Crabapple Varieties & guys' comments / input

[sandbur]

You will soon need a cider press!


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So crab apples are a gateway drug?

You just need some pushers!


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[Tree Spud]

You just need some pushers!


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Looks like I found the right street corner then

That is actually my plan with the crab apples. get enough of them going so I can make cider some day.

I have Kerr & Chesnut right now, any others you would recommend?

 

[sandbur]

You just need some pushers!


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Looks like I found the right street corner then

That is actually my plan with the crab apples. get enough of them going so I can make cider some day.

I have Kerr & Chesnut right now, any others you would recommend?

Do you want some sweet apples to blend in the cider?

Other crabs. Dolgo is easy to grow. Many dolgo seedlings are good.

Kinderkrisp is great. This year I had my first Trailmans and Centennial s.


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[Tree Spud]

Do you want some sweet apples to blend in the cider?

• Other crabs. Dolgo is easy to grow. Many dolgo seedlings are good.

Kinderkrisp is great. This year I had my first Trailmans and Centennial s.


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I am new to the apple game so I am on the front end of the learning curve. My goal at this point is to plant crab apple and apple trees to work towards the following goals:
- Late hanging and cold weather varieties for deer and other wildlife with rust resistance being important.
- Varieties that I can use for cider & hard cider.
- Varieties that can be used for canning applesauce.

 

[sandbur]

Do you want some sweet apples to blend in the cider?

• Other crabs. Dolgo is easy to grow. Many dolgo seedlings are good.

Kinderkrisp is great. This year I had my first Trailmans and Centennial s.


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I am new to the apple game so I am on the front end of the learning curve. My goal at this point is to plant crab apple and apple trees to work towards the following goals:
- Late hanging and cold weather varieties for deer and other wildlife with rust resistance being important.
- Varieties that I can use for cider & hard cider.
- Varieties that can be used for canning applesauce.

We make nearly all of our applesauce out of chestnut and dolgo. This year we also made Kerr sauce. Dolgo is a bit better.

Do you graft?


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[Tree Spud]

We make nearly all of our applesauce out of chestnut and dolgo. This year we also made Kerr sauce. Dolgo is a bit better.

Do you graft?


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No I do not graft. Have seen folks here who discuss it, but really do not understand it.

 

[BuckSnort]

This summer I discovered a crabapple loaded with large fruits in my neighbors fence line, nearly positive it’s a chance seedling. He let me grab a bunch to attempt to grow seedlings from but I am also going to graft some this spring to use as a pollinator and deer magnet since I know the fruit is good. Currently the tree is short and wide, maybe 12’ tall. Would grafting to a M-111 or B-118 allow the tree to grow up above the deer?? Or if the seedling is naturally smaller in size am I stuck with a short wide tree regardless of rootstock?

 

[chickenlittle]

With better care, a grafted tree might end up taller than the original wild tree. To get the biggest tree, I would graft onto P18 or Antonovka seedlings. You can purchase a few P18 from Cummins Nursery. There are a few places that retail Antonovka seedling rootstock and you can find with some google searching. I would imagine MM111 or B118 would work out fine.

This summer I discovered a crabapple loaded with large fruits in my neighbors fence line, nearly positive it’s a chance seedling. He let me grab a bunch to attempt to grow seedlings from but I am also going to graft some this spring to use as a pollinator and deer magnet since I know the fruit is good. Currently the tree is short and wide, maybe 12’ tall. Would grafting to a M-111 or B-118 allow the tree to grow up above the deer?? Or if the seedling is naturally smaller in size am I stuck with a short wide tree regardless of rootstock?

 

[sandbur]

Thin it to one main stem and you could probably gain some height. Summer thumb pruning could help this.

I wonder if a wider cage and letting a few grow into a bush might not be a bad thing. It would probably depend on your deer population but could be a fun experiment.


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[sandbur]

This summer I discovered a crabapple loaded with large fruits in my neighbors fence line, nearly positive it’s a chance seedling. He let me grab a bunch to attempt to grow seedlings from but I am also going to graft some this spring to use as a pollinator and deer magnet since I know the fruit is good. Currently the tree is short and wide, maybe 12’ tall. Would grafting to a M-111 or B-118 allow the tree to grow up above the deer?? Or if the seedling is naturally smaller in size am I stuck with a short wide tree regardless of rootstock?

Got pictures?


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[BuckSnort]

Got pictures?

So now looking closer I realize this may be a younger tree. But it still is kind of a mess, even though it was absolutely loaded with nice fruit. I just started grafting about 5 years ago but in that short time I’ve figured out that things go much better when I train the trees to grow up out of the reach of the deer, even with good fencing if they can reach it they will eat it!

 

[BuckSnort]

So now looking closer I realize this may be a younger tree. But it still is kind of a mess, even though it was absolutely loaded with nice fruit. I just started grafting about 5 years ago but in that short time I’ve figured out that things go much better when I train the trees to grow up out of the reach of the deer, even with good fencing if they can reach it they will eat it!

 

[sandbur]

Update from camp on Dec. 8th - Winter Wildlife crabs from SLN are still holding 1" red crab apples. A WW crab planted in 2015 as a small whip is now 12 ft. tall and holding those red apples. Base of trunk is 2" dia.

Spring 2019 crabs to plant - 1 Chestnut crab and 1 Winter Wildlife crab. That'll bring our Chestnut crab total to 5, and our WW crab total to 4.

I blame my crab apple fever on 2 guys …………. Sandbur and Stu Smith. Boy - they do make good wildlife trees !!!

You been hangin’ with a bad crowd!

Stu pointed out that this tree is still holding some crabs.

It’s a rootstock on public land.


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Still holding and dropping some.

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[Telemark]

Who's tree is that? I would like some scion from it some day, if it's available.

 

[sandbur]

Who's tree is that? I would like some scion from it some day, if it's available.

Fifth Amendment .......


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[cavey]

Fifth Amendment .......


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Telemark, try walking around Sandbur's home town court house.... I think he gave you a hint - but that just a guess

 

[Bowsnbucks]

You Minn. boys are living in Fort Knox for good late-hanging crabs. They seem to be like weeds there.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

You Minn. boys are living in Fort Knox for good late-hanging crabs. They seem to be like weeds there.

There is one outside a local (to me) tavern that is still loaded with late hangers.

 

[sandbur]

You Minn. boys are living in Fort Knox for good late-hanging crabs. They seem to be like weeds there.

I just got a buddy that always has his eyes open.

And some of us old crabs do hang around too long... ;)


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[sandbur]

Grab some seed from a decent sized wild crab and plant it.

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