Has anyone tried to graft to thorn-apple tree?

[Apple Junkie]

Our camp seems to have every soil type known to man somewhere on the property. In certain areas , where other trees struggle, some hardy thorn-apples thrive. These have small green marble-size apples. I am wondering if anyone has ever tried to graft a "normal" apple to an established thorn-apple. If so, successfully?

Thoughts? Thanks!

 

[buckvelvet]

Im assuming we are discussing siberian crab? Not everything is compatible with it.


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[Ben.MN/WI]

if the hawthorns grow naturally in those poor soil areas, it would be easiest to cut down competing trees and let them take over. There are lots of wild hawthorns on my land in nw wi, but even the hardy pears I've planted have a tough time surviving up there. It would be a cool experiment though to graft pears and see how they do. Maybe the wild roots that thrive in that dirt would allow the pears to be tougher as well. I think you should give it a whirl and give us a report.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I have an ely pear from sln that is holding its own after 5 years, but the rest seem to just barely hang on with frequent winter die back. I've read about some pear seedlings that grow far north, but from what I've read the fruit is barely edible and used to make vinegar or something like that. I've never seen random wild pears growing in farmsteads or backyards up there though like I see down here.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I believe ure is the variety I heard didn't taste too good. Do you know where to buy early gold or golden spice? Having a few pears there for variety would be good. There is a giant pear tree in a yard near where I work in se mn that produces unbelievable amounts of fruit every year. I'd like a few like that for the deer

 

[greyphase]

Our camp seems to have every soil type known to man somewhere on the property. In certain areas , where other trees struggle, some hardy thorn-apples thrive. These have small green marble-size apples. I am wondering if anyone has ever tried to graft a "normal" apple to an established thorn-apple. If so, successfully?

Thoughts? Thanks!

By your description of the fruit it sounds like a wild crab sometimes called a thornapple here in the Allegheny mountains.

They often have small stout pointed branches as seen above. I tried grafting a Black Oxford scion to two of these trees two years ago. One graft died immediately while the other put on several feet of growth the first year but died back to only several inches of living scion last year. If I were to try grafting to them again I'd try using scion from a named crab such as Chestnut, Kerr, or one of the St. Lawrence nursery crabs (Winter Wildlife, All Winter Hangover, Viola).

 

[sandbur]

By your description of the fruit it sounds like a wild crab sometimes called a thornapple here in the Allegheny mountains.

They often have small stout pointed branches as seen above. I tried grafting a Black Oxford scion to two of these trees two years ago. One graft died immediately while the other put on several feet of growth the first year but died back to only several inches of living scion last year. If I were to try grafting to them again I'd try using scion from a named crab such as Chestnut, Kerr, or one of the St. Lawrence nursery crabs (Winter Wildlife, All Winter Hangover, Viola).

Last night I was looking at the range of Malus ioensis in our state. There is some discrepancy in the range from different sources.

Who (from any state) has identified a Prairie Crab? Your picture might be one.
Anyone else have pictures of it?

 

[Apple Junkie]

You guys saved me a lot of time and aggravation, thanks!

BV... They resemble a Siberian Crab, but with thorns.
Smith... I think you're right. we call 'em thorn-apples but correct name is probably Hawthorns. Too bad they're not suitable for grafting.
Ben... I'm with you, I release them unless the competition is an oak.
Greyphase... We have a few of those too, and frankly I may have been picturing those in my head when I asked the question, but the it turns out it is the hawthorn what I was hoping I could graft to. A pic is worth a thousand words, thanks for including those along with your comments.

Originally, I had given little thought pears. But based on some of the comments above, I am becoming more open to adding them to the menu.