Now is the time to find the wild crab apples in central Minnesota

[sandbur]

You can pick them out at bloom time. Mark them and watch them for apple size and drop time. They might be a source of scion or seed for another year.

 

[sandbur]

There is supposed to be on full szied apple on my neighbors fenceline. Most are crabs.

The old homestead to the west of me had a small or chard. It is now completely gone- irrigated crop land, but might have been a seed source.

 

[CrazyEd]

In my experience (125 trees) of grafting this spring crab apples are much more challenging to graft. I had more crab apple grafts fail than regular apples.

 

[CrazyEd]

I think part of the reason is some of the crabs have smaller diameter wood which I just don't care to work with as much. I found some great crabapples in a park near my house, similar to what you describe NH. Various crabapples all over the place. I documented size, hanging quality, fruit storage quality (hard or rot). I found some real keepers but those didn't seem to make it in my grafting trials. I need to take my pruners in there and prune the trees back a bit more to try and encourage some new growth.

 

[CrazyEd]

One thing I've found with crabs is that it often tough to get a good quality scion of the "right" size.

Yeah it is definitely a downside of some crabapples, some of them grow thin, weak and fragile wood.

 

[sandbur]

One thing I've found with crabs is that it often tough to get a good quality scion of the "right" size.

Agree- lots of thin diameter new growth at best.

 

[West Branch]

I am getting up to the farm this coming weekend for the first time in a month. Hopefully there are still some trees blooming that I can find. I think the only established ones in our area are by old homesteads.

 

[SD51555]

How long you suppose it's gonna be before these wild blooming trees (no matter what the species) will have some identifiable fruit on them? I want to go back to my micro plot area to identify those that we released this year.

 

[sandbur]

I am getting up to the farm this coming weekend for the first time in a month. Hopefully there are still some trees blooming that I can find. I think the only established ones in our area are by old homesteads.

That is what I have seen through the years in Itasca, Cass, and the parts of Hubbard county that I used to work in. I don't think wild apples exist in those areas.

Morrison, Todd, and Stearns have wild crab apples. I have found a couple in southern Crow Wing. I suspect Mille Lacs county should have them, also.

I call them wild if they are growing in a location that does not seem to be an old homestead. Most of the wild trees I find are crabs that grow along the edges or in wetlands.