Looking for Kerr?

[chummer]

To actually be able to find some to buy is what I want.

Unfortunately I only have three. I ordered 5 more two years in a row from different nurseries and had the order canceled at shipping time. Both times they sent me different trees. Once was Franklins which turn out to get hammered by FB so I have 5 useless trees there. The other time I got chestnut and frostbite which are growing good. I have top worked some Kerr but I don’t label my top works so hopefully I will be surprised soon.

 

[Apple Junkie]

Unfortunately I only have three. I ordered 5 more two years in a row from different nurseries and had the order canceled at shipping time. Both times they sent me different trees. Once was Franklins which turn out to get hammered by FB so I have 5 useless trees there. The other time I got chestnut and frostbite which are growing good. I have top worked some Kerr but I don’t label my top works so hopefully I will be surprised soon.

Mmmm.... I lost my only Franklin this summer. It just shriveled up died within 30 days of first signs of stress. I though it was the result of sun scald, but now I am wondering if it could have been fireblight. Now I wish I had paid closer attention.

 

[homerj1]

I though it was the result of sun scald,

Sun scald usually doesn't kill a tree quickly.

 

[chummer]

Mmmm.... I lost my only Franklin this summer. It just shriveled up died within 30 days of first signs of stress. I though it was the result of sun scald, but now I am wondering if it could have been fireblight. Now I wish I had paid closer attention.

Did it have blossoms? I had to remove every branch that had blossom on it. All the leaves on those branches turned black.

 

[Mortenson]

Are you guys talking Franklins or Franklin ciders?

 

[Apple Junkie]

Did it have blossoms? I had to remove every branch that had blossom on it. All the leaves on those branches turned black.

I purchased as a Franklin from Cummins in 2017. It was growing fine in 2019, it still looked good in May of 2020, with a few blossoms. By early August it was fading, and by early September all the leaves had dried up and died. To make it more puzzling, I have a Jonathan planted within 25’ of the Franklin. The Jonathan is listed as being very susceptible to fireblight by Orange Pippin, but showed no sign of the disease.

 

[chummer]

I purchased as a Franklin from Cummins in 2017. It was growing fine in 2019, it still looked good in May of 2020, with a few blossoms. By early August it was fading, and by early September all the leaves had dried up and died. To make it more puzzling, I have a Jonathan planted within 25’ of the Franklin. The Jonathan is listed as being very susceptible to fireblight by Orange Pippin, but showed no sign of the disease.

View attachment 33470View attachment 33471View attachment 33472

Looks like FB to me.

 

[chummer]

Are you guys talking Franklins or Franklin ciders?

Franklin, but I think they are the same. Franklin is marketed as a cider tree.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I think they're the same tree also. Just easier to call it - or type it - Franklin.

As I understand FB, it's a bacterial disease that spreads through contact from other infected plants. Birds are a common disease vector, and so can bugs of any sort that can fly from plant to plant. From all I've read, blossom time is when it usually starts to infect plants, and more so when rainy, windy weather lashes the hell out of trees in bloom.

Does anyone have pear trees near their Franklins, or other apple trees?? Pears are notorious for getting FB. I had an ornamental pear in my back yard that got FB most years - and I cut it down. It's replaced by a "Sugar Tyme" DR crab apple tree.

 

[sandbur]

I think they're the same tree also. Just easier to call it - or type it - Franklin.

As I understand FB, it's a bacterial disease that spreads through contact from other infected plants. Birds are a common disease vector, and so can bugs of any sort that can fly from plant to plant. From all I've read, blossom time is when it usually starts to infect plants, and more so when rainy, windy weather lashes the hell out of trees in bloom.

Does anyone have pear trees near their Franklins, or other apple trees?? Pears are notorious for getting FB. I had an ornamental pear in my back yard that got FB most years - and I cut it down. It's replaced by a "Sugar Tyme" DR crab apple tree.

Have you had fruit on Sugar Tyne?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Bur -
Yes. It's just a "bird crab" with 1/4" to 3/8" red fruit on it. But it puts on a load of white blossoms and little red crab apples. It's more ornamental in our back yard, but it feeds birds in fall & winter. I bought it at about 1 1/2" caliper trunk, and it's now about 2 1/2" caliper trunk ............ 12 ft. tall. It won't become a giant tree - maybe 20 ft. tall when mature. It seems to keep a nice shape on it's own so far - upright pyramid or oval.

Sugar Tyme is rated as one of the top 10 crabs for DR and ease of care, shape, tons of blossoms, etc. by several crab apple experts whose life work is breeding and studying crab apples. They don't breed for wildlife - size fruit production .............. more for ornamental & garden / home plantings. I would not plant Sugar Tyme for deer!!

 

[rocksnstumps]

Franklin, but I think they are the same. Franklin is marketed as a cider tree.

Not to derail too much off the Kerr discussion but there is a Franklin Apple that was around before the Franklin Cider was named. Of course pretty much any mention of "Franklin" on here in last several years is meant to be a Franklin Cider. Ran across this at Orange Pippin back in 2017 while trying to search for the the "Cider" ones.

Listed as a cross between Delicious x McIntosh

https://www.orangepippin.com/varieties/apples/franklin

 

[rocksnstumps]

Bur -
Yes. It's just a "bird crab" with 1/4" to 3/8" red fruit on it. But it puts on a load of white blossoms and little red crab apples. It's more ornamental in our back yard, but it feeds birds in fall & winter. I bought it at about 1 1/2" caliper trunk, and it's now about 2 1/2" caliper trunk ............ 12 ft. tall. It won't become a giant tree - maybe 20 ft. tall when mature. It seems to keep a nice shape on it's own so far - upright pyramid or oval.

Sugar Tyme is rated as one of the top 10 crabs for DR and ease of care, shape, tons of blossoms, etc. by several crab apple experts whose life work is breeding and studying crab apples. They don't breed for wildlife - size fruit production .............. more for ornamental & garden / home plantings. I would not plant Sugar Tyme for deer!!

Pics of older Sugar Tyme from UW Madison Arboretum taken in late July. Seems to grow more wide than tall

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Good pics!! Thanks for posting.

So far, our Sugar Tyme is pretty upright and more pyramidal in shape. Maybe it spreads out more as it ages?? I bought ours based on what it's written description said. If it gets TOO broad, I'll prune it back to a more upright shape. If it puts too much shade on my wife's flowers by getting too wide ............... my wife might decide to prune ME!!

 

[A2D2R2]

To actually be able to find some to buy is what I want.

Walden Heights Nursery sells Kerr Scion wood. I just ordered some top work a few trees.

Walden Heights Nursery & Orchard | Cold Climate Organic Apple Trees Plants and Consultations

waldenheightsnursery.com