huntable apple varieties

[chickenlittle]

I'd like to collect experiences on when different apple varieties drop. Most of the information from nurseries and Ag extensions is on ripening times. For huntability, we need to know when do they drop (which might vary from year to year and in different locations). Please state your location and hardiness zone if you post and times/seasons for the varieties.

I am planting a variety so I am generally covered from archery (early October) through the end of flintlock (2nd Saturday in January). More worried about early availability. I don't expect every tree to produce huntable apples but I don't have the knowledge to make sure the right varieties are planted in right locations. Thanks.

 

[chummer]

I just mapped out my "final planting" yesterday. For the most part putting early apples near the front of the orchard and late in the back. I will have 14 different varieties total so I am hoping for a wave effect. Get the early droppers bringing them in before the season and have my stand sites just past the late droppers to try to catch them sneaking in once the season is open. I figure I will have enough overlap in drop times to have Sept-Dec covered even if it isn't perfect. My main goal was to have all the late droppers back in the woods to provided to most protection to the deer while feeding. I have them in groups form front to back dolgo,chestnut, liberty, enterprise, goldrush, 5 SLN late dropping varieties, and I put a dolgo in each group for pollinating. List the varieties you are planting and I am sure someone here can list the order of drop for you.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Can't help you on this. Our newer planted apples are not bearing yet and the trees that do are older unknown varieties. I need a couple more years !

 

[chickenlittle]

Chummer, I was hoping for a more useful thread than just a review of what I am planting. I can guess and rank mine based on ripening times. Based on that, I am guessing that Enterprise and Goldrush aren't good choices near an archery stand since archery ends mid November. They are probably more huntable for rifle after thanksgiving or even after Christmas for flintlock.

 

[sandbur]

I have apples dropping from about the last week of August until right now, and perhaps later. Dolgo, chestnut crab, red baron, haralred/haralson, nw greening, and a rootstock crab that is probably columbia. I also have 4-5 seedling apples that are still holding about a 1 inch crab.

Morse bunches are also holding a few small apples. Location is just right in the middle of Mn.

Other varieities are planted, but not bearing yet.

One reference indicates that whitney crabs could provide deer food 10 days before dolgo. Perhaps Norland or another variety could ripen even sooner, but I have plenty of deer feed during the summer.

My hopes are to graft several more of the columbia crab and the seedling crab with the biggest apples.

I would like to see a USDA zone 3 hardy list for feeding the deer for 6 months or more. We are almost there.

 

[Maya]

Chick, maybe this will help some. In general, the longer stem varieties hold longer, shorter don't hold long. Soil, moisture or lack there of, wind and so forth all add variables to drop times.

What varieties are you growing?

 

[Natureboy]

Chickenlittle, this is what I have found at my camp. It is located in Western NY zone 5A and we have about 60 trees that have been bearing fruit for about four years now, each year seems to be a little different in variety and drop times. Primary varieties are: Crimsoncrisp, Liberty, Freedom, Enterprise, Honeycrisp, Goldrush, Querina, Golden Delicious and Jonafree. Just about all of the trees except the Goldrush will start dropping a few apples around mid September to early October. There is usually a lot of other food sources for the deer to eat at this time including acorns and the few apples that fall will sometimes lie for a couple of days prior to being eaten.
About mid October, the amount of fruit falling daily increases and so does the deer activity. By early November a sizable number of apples fall almost daily and deer activity is at a peak. By early/mid December most of the apples have already fallen. Some continue to hang until late winter and I still had a few hanging on my Liberty, Freedom, Querina and Honeycrisp trees on January 10th. This year, the Goldrush apple trees held almost all of their fruit into December and on January 10th there were still well over 50 frozen apples still hanging on each tree.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Thanks Maya and Natureboy for the info. I didn't know that about long-stems vs. short-stems concerning hang times. My camp has some of what you have Natureboy - Liberty, Enterprise, Goldrush. My camp is about an hour south of Stueben Co. N.Y. so it's close zone-wise. It's good to know what you have drop-time-wise should be close to what we can expect once they start bearing apples.

 

[bryant]

How do the goldrush do with CAR?

 

[Lot2Learn]

Goldrush has problems with CAR for sure. Knowing that, I decided to plant a few anyway because (a) I wanted to capture the benefit of the late dropping apple, and (b) some growers told me that while the leaves and fruit can be marred by CAR, the susceptibility wasn't debilitating to the tree.

I guess the risk depends in large part to how many cedars you have in your area. My Goldrush definitely had some challenges and I'll be on a jihad to cut down any/all the cedar I can find this winter, but the trees thrived despite their challenges and consequently, so far, I'm happy I took the risk.

 

[chummer]

I have 2 goldrush coming because one nursery had a description that said an idiot could grow it.

 

[Rally1148]

I have 65 caged apples/crabs from Wolfraths nursery in Hortonville. Late bloom, late drop. Click on the pricelist at the bottom of his page for timing.


http://www.wolfraths.com/garden-center/item/10-fruit-trees-seedlings-transplants

I can't seem to find any descriptions. They're expensive, but I'd give them a shot!

 

[leexrayshady]

I would suggest Haralson for early October drop time although it is very biennial

 

[Maya]

Nice pics Lee!

 

[bigeight]

I have 65 caged apples/crabs from Wolfraths nursery in Hortonville. Late bloom, late drop. Click on the pricelist at the bottom of his page for timing.


http://www.wolfraths.com/garden-center/item/10-fruit-trees-seedlings-transplants

Have you planted the deer candy trees? Or just the single variety trees? Seems like it would be a neat to use these in micro plots that don't have space for multiple trees but still give you lots of drop time.

 

[bigeight]

Both. I have 30 rut crabs, and 35 late drop apples. in foodplots and woods. cortland, golden, fireside,freedom, honeycrisp,rosy cheeks,oct.high,snowsweet, royal gala, then straight crabs.

I'll have to give them a call. Their website/PDF is crazy lookin !