/2-3/4 inch fruit like a dolgo. That tree is alive but hollow.

Some seedlings from my grandmother in law are that age and struggling and a couple are still doing great.

I have heard that sandy soil shortens the lifespan. That soil with our climate probably act to do so.

I still don’t like Anty rootstock and have heard from a reliable source that an experienced fruit grower in Montana needs to bury the graft to get Anty to survive.

 

[Ruffdude]

My Bluehill trees last week had instruction with them to bury the graft union when planting.

 

[Teeder]

My Bluehill trees last week had instruction with them to bury the graft union when planting.

I did that with mine. I don't know if it made a difference, but they are growing well.

 

[Oaknut]

I did that with mine. I don't know if it made a difference, but they are growing well.

I have always buried the grafts on my apples & crabs, if they are grafted low enough to allow that.

But I am only interested in full-sized trees.

 

[Teeder]

I have always buried the grafts on my apples & crabs, if they are grafted low enough to allow that.

But I am only interested in full-sized trees.

Me too.

Does anyone know what happens to the rootstock then? Do those roots keep growing along with the new roots from the graft?

 

[TonySoprano]

My Bluehill trees last week had instruction with them to bury the graft union when planting.

My Blue Hill instructions were stuck in the bottom of the box . I was in a hurry to get the trees in the ground , so didn't find them until after my trees were planted and I was cutting the box up. I only planted 3 BH trees this year , one was a pear so the planting instructions don't apply to that. I planted my grafts probably 3 inches above ground level on my 2 crabs. They are caged tubed and mulched right now so probably won't fool with it.

I think next spring I'll take the cage and tubes off , rake the mulch out and put more dirt inside the cage area to bury the grafts.

 

[Telemark]

I never plant a tree deeper than the root flare. I like to have the top of the highest root exposed to the air.

I just got done raking back grass/dirt/moss from around root collars on the trees around the house.

 

[Teeder]

I never plant a tree deeper than the root flare. I like to have the top of the highest root exposed to the air.

I just got done raking back grass/dirt/moss from around root collars on the trees around the house.

What does that do?

 

[TonySoprano]

I never plant a tree deeper than the root flare. I like to have the top of the highest root exposed to the air.

I just got done raking back grass/dirt/moss from around root collars on the trees around the house.

I reckon I'll take my chances and leave my 2 BH crabs like they are with the graft 2-3 inches above ground , instead of burying them ....after seeing this

https://csfs.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/How-to-Properly-Plant-a-Tree-Root-Flare_v2.pdf

 

[Teeder]

I reckon I'll take my chances and leave my 2 BH crabs like they are with the graft 2-3 inches above ground , instead of burying them ....after seeing this

https://csfs.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/How-to-Properly-Plant-a-Tree-Root-Flare_v2.pdf

Does that apply to barefoot trees?

 

[RGrizzzz]

It's my understanding that you want the graft union above ground. The except is if you're in really cold climates. Ryan has a planting video (or two) on YouTube where he shows the graft above the ground for his location in PA.

 

[bigboreblr]

So what I am reading here, sandbur has room for more trees......

 

[TonySoprano]

Does that apply to barefoot trees?

Probably , this is what Whitetail crabs says

 

[Teeder]

Hmm, that's a big difference from burying the graft. Apparently both work?

 

[Teeder]

Hmm, that's a big difference from burying the graft. Apparently both work?

Of course non of this applies to me because Im done planting fruit trees!

 

[TonySoprano]

Hmm, that's a big difference from burying the graft. Apparently both work?

The more you look online , the more conflicting info you find. Blue Hill says bury the graft , Whitetail crabs says keep the graft a inch or so above ground. Many places say keep the graft at 2 inches or 2-3 inches above ground , one even said 3 to 6 inches.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

I’ve planted over 100 fruit trees from both WC and BH (and others) and had the grafts above ground in North Central PA and the only 3 trees I’ve lost in 5 years have been from stupid voles…