New Northern Whitetail Crabs

[Gross144]

Hey all. Quick question. I am new to the apple tree biz and just picked up 4 northern Whitetail crabs, 2 wickson and 2 crossbow. Came in early April and looked super healthy.
My plan was to plant upstate New York in the Southern tier but plans changed. Now they are here on Long Island in root trapper bags for the time being.

My question is, they are starting to flower like crazy. If pollinated does that mean apples?
And if so as new trees should I pinch off some of the blossoms?

thanks

 

[Prof.Kent]

Pinch them all off. The tree does not need the added stress of trying to bring fruit to muturity while trin to establish itself. Also, apple trees that blossom early in life tend to get their size stunted.

 

[gunfun13]

Pinch them all off. The tree does not need the added stress of trying to bring fruit to muturity while trin to establish itself. Also, apple trees that blossom early in life tend to get their size stunted.

Prof, do those stunted trees ever recover? I purchased a 3yo Snowsweet on B118 from a Michigan wildlife nursery in 2018. The branches drooped down and the central leader looked like a Shepard's hook making me think it fruited at the nursery the year before I got it. I used 10' conduit to straighten the leader and trimmed a few branches off at planting. This is the 3rd year in a row it's flowered prolifically and I've pinched them all off...but the tree hasn't grown an inch since being put in ground. Can anything be done?

 

[Prof.Kent]

Sounds like the tree matured. All its energy is going into creating fruit buds instead of vegetative buds. I think if you prune off he fruit buds you may get it to grow taller IF it is on a B118. If it is small it probably was not on a B118 to start with, but something smaller. How tall is it?

 

[gunfun13]

Sounds like the tree matured. All its energy is going into creating fruit buds instead of vegetative buds. I think if you prune off he fruit buds you may get it to grow taller IF it is on a B118. If it is small it probably was not on a B118 to start with, but something smaller. How tall is it?

About 8'. Every single bud on tree has a flowers.

 

[Prof.Kent]

Eight feet tall is not a B118 in any universe! The only why to get any substantial growth would be to raise the soil height to above the graft line at the rootstock and let the SnowSweet put down its own roots. Then it should grow much bigger.

 

[gunfun13]

Eight feet tall is not a B118 in any universe! The only why to get any substantial growth would be to raise the soil height to above the graft line at the rootstock and let the SnowSweet put down its own roots. Then it should grow much bigger.

You don't think it's just stunted from fruiting as a 2yo tree in the nursery? The nursery (Morse..surprise surprise that one of their trees isn't performing lol) only puts apples on B118 or M111 as they are wildlife orientated.

 

[Prof.Kent]

I suppose a non-vigorous-growing variety that was stunted could be that short. 8 feet tall is pretty short.

 

[H20fwler]

Prof, do those stunted trees ever recover? I purchased a 3yo Snowsweet on B118 from a Michigan wildlife nursery in 2018. The branches drooped down and the central leader looked like a Shepard's hook making me think it fruited at the nursery the year before I got it. I used 10' conduit to straighten the leader and trimmed a few branches off at planting. This is the 3rd year in a row it's flowered prolifically and I've pinched them all off...but the tree hasn't grown an inch since being put in ground. Can anything be done?

The tree is only five years old, I'd give it some time. Being on a fuller size rootstock it may grow a little slower it could have started out as a runt tree small caliper or had some root trouble early. Hit it around the drip line with a liberal cup of triple 15 or similar.

I have a honeysweet pear that I bought from Cummins in March 2016 as a whip, I was late on my order fall of 2015 so had to settle for a smaller size caliper than I wanted. I heeled it in at home for a growing season it did fine and planted it November of 2016 out at farm. It didn't do a thing for almost three years, I put it down as root shock from transplanting although the other fruit trees I moved at same time were fine. Last summer for whatever reason that little honeysweet took right off and is growing great now. So you never can tell...yours might surprise you yet and come out of its slump.

 

[Rit]

Most of my NWC are a little slow coming out of dormancy but this Redfield crab and a crossbow are putting on leaves and flowering. I pinched them all off yesterday.

 

[TenPoint]

I noticed my Wickson and Droptine crabs I planted last month from NWC are flowering. I'll have to pinch them off next weekend.