Late Hanging Apples

[doublelunger]

I was thinking about planting some apple trees near a gun blind of mine and I was wondering what disease resistant apple varieties you'd plant for a stand knowing it wouldn't get hunted until Nov. 15th on? Here's a few of the varieties I was thinking about:

Enterprise
Gold Rush
Arkansas Black
Querina
Freedom
Liberty? (I know they ripen early but I think I read somewhere that they hang on late into the season?)

What varieties am I missing?

 

[Lot2Learn]

Where are you located DL?

 

[doublelunger]

This property I'm talking about is located in Eaton Rapids, MI. USDA hardiness zone 5b.

 

[Lot2Learn]

NHM is right about the wisdom of extending the season a bit earlier (e.g., with crabapples and other early season DRCs like Pristine and Williams Pride). Also, Galarina would be another that is rumored to hold apples late into the season.

 

[Dan Wombles]

Yates is a great, late apple. Great for human and deer consumption

 

[CrazyEd]

Goldrush will get CAR if there are cedars in the area and it is left not sprayed.

 

[Rally1148]

This property I'm talking about is located in Eaton Rapids, MI. USDA hardiness zone 5b.

I was wondering if that was the Michigan November 15th!

I'm in Montcalm, and I'm planning on grafting Liberty, Priscilla, Enterprise, Goldrush, Chestnut Crab, Freedom. Next year I'm looking to get some Querina, Williams Pride, and Arkansas Black. The majority are going to be Enterprise, Goldrush, and Freedom, just because I like hunting the few weeks before the rut (so last week of October and November until the 15th). I DO like to hunt early season though, and since my dummy neighbor is less likely to be out on his 100 feet "scouting" for rifle season, I decided I should have some dropping September-October as well.

 

[sandbur]

I ran across this rootstock crab at a farm today. I have no idea what it is, but I grabbed a bit of scion. I know it is pretty late to gather scion... I am sure the tree is never sprayed or pruned. I lean towards the crab apples in my zones.

 

[Rally1148]

I've been wondering about late hanging crabs...if they still have fruit well into the winter/spring...just how desirable can the fruit be? If the birds aren't even eating them, they have to be less than "tasty" I'd think. Also, given the winds we've had in central MN this winter/early spring and the fact the fruit are still hanging...would deer ever even get a chance to eat them? I grafted a super late hanger from just down the road, but I don't think I'll graft anymore of them in the future...at least not until I find out they serve a purpose for wildlife.

I guess the wild trees I found would technically be "crabs" since they're only 2-3 inches in diameter. This is assuming they are wild... This is just kind of thinking out loud.

BUT, I've also been thinking about whether or fruit that hangs into the spring is desirable. I've sort of been thinking that the only way to tell would be if there is no fruit on the ground under them. I'm sure deer would prefer "fresh" fruit, but I think that if a frozen apple drops, they'll eat it. That tree seems to have fruit that would be a bit big for birds, so it might not be that they are undesirable, but rather are physically inedible for birds while they are frozen.

 

[sandbur]

I've been wondering about late hanging crabs...if they still have fruit well into the winter/spring...just how desirable can the fruit be? If the birds aren't even eating them, they have to be less than "tasty" I'd think. Also, given the winds we've had in central MN this winter/early spring and the fact the fruit are still hanging...would deer ever even get a chance to eat them? I grafted a super late hanger from just down the road, but I don't think I'll graft anymore of them in the future...at least not until I find out they serve a purpose for wildlife.

This farmer can watch the tree from his house. The deer were on it two winters back and he said they would stand on their back legs and reach for the crabs. I think these late crabs would be a benefit for deer in a year like last spring when snow persisted later. Perhaps they would even help survival of the herd during those winters. This tree is in a location where it is protected from west and NW winds.

This year birds have not even cleaned up my red splendor tree. Usually the robins and cedar waxwings strip it. Crabs are still hanging on some of Morse's trees and on some seedlings.

Stu-I do agree with you that an apple with a one to three month drop time is preferred to a tree that holds onto it's apples for the whole winter. Good point!

 

[Dan Wombles]

I have an old seedling apple tree on my place. Apples are very bitter and the deer only eat them as a last resort

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Bur - The robins and cedar waxwings are usually the ones cleaning off my Profusion crab in my home yard. Once in a while I see some evening grosbeaks and house finches eating at them too.

Some of the late-hanging apples near my camp drop apples all winter long, with some still on the trees in mid-March. They start dropping in mid-October and most are down by January. There were about 12 to 20 still on in March. These are the ones I got scion from and grafted onto MM-111 and B-118 roots. I sent some scion to Greyphase so between the 2 of us, we should have some good late-hangers to put in the ground. In March, deer were still checking in under those trees for droppers as the tracks in the snow indicated.

Edit: those apples are about 2" dia. max.

 

[greyphase]

I'm a fan of late hanging apples.

 

[buckvelvet]

I'm a fan of late hanging apples.

This picture rules!