One bad apple?

[bigboreblr]

Any experiences where wildlife does not like certain fruit trees?

 

[Prof.Kent]

Hahahahahahahaaa

 

[silver_yummies]

There is no such thing.

 

[Catscratch]

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING eats my Golden Hornet crab.

 

[rocksnstumps]

^^^ probably like brassicas which can be so location dependent on whether ignored or devoured. Believe Cat is from Kansas and harsh winters are probably rare.

See that Blue Hills Nursery promotes Golden Hornet as a good wildlife tree.

I have a full size 25 ft tall yellow crab Siberian seedling with persistent fruit hiwhich nothing eats during a mild winter (uncommon here). During our harsh winters it goes untouched until late Feb or early Mar and then gets cleaned out in a week. Nicknamed it EMS crab for emergency meal supply

 

[Catscratch]

Yep, KS and winters aren't horrible. Also have a dolgo that doesn't get touched until very late into the winter. Not sure gets them because they disappear seemingly overnight. They'll be there all fall and winter then one day they are gone. I suspect crows.

 

[Catscratch]

And... the only brassica I've gotten deer to eat is radish tops.

 

[Catscratch]

Current condition of Golden Hornet.

 

[rocksnstumps]

All you need is 2-3 ft of snow and wildlife will be all over those. Like peanut butter and jelly or hammers and Pelosi's

 

[Derek Reese 29]

This makes me a little nervous as I just planted 2 golden hornets in November…the deer around me eat pretty much anything though so I think it will be ok..

 

[bigboreblr]

I wonder if certain cider trees high in tannin or high in acid might be less desireable. Much like red vs white oak acorns.

 

[R.E. Gould]

Going in the other direction, grafted in a bunch of varieties and the deer zeroed in on Goldrush and stood on their rear tippy toes to get every last one. They ignored the other apples until they polished off the Goldrush. This was also well before the Goldrush were completely ripe. They clearly have preferences.

 

[chickenlittle]

The problem with golden hornet and some other crabs is they don’t drop. So don’t plant for deer if your goal is to shoot a deer under it. Possibly deer would be check it for drops in late flintlock when other apples are gone. Still can be valuable winter food for other wildlife.

 

[chummer]

I pick a few golden hornets every time I walk by and put them on a stump. First deer that walks by eats them every time.

 

[H20fwler]

I shake my GH in winter when I walk by, something is sure eating them off the ground. Some do hold all through winter into spring.

I love the look of my Golden Hornets in fall when they are loaded full of quarter size orange fruit. Very precocious trees.

I’ve had the same luck as others with brassicas, radishes don’t get touched, turnips a little…sugar beets they tear up.

 

[bigboreblr]

I only have plums growning up at camp. But, the issue I have is most winters when snow gets over 18 inches or so, the deer head over to moose lake about 8 miles away. So, trees that hold all winter wouldnt be good for deer. But, we do have a few guys who rabbit hunt. But, my main concern is protecting those trees. A rabbit that can reach 3ft up in the air coupled with 4ft of snow, then add some attraction bait like apples.

 

[rocksnstumps]

True, trees that do not drop all winter don't help the deer at all but maybe as browse. More for birds and other critters. I value mine for my early spring turkey hunting. Without any easy food during harsh winters the birds relocate just like your deer and take a long time to filter back to my land. Not hearing any early morning gobbles within a mile or two of me the whole month of April is not that much fun. When some hens finally show back up later for nesting and everything has greened up in the woods makes it very inconsistent to hunt the gobblers and harder to see.

In regards to rabbits it's all about young tree bark not about fruit. But I have the low hanging fruit cleaned off by deer long before the snows get deep so even during a bad winter no way a bunny is getting any fruit.

 

[bigboreblr]

Going in the other direction, grafted in a bunch of varieties and the deer zeroed in on Goldrush and stood on their rear tippy toes to get every last one. They ignored the other apples until they polished off the Goldrush. This was also well before the Goldrush were completely ripe. They clearly have preferences.

Like most on here, you want every variety in your spot..... Goldrush is a newer variety that is made for disease resistance of scab and mildew. However, it's suspectible to CAR. Golden delicious parent........

 

[R.E. Gould]

Like most on here, you want every variety in your spot..... Goldrush is a newer variety that is made for disease resistance of scab and mildew. However, it's suspectible to CAR. Golden delicious parent........

Yeah, I neglected a few sprays for CAR and it got pretty crispy, but still held onto its leaves. It's within 50 yards of a Red Cedar patch loaded with CAR galls. I'm trying to go all disease resistant, but will definitely be making an exception for Goldrush despite is CAR susceptibility.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

definitely be making an exception for Goldrush despite is CAR susceptibility.

If you can keep your Goldrush sprayed for CAR - it's a superior eating apple. Everyone we gave samples to went nuts for the flavor. They wanted to know where to buy Goldrush apples.