Russet Apples?

Teeder

5 year old buck +
Like many of you, my "hunting property" is an old abandoned homestead. As such, I have about a dozen old narly apple trees. Most are misshapen and competing with other trees. This year, the trees looked pretty bad, with the exception of 3-4 of them. These few trees still have apples hanging. I was able to knock a few off and they taste great! Sweet, tart and crunchy! My best guess is they are some type of Russet, but I really don't know. I've taken a few pictures. They are actually much browner than they appear in the pictures.
Any guesses?
 

Attachments

  • 20211107_093541.jpg
    20211107_093541.jpg
    171.8 KB · Views: 28
  • 20211107_093113.jpg
    20211107_093113.jpg
    275.5 KB · Views: 27
  • 20211107_090025.jpg
    20211107_090025.jpg
    240.9 KB · Views: 28
  • 20211107_084619.jpg
    20211107_084619.jpg
    853.8 KB · Views: 29
The tress could probably use some good pruning to learn penetration and reduce new growth wood competing with apple production.
 
Definitely. Along with cutting the competition away. That's the next project.
 
nice, clean looking apple!
 
Looks exactly like my Golden Russet. Could be Ashmead's Kernel or Egremant Russet. If it's an old old tree ask some old old people around if they know of any named Russet apples around.
 
Whatever they are, they look pretty clean, fruit-wise. Pruning, clearing competition, maybe throw down a little 10-10-10 next April ....... ought to up the crop. If YOU like eating them, you can bet the deer will too !!! Great finds.
 
Love the color too,

I kind of get bored with the reds and greens!

You might just have some treasured heirloom varieties there! Congrats!!
 
I would get some rootstock and make some grafts of each tree. That way you could plant the grafts in a better location where you can preserve the cultivars. You never know when a tree like that will die.
 
I would get some rootstock and make some grafts of each tree. That way you could plant the grafts in a better location where you can preserve the cultivars. You never know when a tree like that will die.
That's exactly the plan!
These trees are in about the worst place they could be for hunting.
I have rootstock ordered from Blue Hill for spring and will be grafting some with these.
That will be my first try at grafting.
 
I’m not a terribly good grafter myself I’d be tempted to plant the root stock where you want it. Let it grow a year or two then bark graft them to your chosen verity seems like I have the highest success rate with bark grafts. Almost all my whip and tongue grafts failed last year biggest issue was me pulling the grafting wrap off to soon. Well it wouldn’t hurt to try whip and tongue or whatever method you choose then if they fail bark graft them the following year of two latter. That’s what I’m going to end up doing on a few failed grafts from this year.
 
Sounds like a good plan. I hope to find a few other varieties to go with these, too.
 
Sounds like a good plan. I hope to find a few other varieties to go with these, too.
What zone are you in? That might help narrow down the cultivar.
 
5b, northwest PA
 
Could be a Roxbury Russet. They also look a
IMG-4929.jpg
lot like my Keener Seedling (Rusty Coat) apple that's still holding on the tree. You definitely need to do so grafting.
 
Looks exactly like my Golden Russet. Could be Ashmead's Kernel or Egremant Russet. If it's an old old tree ask some old old people around if they know of any named Russet apples around.

Unfortunately. All the old old people that most likely would have known are long gone.
 
Top