Kerr crabs
- Thread starter keets
- Start date
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
Going to have to order. Never seen kerr at a nursery in person.
I thought turkey creek trees in kasnas sells them. They often sell trees on B118, M111, and M7. M7 would make a very manageable tree. Several other places sell them too. NEver bought a kerr, always made ones from scio and rootstock myself.
If going turkey creek. I would mix things up a bit. Like 3 or kerr, an enterprise, a yates, and maybe a sundance. Liberty is a must have too.
I thought turkey creek trees in kasnas sells them. They often sell trees on B118, M111, and M7. M7 would make a very manageable tree. Several other places sell them too. NEver bought a kerr, always made ones from scio and rootstock myself.
If going turkey creek. I would mix things up a bit. Like 3 or kerr, an enterprise, a yates, and maybe a sundance. Liberty is a must have too.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Kerr is a good one to have. Is this for wildlife or eating?
Mortenson
5 year old buck +
I'd agree, especially since Kerr have been said to be naturally dwarfing anyhow. Mine all seem to be slow growers. They had nice crops this yr.
rocksnstumps
5 year old buck +
Agree M7 is ok for wildlife tree but not going to put out buckets of fruit as it gets older. After 10-15 yrs will think wish that tree could grow a bit bigger but at about 60% of full size it is at least on the larger side of the semi dwarf ones. It also does not need lifelong staking like some of the really small trees which are more for a trellis style orchard.
rocksnstumps
5 year old buck +
With a ton of popple to start with, doubt that site has a lot of clay. See those spots have more of a sandy/gravel type soil at least in WI.
What does your site have for soil?
rocksnstumps
5 year old buck +
I see OP wants to find bigger trees if possible and some of those you have to pick up instead of ship. Noticed that Wallace Woodstock Nursery has posted basically going out of business and clearing out their fields but no updates yet on what they might have going into this fall and possibly next spring.
Years ago picked up a few trees that were too big to ship from there and they fruited first yr, skipped yr and fruited from yr 3 on. But also likely because of that did not grow the tree itself that fast for awhile.
Years ago picked up a few trees that were too big to ship from there and they fruited first yr, skipped yr and fruited from yr 3 on. But also likely because of that did not grow the tree itself that fast for awhile.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
I'm with b116757 and H20fwlr above on M-111. Great rootstock for clayish-loam soil. Solid anchorage & about 80% to 85% of full-sized tree. We have many on M-111, and no problems!
Have you thought about staggering your plantings regarding rootstocks? Maybe plant some on semi-standard roots like M-111 that bear fruit earlier, and also some on standard rootstocks like Antonovka or Dolgo - which will take about roughly 10 years to fruit. You get some fruit sooner on the semi-standard or semi-dwarf rootstocks, and eventually BIG trees on Antonovka or Dolgo that'll produce loads of fruit a few more years out - and last longer (maybe 40 years or more). That's how we planted at our camp. Covers many needs & time slots.
Have you thought about staggering your plantings regarding rootstocks? Maybe plant some on semi-standard roots like M-111 that bear fruit earlier, and also some on standard rootstocks like Antonovka or Dolgo - which will take about roughly 10 years to fruit. You get some fruit sooner on the semi-standard or semi-dwarf rootstocks, and eventually BIG trees on Antonovka or Dolgo that'll produce loads of fruit a few more years out - and last longer (maybe 40 years or more). That's how we planted at our camp. Covers many needs & time slots.
I agree about Kerr being a slow grower in fact it is my slowest. I have been watering my one year old trees due to drought and have been looking over my other trees to see if they are suffering from the drought. My 2 year old Kerrs which I grafted on 111 are both still not out of the 5 foot tubes while the other 20 varieties are all out of the tubes. The three year old Kerrs which I bought from Blue Hill are also the smallest of the three year old trees. I would be concerned but apparently just slow growers, according to most of you they will be great deer trees one day.
Teeder
5 year old buck +
I second all of this. My Kerr are by far the slowest growing of all the varieties I've planted.
