My Precocious B118's

[greyphase]

It looks like most of my trees grafted to B118 rootstock which are 2-3 year olds are going to blossom this year. I'll have to "bite the bullet" and pull apples later this spring. How old should a B118 be before you can let it bear a good crop?? I'm also surprised the B118's are more precocious than my G202's. I would have thought that the G202 being a smaller tree would have bore fruit sooner. Anyway I'll enjoy the sight of apple blossoms even if they can't turn it to apples this year.
Kidd's Orange Red

Priscilla

Liberty

I am hoping to enjoy some Eastman Sweet apples on this 9 year old Antonovka tree. It bore one small apple last year that was tasty.

 

[Merle Hawggard]

The future is looking great up there Rick!
It won't be very long till you get to try them.
Speaking of odd, two of my second year from transplant apples on antaktova bloomed. I was thinking it would be upwards of 8 years.
I pinched the blooms off too.

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[buckvelvet]

Yee haw Ricky Bobby!


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[CrazyEd]

I had a Kerr on b118 that in year 4 or 5 I let it put out as much as it wanted which was like 20 apples. That seemed to slow it down a bit the following year.

I don't know that there is some scientific formula, but now I look at the size of the tree, and try to determine a reasonable amount. No point in letting it over bear early.

 

[aerospacefarmer]

I would let the tree do what it wants to do at age 3 but that is just me lol. I want apples!!!! I find that most tying fruit blossoms have trouble making it into apples anyway. Maybe just a number thing

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I asked Maya about how many fruits to allow on B-118 trees at 5th leaf if I want the trees to keep getting bigger. He told me no more than 15 fruits on a B-118 tree at 5th leaf. 3 to 5 fruits on a MM-111 tree. That info was in a PM - thought I'd share what he told me. We have no G-series rootstocks or any dwarf stuff. All our trees are either B-118, MM-111, or Antonovka. FWIW.

Nice looking growth you have going on there, Grey !!

 

[H20fwler]

Great looking trees!

 

[Maya]

I asked Maya about how many fruits to allow on B-118 trees at 5th leaf if I want the trees to keep getting bigger. He told me no more than 15 fruits on a B-118 tree at 5th leaf. 3 to 5 fruits on a MM-111 tree. That info was in a PM - thought I'd share what he told me. We have no G-series rootstocks or any dwarf stuff. All our trees are either B-118, MM-111, or Antonovka. FWIW.

Nice looking growth you have going on there, Grey !!

Ya grey, I know it's hard, but don't let them have much at 3rd - 5th leaf (b118) even though they may want to. Somewhere around what Bows said. I will add this caveat. Do take into consideration the tree and how well it is doing. I can have a row of 75 trees, all the same root and variety, planted at the same time and one or two may be much smaller than the others. Could be the soil right there, the root, who knows. I take note, thin heavily that year, watch what I do for fert, maybe add an extra fert application the end of May, and make sure they are trained well. (no forks at the top and no branches reaching up to compete with the leader. On the flip side you may have a great tree, 15-18', strong well formed branches that can handle the weight of a few more apples. As a rule of thumb though, keep them light for a few years and grow a good strong tree that will be able to handle a good fruit load.

This was about a 6th/ 7th leaf HC on MM111 a few years back. I thinned it pretty hard, It could have had a few more, but last year I ended up w/ about 5 bushel on it. The tree handled it well, there are some nice fruit buds on it this spring.

Your trees look nice and healthy! Try not to get to greedy. ;)

 

[aerospacefarmer]

George you can be politician with that answer. Omg a B118 at that age is ready to give up apples lol

 

[Maya]

It's the truth, not political BS. I don't want anything, unlike some slimey politico trying to get reelected! Good God Aero, don't get me started on that sh...! LOL

 

[aerospacefarmer]

George

Relax omg. I am busting your chops lol. But wow now I know lol

Paul

 

[greyphase]

Thanks for the reply Maya. It's just hard for an old guy to wait a few more years for fruit, but I'll follow your advice.

 

[Maya]

George

Relax omg. I am busting your chops lol. But wow now I know lol

Paul

Ya, I know. I just can't stand politicians. Also going in for surgery this morning, I'm probably a little wound up.

 

[sandbur]

Good luck on the surgery, Maya!

 

[4wanderingeyes]

How old are trees when you buy them, that are about 6 feet tall, and 7/8" diameter on b118? Are they 2 year old? Then do you add that to the leaf count? So if I planted them 3 years ago at that height, are they then 5 year old trees?

 

[ToddG]

How old are trees when you buy them, that are about 6 feet tall, and 7/8" diameter on b118? Are they 2 year old? Then do you add that to the leaf count? So if I planted them 3 years ago at that height, are they then 5 year old trees?

I was wondering the same thing

 

[Maya]

Thanks Bur! I'm home now, everything went real well.

Count the years from when you plant them. Stark Brothers are in Missouri, so they have a long growing season, much longer than trees in the NE, so generally the trees I get from them. They do a real good job with their trees and probably have optimum growing conditions, soil, etc.. It depends on the given year of course. A bad water year and they won't grow well, unless you have a good irrigation system. A good year and you get some darn nice sized trees in the NE too.

That being said nurseries grade their trees every year, some may be 1 yo or 2. I've had trees I grafted the same year, in the same conditions and end p being different grades at the end of the year. Turkey, you probably see this right?

If you buy trees that are feathered they will be a year ahead of whips. That is, a year closer to having apples. These are some well feathered trees from Stark...(bud 9 though)

 

[H20fwler]

If you buy trees that are feathered they will be a year ahead of whips. That is, a year closer to having apples. These are some well feathered trees from Stark...(bud 9 though)

View attachment 12803

Agree 100% I love to see trees come out of the box feathered, this spring I had trees from Stark and Cummins that I actually trimmed back a little at planting.
Glad to hear all went well!

 

[Maya]

Thanks H20, I'm on the mend, but it's going to be hard to not do stuff. I'm not supposed to lift anything for a month.I've got a buddy spraying for me tonight.

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Thanks H20, I'm on the mend, but it's going to be hard to not do stuff. I'm not supposed to lift anything for a month.I've got a buddy spraying for me tonight.

Can you send him down to PA. Spraying is my biggest pain. Don't worry George I don't take offense from a Vermont guy lol. So how you go to pe if can't lift anything heavy roflmao????