Ides of March

[Gray922]

This year I am working on starting a deer orchard and several members on the board here were kind enough to help me out with some scion wood. There are some great folks on this board. One of the scions I was sent was called Ides of March, Oaknut was kind enough to help me out with this one, Thank you Oaknut (and thank you to the other folks that helped me out too). After looking at some pictures he had sent me of this tree throughout the seasons I noticed that this tree has a great winter drop rate. I work in engineering all day so naturally I end up analyzing everything I do lol. I counted the apples hanging on the tree in each image and stamped that number at the bottom of the image along with the date that the picture was taken. It looks like this tree drops 15 to 22 apples per month starting in December and has a heavy drop of around 50 apples in late February to mid March. I'm no expert but I believe that the deer will be watching this tree like a hawk in the cold months of winter. So my question is will this drop rate continue as the tree gets older? Will those numbers go up as the tree gets larger or will the rate of drop change? I am thinking those numbers will double and triple as the tree gets larger. I am also curios if the start date will change if I am a zone or 2 warmer than the original tree? I have attached the images with the apple count stamp and date on them for reference.
Thanks,
Mark

 

[H20fwler]

I've got a couple of those in the nursery right now compliments of Oaknut...thanks again!

 

[PoorSand]

I'll be splicing a bunch of those scions in today as I top work. If Oaknut's tree ever dies, he can simply ask for scions back from me. Great that he has been shipping the DNA.

 

[sandbur]

The one thing to be sure of is that each year is different.

For me, drop times can vary for up to two weeks. Some trees take a year off to rest. Late frosts kill part or all of a crop. Occasional trees will be early droppers, but then take a year and hold more apples later.

Still, if there is a good track record on the tree, it will be worthwhile in most years. Plant a variety of crabs to allow success in most years.


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[Gray922]

The one thing to be sure of is that each year is different.

For me, drop times can vary for up to two weeks. Some trees take a year off to rest. Late frosts kill part or all of a crop. Occasional trees will be early droppers, but then take a year and hold more apples later.

Still, if there is a good track record on the tree, it will be worthwhile in most years. Plant a variety of crabs to allow success in most years.


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Sandbur,
What are your thoughts on drop time from one hardiness zone to the next? I know there is probably some uncertainty involved here but will this apple tend to drop earlier or later as I move it to a warmer climate? I believe I am one and a half or 2 zones warmer.

 

[sandbur]

Sandbur,
What are your thoughts on drop time from one hardiness zone to the next? I know there is probably some uncertainty involved here but will this apple tend to drop earlier or later as I move it to a warmer climate? I believe I am one and a half or 2 zones warmer.

I really have no idea. That is a good question.

Can anyone say when chestnut crab drops in zone 5 for a comparison? Chestnut is pretty much the whole month of September for me and a few apples may persist into winter( some years).


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