Do your B-118 trees lean badly?

[H20fwler]

I've got loamy clay here with my apples about 50/50 B118 and M111. The ones on B118 are probably around 4-5 years old and still staked low haven't had any leaners yet.

 

[Native Hunter]

I have both purchased trees on B-118 as well as grafted any number of my own trees on B-118. I've not had issues with trees leaning. Leaning could be secondary to heavy winds, snow drifts, sun issues, etc. Some staking when you notice the leaning might be helpful until the tree can hold its own. One thing I really like about B-118 is that the leaves are reddish so there is never any question of graft vs rootstock if there is some breakage. BTW B-118 readily fruits and deer will eat the fruit so they make a good tree for mast. You can eat them also but they are tart. They are not bitter.

Could you tell me approximately when those apples ripen and fall off the tree?

 

[Appleman]

Most of my B118 are straight. Because B118 is an early bearig rootstock when compared to a M111. I remove the fruit set until 4th year. Because of the precocious bearing nature of B118, I anchor them with a T-bar on the west-northwest side. Flat white electrical fencing wire is used to tie it to the T-post. Depending on the size of the tree and if it is angled slightly, I recommend doubling up the electric fence wire to give it added strength. The electric fence wire is very strong, won't stretch, nor will it damage the tree. In the early spring, once frost has left the ground, I wench my trees slowly to straighten up the few that might be leaning a bit due to heavy cropping. My observation are M111 is straighter then B118 because it does not come to bearing fruit 3 to 4 years later then B118, allowing for the root system to lay the foundation to hold up to the weight of a crop.

 

[sandbur]

I have both purchased trees on B-118 as well as grafted any number of my own trees on B-118. I've not had issues with trees leaning. Leaning could be secondary to heavy winds, snow drifts, sun issues, etc. Some staking when you notice the leaning might be helpful until the tree can hold its own. One thing I really like about B-118 is that the leaves are reddish so there is never any question of graft vs rootstock if there is some breakage. BTW B-118 readily fruits and deer will eat the fruit so they make a good tree for mast. You can eat them also but they are tart. They are not bitter.

I keep waiting for my B118’s to fruit and should be getting close. I remember your post of year’s back about the fruit.
I hope it is good for a cider blend.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bowsnbucks]

^^^^ Lois had quite a bit of info on B-118 as I recall. I tried growing out some B-118 rootstock to see how it would turn out, but pulled them after about 5 years of hardly any growth. Maybe I should have left 1 or 2 of them. I replaced with known DR varieties & crabs.

 

[bornagain62511]

anyone know of a good source of antonkova rootstocks?

I've planted hundreds of B118 in the last 8 years or so years and many of them are bearing fruit. Any that have any kind of support from stakes or wire hoops tend to be weak in the lower 2 to 4 feet of the trunk and will tip over if not staked until they reach 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. Those that were planted within our electric fence enclosure do well without staking and most of them do not lean since they were growing from the beginning without any kind of stake or wire fence hoop for support . they move freely in the wind and the trunk puts on more diameter growth that way from the stress of moving in the wind compared to trees that have any kind of support.

 

[BuckSnort]

https://www.fedcoseeds.com/trees/emmalusem-antonovka-rootstock-225
I bought some from Fedco last spring when they ran a sale in March, good price and good quality. Way different roots than I was used to with the B118s.

 

[bornagain62511]

https://www.fedcoseeds.com/trees/emmalusem-antonovka-rootstock-225
I bought some from Fedco last spring when they ran a sale in March, good price and good quality. Way different roots than I was used to with the B118s.

thanks! please explain what you mean by "way different roots".... I know B-118 are basically a stick with roots shooting off it kinda like suckering . I suppose the Antonovka are more like a real tree seedling?

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I've planted a bunch of whips & feathered trees on Antonovka roots. They look more like carrots than the fine, hairy, numerous roots of other rootstocks. Don't let that scare you. The first 2 years in the ground, they don't seem to do much, but starting in year 3 they take off and when they kick in - they kick in. You'll get a full-sized tree on Antonovka anywhere from 24 ft. to 35 ft. tall.

