Mine still hanging

[Mortenson]

My trees are young. On 12/2 my Goldrush was 90% holding and Droptine seemed 100% holding tightly.

 

[Teeder]

My wild pear still has a few as of today. Not many on the ground, but lots of deer poop!

 

[Native Hunter]

My oldest Yates Apple tree just keeps getting better and better each year. In my area you could drive the roads for a week and not find an apple with fruit still hanging on December 5th. You might find a few ornamental crabs in people's yards with tiny fruit, but that would be it. This is my oldest Yates today. It has been raining down fruit since early October and still has a long way to go before being finished this year. And the apples are firm and delicious.

Each year as the tree has matured, the drop time has just gradually increased. This one is probably 8th leaf and is on MM111. I wish it was at my farm instead of in my yard...LOL.

This is the same tree back earlier in the year.

 

[Apple Junkie]

December 4th, NY Southern tier. Still hanging tight are the Goldrush, Wickson, Galarina, and Winecrisp.

Interestingly, November has been a lean month for apples on the ground at my place. Most other varieties, about 25 in total, have pretty much dropped their crops by early November, but these 4 are still holding tight, and dropping very few in November or early December. Most are fairly young yet, so I am not overly concerned, but I have to let go of the idea that “later is better” in every case. I gotta get me a Yates or two!!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Still at 42
Made it to camp today, as of 12/4/21: Percent still hanging
Approx. 10% or less - Liberty, Wickson, Florina, Suncrisp
40% - Wolf River, Enterprise
50% - Sundance, Kerr
close to 100% - Goldrush, Golden Hornet

Happy to see your report - we have SEVERAL each ....... Wolf River, Enterprise, Sundance, Kerr, and Goldrush.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Wife and I were heading to a football party at friends house in country and at a stop sign I see this awesome looking tree with good size yellow apples with red blush still loaded!
I will be stopping and asking for scion this winter…gotta have some of whatever this one is.

Good fortune at THAT stop sign!!!!! Nice find. I've blundered into a few late-hangers over the years. I just wish I'd have known grafting techniques back when I found them. Good luck with grafting that one. Be a good fit at either farm.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I'm gonna order some Yates. I've been going to do that for a few years now, but since we have some newly-opened areas, I'll have room for a few. Should'a done it sooner!!!

 

[Duck Creek]

Blue Hills Winter Crab... holding 90+% planted 4/19, 43°N

 

[H20fwler]

I'm gonna order some Yates. I've been going to do that for a few years now, but since we have some newly-opened areas, I'll have room for a few. Should'a done it sooner!!!

This thread got me ordering a couple for spring!

Native is an enabler......

 

[Mortenson]

A member here traded me a few Yates scion couple seasons ago... I have 2 or 3 nice ones coming along in the nursery!

 

[Diesel5610]

Took a walk today and checked my trees.

Goldrush is holding probably 90%, deer are hitting this tree regular now. Great gun season tree for us.

Liberty with a bunch still, probably 50%. I have several liberty and they range from this tree to only a few stragglers left on some trees.

Young Wickson with about 50% of what it had.

Franklin that has 75% of what it had. On B118 and is a leaner. This picture was from 2 weeks ago but the apples are still there as of today. Picture I took today didn’t save.

Enterprise with about 40%. Same as the Liberty trees my Enterprise range from this to just a few stragglers on some.

 

[White Oak]

Good thread!

First I didn’t have a great fruit set this year due to late frost.
As of yesterday December 3rd I have one keiffer pear with a few left hanging.

Apples;
Golden Russet- apples that are left hanging are half dried up.
Liberty- few apples still hanging
Arkansas Black- few still hanging
Gala- about half still hanging
Golden Hornet- tree was loaded about three quarters of them still on
DropTine- half still on
30-06-maybe 1/4 still on

Hazelnuts still holding about 1/4 of their nuts

Do you know when the drop tine & 30-06 started to drop ?. Was it after the first frost ?. Thanks for any info.

 

[H20fwler]

Do you know when the drop tine & 30-06 started to drop ?. Was it after the first frost ?. Thanks for any info.

I first put NWC in 6-7 years ago and have put more in about every year since and I have grafted a bunch.

My 30-06 didn’t have near as many apples as past few years due to bad late frost. What there is this year started dropping mid October, I’ve had some hold clear into January in the past.
DropTine slow drop starting in early November most years, they will hold some clear through to early March and about need shook off or big wind.

