Planting straight apples

[roymunson]

Is there any value to this? We have a crab in the fencerow at work that I picked. They're grape sized. Thought they may be something worthwhile throwing at the edge of a plot and letting them run. Am I wasting my time? I've never grafted and have enough hobbies to keep me busy, so I'm not gonna start that, but was wondering if anyone had planted straight apples into the ground and had any success? I could probably tube them to get em up and going, but am more curious than anything else.

 

[Bill]

Is there any value to this? We have a crab in the fencerow at work that I picked. They're grape sized. Thought they may be something worthwhile throwing at the edge of a plot and letting them run. Am I wasting my time? I've never grafted and have enough hobbies to keep me busy, so I'm not gonna start that, but was wondering if anyone had planted straight apples into the ground and had any success? I could probably tube them to get em up and going, but am more curious than anything else.

I never grafted an Apple tree either. Until I did. I’ve only done it that one time. Took all of 5 minutes to graft 3 scions onto an existing Apple tree. 2 of 3 have made it for 3 years. Just need some black tape and wax toilet ring.

 

[Buckly]

Is there any value to this? We have a crab in the fencerow at work that I picked. They're grape sized. Thought they may be something worthwhile throwing at the edge of a plot and letting them run. Am I wasting my time? I've never grafted and have enough hobbies to keep me busy, so I'm not gonna start that, but was wondering if anyone had planted straight apples into the ground and had any success? I could probably tube them to get em up and going, but am more curious than anything else.

That’s how nature does it. I have hundreds and hundreds done that way. Most I assume we’re protected by brush and thorns until they got to where the deer couldn’t hurt then so protecting them when they come up would be wise.

 

[trampledbyturtles]

Only problem you might encounter would be playing the genetic lottery. You could hit the big time, or strike out and lose.

Just depends how much you enjoy rolling the dice and what you consider your time/land space worth.

 

[Prof.Kent]

The odds of an apple tree surviving to maturity without protection is 1 in 1 million.
But, hey, if you have a lot of apples....

 

[b116757]

My mothers property in Northern Wisconsin has several dozen wild apple trees maybe two or three of decent reliable heavy production qualities year to year even for deer usage and often take a decade to produce at all. If I had the space, inclination and time to plant apple seeds it could be a rewarding hobby but for my purposes plantings known verities is more efficient. Those wild seedling trees do tend to very tough however.

 

[cavey]

I would garden/nursery plant them and transplant later... before that I would buy root stock and graft them. Your not out anything for trying but would be far better off doing one of the two I mentioned. IMO

 

[j-bird]

collect some of the fruit. Select a spot where you want the trees. Work the soil up and put the picked fruit down in the dirt. Put in 2 T posts and some fence and put a wire cover over the top. If they grow....at a later date select a few of the best ones and eliminate the others. If they don't grow...you are not out much.

IF you specifically what a crab apple or two....then I would suggest getting trees of known type and plant and cage them. Crabs are far less work than other apples, so as long as you can keep the critters form eating them they should do fine. Crabs also tend to fruit sooner as well vs "regular apples". I personally like the larger fruited crabs, the smaller fruit tends to feed the birds and smaller critters (which is NOT my target audience).

I will also tell you that deer love to drowse apple. SO even if your "tree" turns into a shrub its still feeding deer. You may still have to cage it some so they don't eat the thing to the dirt!

 

[g squared 23]

I would plant a $4 rootstock (with protection) over an apple seed, probably a doglo, that will grow well and might be something to graft to later if you change your mind and pick up the hobby. I like it better than turkey hunting or fishing.


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[H20fwler]

Think I first heard of this on here?

Planting apple cores used to be a thing, after eating an apple or coring them for pies people would plant core out of the way and if something grew great if not nothing lost. Some were just planted were someone was done eating an apple.
I think a lot of old random fruit trees may have been started that way.

I love the concept and am going to start doing it with apples and pears and see what happens.