BTW, I have October Crab and Gold Rush fruiting 2 years out from grafting to dolgo rootstock. Probably would have had Yates too, but the blossoms got frosted where that tree is.
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
What old USDA zone are you? They redid the USDA zones a year or two ago. IF you're old one 3, go for old zone 3 trees. The list gets alot smaller.
Starting to like 30-06 more and more. They grow like weeds. Violi's from saint lawrence nursery is another good cold area slow n even into winter dropper. I've had 30-06 on anty survive -35 deg F. They also have sweet dog, winter wildlife, all winter hangover, and MN 1734, and have kerr. They use antonovka rootstock, some get siberian crab much like dolgo.
Take a look at sandbur's crabapple timeline thread. He is up in the northern part of the US like. Thought Minnesota, could be WI though. Midwest deer apples and bluehill sell crabs he has found over the years. Got big dog, buckman, and courthouse.
Get double or triples of some trees. Trees take alot of work, I'd get a few more, but thats it.
I got 40 or so at home and they seem like alot of work sometimes. At a camp I lease with a few guys I have 4 spots with 7 or 8 trees a piece and 4 good eating ones right at camp. IF your not ok with going back where you hunt and distrubing wildlife, its best to plant a few close to the camp you can harvest and enjoy yourself. Most spots are 1/4 to 1/2 acre foodplots with the apple trees to the north of the plot. Keep in mind you need to not rototill or dsic within 20-25ft of an apple tree. I do mostly notill up there. and some trees are set back more from the plot due to rock piles, steep edges, etc...
My camp is zone 3. I try to plant them on siberian, dolgo, or antonovka rootstocks. Most were grafted by me. At home i like m111. I do have a few M7's. I got them because I wanted a specific variety and they only had M7 left. redfree, sundance, and a M7 on enterprise for a friend who bought a new house.
A mix is good, a few quick to make apples like m7, m107,109,or 111. And a few monsters on dolgo or anty. I got some M111's in a single row 16ft apart. But 20ft is ideal. Got the majority of them in a double row 25x25 apart. Plenty of room for m111's. I do have a few B118s and an anty or two t home too.
Good to plant a few different rootstocks, maybe one type likes your soil more than others.
Starting to like 30-06 more and more. They grow like weeds. Violi's from saint lawrence nursery is another good cold area slow n even into winter dropper. I've had 30-06 on anty survive -35 deg F. They also have sweet dog, winter wildlife, all winter hangover, and MN 1734, and have kerr. They use antonovka rootstock, some get siberian crab much like dolgo.
Take a look at sandbur's crabapple timeline thread. He is up in the northern part of the US like. Thought Minnesota, could be WI though. Midwest deer apples and bluehill sell crabs he has found over the years. Got big dog, buckman, and courthouse.
Get double or triples of some trees. Trees take alot of work, I'd get a few more, but thats it.
I got 40 or so at home and they seem like alot of work sometimes. At a camp I lease with a few guys I have 4 spots with 7 or 8 trees a piece and 4 good eating ones right at camp. IF your not ok with going back where you hunt and distrubing wildlife, its best to plant a few close to the camp you can harvest and enjoy yourself. Most spots are 1/4 to 1/2 acre foodplots with the apple trees to the north of the plot. Keep in mind you need to not rototill or dsic within 20-25ft of an apple tree. I do mostly notill up there. and some trees are set back more from the plot due to rock piles, steep edges, etc...
My camp is zone 3. I try to plant them on siberian, dolgo, or antonovka rootstocks. Most were grafted by me. At home i like m111. I do have a few M7's. I got them because I wanted a specific variety and they only had M7 left. redfree, sundance, and a M7 on enterprise for a friend who bought a new house.
A mix is good, a few quick to make apples like m7, m107,109,or 111. And a few monsters on dolgo or anty. I got some M111's in a single row 16ft apart. But 20ft is ideal. Got the majority of them in a double row 25x25 apart. Plenty of room for m111's. I do have a few B118s and an anty or two t home too.
Good to plant a few different rootstocks, maybe one type likes your soil more than others.