Coon bother them bad in late summer early fall on my farms. DropTine hold almost like Golden Hornet most years with slow steady drop all winter.
With DropTine and GH it seems late frost doesn’t really matter they always seem to have heavy fruit sets.
If lower branches not pruned to high deer will pluck them right off, I’ve watched them do it from tree stand.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Diesel5610 -
What rootstock is that Goldrush on??? Holy schmidt - that's a ton of apples on it !!!! Ours aren't bearing that heavy - maybe they will eventually.

 

[H20fwler]

Here is the “mother tree” in my neighbors yard down the street that I got my scions from for my Briar Lane crabs.

Just took this pick a few minutes ago, it slow drops nickel to quarter size orange flesh crabs from late October all through winter.
There have been bunnies every morning under this tree for a month.

The half dozen I grafted to M111 planted at farms are like 5’ tall and the apples I missed picking off on them in summer are still holding.

 

[White Oak]

I first put NWC in 6-7 years ago and have put more in about every year since and I have grafted a bunch.

My 30-06 didn’t have near as many apples as past few years due to bad late frost. What there is this year started dropping mid October, I’ve had some hold clear into January in the past.
DropTine slow drop starting in early November most years, they will hold some clear through to early March and about need shook off or big wind.

Coon bother them bad in late summer early fall on my farms. DropTine hold almost like Golden Hornet most years with slow steady drop all winter.
With DropTine and GH it seems late frost doesn’t really matter they always seem to have heavy fruit sets.
If lower branches not pruned to high deer will pluck them right off, I’ve watched them do it from tree stand.

Thanks for the Info H20fwler !. I did my first NWC planting in 2020 with 30-06, Droptine and Crossbow. I was impressed with the size of the trees so I planted a few more this spring. Out of My Trees planted in 2020 one Droptine and one 30-06 each had several dozen fruit this year !. However as of late Oct some were mummfying on the trees and I was concerned they wouldn't drop. I talked to Terry and he said once the trees mature they would have a more consistant drop time. H20fwlr...I'm in zone 7 probably a warmer climate than you...but if my droptime are close to yours that would be PERFECT, guess I'll need a few more years to be sure. I'm running out of room in my tree plot...probably only room for 3-4 trees I'm thinking about adding a couple Yates or Arkansas black apples , and wait to see what my actual droptimes are on the NWC trees to see what varitey I should get more of.

 

[White Oak]

View attachment 39078

Here is the “mother tree” in my neighbors yard down the street that I got my scions from for my Briar Lane crabs.

Just took this pick a few minutes ago, it slow drops nickel to quarter size orange flesh crabs from late October all through winter.
There have been bunnies every morning under this tree for a month.

The half dozen I grafted to M111 planted at farms are like 5’ tall and the apples I missed picking off on them in summer are still holding.

Awesome Tree !

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Here is the “mother tree” in my neighbors yard down the street that I got my scions from for my Briar Lane crabs.

Nothing wrong with THAT tree! I think any critter will eat those with no problem. Heavy fruit load, too.

 

[cavey]

Poor Sand -
I think you're right on the variations any of us can see in a given year. Late frosts, too dry, too wet, too hot, trees planted in good - or not so good locations - can all affect how apples and crabs produce. The published guidelines are just that - guidelines. Any number of factors can alter the guideline "normals."

As others have commented on here, what works in Minnesota or Wisconsin may not work in Virginia or Kentucky. Soils vary, as does climate from one location to another. As an example - Goldrush seems to do well in northern states (for the most part) - but not so great for Native Hunter and other more southern locations. Things that work & have proven themselves in our own locations seem to be the best choices. This forum helps to share info on what works & doesn't work ........ and where.

I'm grateful for all I've learned here. I just try to pass it along.

Variety is the spice of life... Having a wide range of different apples and crabs pays off when it comes to mother nature.

 

[H20fwler]

Pic from today.

Here is another one I’ve noticed around the corner from the farm in a fence row of apple trees at an abandoned homestead with a dozen old apple trees along the yard edge.
It only makes fruit every other year but usually a lot and they hang into December.
I’ve been watching it for about ten years and need to get a few scions off it too.
It probably hasn’t been pruned in thirty years or had any attention.

A lot of my grafting next spring will be off old survivors that have great looking fruit or late hangers.