 

[bornagain62511]

I've planted a bunch of whips & feathered trees on Antonovka roots. They look more like carrots than the fine, hairy, numerous roots of other rootstocks. Don't let that scare you. The first 2 years in the ground, they don't seem to do much, but starting in year 3 they take off and when they kick in - they kick in. You'll get a full-sized tree on Antonovka anywhere from 24 ft. to 35 ft. tall.

Awesome thank you! I'm definitely done planting b118 from now on. I'll plant Antonkova exclusively from now on. I've got plenty of B118 to which I have T budded my favorite varieties. Probably close to a thousand apple trees all together on our farm. And many of them are producing fruit now so I can definitely wait the few extra years for the Antonkova to grow up and start producing especially knowing that they will get larger and live longer.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

^^^^^ That's what I did at camp. I planted some B-118 and MM-111 for faster production, and also Antonovka-rooted trees that will come on later but be bigger, longer-lived trees. Longer term plan for years of production and bigger, woodier trees - hoping to survive bears eventually climbing them.

 

[cavey]

anyone know of a good source of antonkova rootstocks?

I've planted hundreds of B118 in the last 8 years or so years and many of them are bearing fruit. Any that have any kind of support from stakes or wire hoops tend to be weak in the lower 2 to 4 feet of the trunk and will tip over if not staked until they reach 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. Those that were planted within our electric fence enclosure do well without staking and most of them do not lean since they were growing from the beginning without any kind of stake or wire fence hoop for support . they move freely in the wind and the trunk puts on more diameter growth that way from the stress of moving in the wind compared to trees that have any kind of support.

http://willamettenurseries.com/ is where i get mine from. No issues with them at all good nursery

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I've had much better luck grafting Antonovka rootstock than B118. With my limited grafting skills, I need all the roots I can get and the B118's just don't work too well for me.

I think having a mix of rootstock and apple varieties is always a good idea, but in northern areas I think the Antonovka rootstock is a good choice. The majority of the apple trees I've planted have been on antonovka rootstock and I've been very happy so far. As mentioned above, they are slow to bear initially but the trees grow really large.

 

[bornagain62511]

http://willamettenurseries.com/ is where i get mine from. No issues with them at all good nursery

for quite a few years I bought my B118 rootstocks from Willamette. The last couple of years I've been buying them from Cummins. Thanks to BuckSnort posting above, I will be buying Antonovka from Fedco Seeds unless I find a better source. Their price is hard to beat.

 

[chickenlittle]

Cummins B118 most likely came from Willamette. I've always seen Willamette shipping crates when i pick up my trees.

 

[BuckSnort]

Was out in the garden today getting things ready for winter and noticed this Liberty on B118 that grew great this year has a long split in the bark (split is on the rootstock, this one was grafted just above where the picture ends). Any idea what could be the cause of this? I sure hope it makes it through winter, I was looking forward to planting in the spring.

 

[cavey]

for quite a few years I bought my B118 rootstocks from Willamette. The last couple of years I've been buying them from Cummins. Thanks to BuckSnort posting above, I will be buying Antonovka from Fedco Seeds unless I find a better source. Their price is hard to beat.

Willamette's Antonovkas are 1.08-1.44 ea while Fedco's are 2.95 ea ... not sure how their shipping runs but Willamette's RS is half the price ... but you do have to order in 50-100 count bundles dependent on size wanted. B118's run about the same with domestic seedlings cheaper yet.

 

[Skelly]

View attachment 26930
Was out in the garden today getting things ready for winter and noticed this Liberty on B118 that grew great this year has a long split in the bark (split is on the rootstock, this one was grafted just above where the picture ends). Any idea what could be the cause of this? I sure hope it makes it through winter, I was looking forward to planting in the spring.

This may not help a lot but I had that issue come up twice.
1st with 4 year old Red delicious on a couple branches last spring. That healed over and no issue that I can see.

2nd I bought 2 Dunston chestnuts from Walmart in late summer. Leaves were starting to turn brown. I brought it home and watered it real good and it leafed out again. 6’ tree has numerous 8”-9” long stretch mark like that and the bark is peeling All the way around.
I have a sucker coming off almost at ground level I plan on cutting it back this winter.

I just played it by ear and let the tree tell me how it would respond.

 

[BuckSnort]

Well, the trees are fine, but the tree stand needs some help after the big winds last week…

 

[Bowsnbucks]

^ ^ ^ ^ Ouch.