"Crazy" Chris's nursery

[Turkey Creek]

Well things are starting to come to life in the great outdoors. I have been busy moving my pear and apple grafts to the nursery as well as all those other spring time projects. It is probably too early to feel really good about my grafting success rate, but I was hoping for at least 70% success on my bench grafts and it looks like that is going to be on the low side. I would say that out of what is in the nursery there is only 3 or 4 that look iffy at this point.

Apple (couldnt get it into focus with my little point and shoot camera)


Pear


The nursery

 

[Turkey Creek]

Bark graft on a Midwest Crabapple rootstock. Looks like I could very well bat 6 for 6 on these!

 

[Jordan Selsor]

Thats great man! I hope to duplicate your success next yr! I also want to mark my persimmons so I can perform sex changes on the males!

 

[greyphase]

Yea you can wear the Crazy title:D. That's a good looking nursery you got there Chris.

 

[dipper]

Are you planning on cover that exposed soil with anything? Looks like you have about 50 trees or so, you have some grafting skills. I'm learning, and I hope mine turn out too. Is that nursery on your property or by your home? I would think voles could enter your pen, do you protect your trees from them? You must not be worried about deer eating your new grafts either?

I mounded my grafts for easy removal, and mulched with a thick layer of straw. The organic matter in my nursery is around 10%, so that and the mulch are going to hold some major water. I also planted mine closer, not sure if that is right or wrong.

This ash tree is only three years old and it is almost the size of my wrist, good soil makes things grow ^^^

 

[Turkey Creek]

Dipper no I will leave the ground exposed at least for the growing season. They are at my house so I can water them whenever I need. No problems with mice and I feel like it helps keep insects and maybe even some diseases to a minimum with the bare ground. I did not have a problem over wintering any of my trees in the nursery with bare ground around them last winter. Also no deer in my yard, except one buck that came through one summer. Chicken wire fence keeps the rabbits out. I have about 150 more grafts waiting to go in the nursery.

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Looks great Turkey. I think I recognize some of those scions lol

Paul

 

[Turkey Creek]

Paul I am sure you do! I can almost taste those Cripps Pink apples already.:) I feel like I am jinxing myself just talking about how well things are looking in the nursery.

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Paul I am sure you do! I can almost taste those Cripps Pink apples already.:) I feel like I am jinxing myself just talking about how well things are looking in the nursery.

I am sure you will baby them to be big beautiful grown up trees lol. No worries

 

[Jordan Selsor]

Did you use crab apple root stock on all your trees? What varieties did you go with?

 

[2ndHand]

Nice job!! Is that a soaker hose in the photo?

 

[Turkey Creek]

Half my apple grafts are on MM106 and the other half on Bud 118. I also have 10 on Bud 9 for my tall spindle, high density orchard/ fruit wall. Pears are on OHxF97 and OHx87. Those 6 grafts on the crab rootstocks were just my first attempts at bark grafting. They were leftover crabapples that I got last spring. Yes that is soaker hose.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

awesome, obviously you did your homework

 

[Turkey Creek]

Well the bench grafts are all in the nursery. I am still feeling pretty optimistic about my success. I have noticed that a couple of scion varities are failing to leaf out. I have some Arkansas Black and some Goldrush that refuse to come to life. Not sure if the scions were bad or they are just taking a lot longer to get growing.


Here is a shot of the new growth. These have been in the ground about 2 weeks. With the poor weather we have had since they were planted I am happy with their growth.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Here is a few that I potted up yesterday. We will see how the growth of these compares to those in the ground.


Here is a few of my chestnuts. A bit of a uphill learning curve on these, but I have hopefully learned enough to make the process easier next season.

 

[CrazyEd]

Well done!

 

[Turkey Creek]

Well Done Chris. What sort of soil mixture are you using in those Root trapper bags?

A few different concoctions. Various ingredients are composted cow manure, finely ground pine bark, pine based soil conditioner, and perlite. Just tinkering with different ratios and combos to see if anything shines. Its in my nature to experiment.

 

[greyphase]

That's a beautiful bunch of little trees you got there Chris.

 

[Maya]

TC, your a mad man!!! LOL Great job, good luck!

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Awesome nursery. You will be selling trees like Maya some day with all those trees lol