 

[yoderjac]

Is there any value to this? We have a crab in the fencerow at work that I picked. They're grape sized. Thought they may be something worthwhile throwing at the edge of a plot and letting them run. Am I wasting my time? I've never grafted and have enough hobbies to keep me busy, so I'm not gonna start that, but was wondering if anyone had planted straight apples into the ground and had any success? I could probably tube them to get em up and going, but am more curious than anything else.

I grew some apples from seed. I started them indoors with rootmakers and eventually transplanted them in the field. I grafted some of them high to see what the lower branches would produce below the graft and some I did not graft at all. Most ended up being what I'd call "bird" apples not too much bigger than large cherries. I'm sure they have wildlife value, but I'm not sure how much for deer. I'm keeping them.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[buckdeer1]

That was before there were hardly any deer

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Years ago I found an apple tree in the mountains not too far off a dirt mountain road. Very secluded area - solid forests - no ag anywhere for miles. I suspect it was there because someone tossed an apple core out a vehicle window some years earlier. It produced smallish, yellow apples that drew deer in from surrounding areas. It grew to about 30 feet tall, I suppose out of sunlight necessity given the surrounding forest trees. I never saw caging or any fence around it, so I don't know how it survived being eaten to the dirt. Random, chance seedlings CAN produce.

 

[bigboreblr]

SLN nursery sold 25 antonovka roottocks for $60 plus shipping. Had to buy atleast 25 for a deal. They did well this summer.

Far as variety goes. there's 3 theories. Any good nutrition will help store fat so the herd makes the winter, so an early dropper is ok with that theory. School #2 hunting near apples, drop time goes along a certain time of year to hunt, the average apple tree will completely drop right before or t very early hunting season. School #3, providing late season nutrition. Thats where a few apple varieties or going towards crabapple will be a good idea.

Apple trees take time, effort, and protection. Bang for the buck and effort is better spent elsewhere. Do a few trees right than trying to make a bunch survive the odds.

 

[yoderjac]

SLN nursery sold 25 antonovka roottocks for $60 plus shipping. Had to buy atleast 25 for a deal. They did well this summer.

Far as variety goes. there's 3 theories. Any good nutrition will help store fat so the herd makes the winter, so an early dropper is ok with that theory. School #2 hunting near apples, drop time goes along a certain time of year to hunt, the average apple tree will completely drop right before or t very early hunting season. School #3, providing late season nutrition. Thats where a few apple varieties or going towards crabapple will be a good idea.

Apple trees take time, effort, and protection. Bang for the buck and effort is better spent elsewhere. Do a few trees right than trying to make a bunch survive the odds.

Theories 1 and 3 require scale. I'd say for most folks, 2 is the best use of apples.

 

[bigboreblr]

Think I first heard of this on here?

Planting apple cores used to be a thing, after eating an apple or coring them for pies people would plant core out of the way and if something grew great if not nothing lost. Some were just planted were someone was done eating an apple.
I think a lot of old random fruit trees may have been started that way.

I love the concept and am going to start doing it with apples and pears and see what happens.

I have done alot of small game hunting over the years in atleast 50different state forest areas in NY,MA, and VT. Just me and my dog and a 20ga or marlin 22. I grew up in that corner of NY. Many times I find some wild growing apple trees, there's a stone foundation, or is central to a series of stone fencelines. Often these are old survivors. I've seen more plums propigate in the wild than apples in that area. Many yellow, but even more common lighter green with some hints of red in there.

Every september part of my job includes calibrating electric revenue meters in rural NY. 2 years ago I collected a few apples from every tree I saw fallow alongside the road. Had about a 5 gallon bucket full from maybe 20 different trees. No luck at all growing them inside my house.......

One of the better bets is to find one of these trees and see if young ones are suckering, or grew from seed under the tree.

 

[chickenlittle]

Try growing apple seedlings outside. If you have a garden or bed you can protect, prepare a seed bed in the fall and spread the apple seeds out. Scratch them in to cover with soil. Weed in the spring until the apples get going. You need to at least protect it with some rabbit fencing. Better if it’ll keep out voles. 1/4 hardware cloth aluminum window screen buried into the soil.