The Sandbox

[sandbur]

Both pears are rated zone 4 in the above post.
Black ice plum-rated zone 4.

I have an alderman plum planted in a slightly more protected location and it is doing fine.

 

[sandbur]

About 1/3 of my zone 4 plantings seem to be showing some winter damage. Bill's firecracker crab, Zone 4, appears fine.

 

[sandbur]

One of the Morse Bunches red crabs seemed to die back to snow level and a few others show tip die back. Morse oaks are the same.

 

[sandbur]

First attempts at grafting...

Hazen

 

[sandbur]

Centennial crab..

 

[sandbur]

Chestnut crab on right and probable failed graft on left on B118.

 

[sandbur]

Those pics do look like fireblight and tip die back from winter to me. I lost a zone 4 pear this winter and temps here didn't exceed zone 4 lows...I'm thinking fall drought going into winter has something to do with it

Your firecracker crab looks much better than mine

Drought might be part of it. I do not usually water my trees after 3rd leaf.
It still seems like I ran a few degrees colder than you on many mornings and the maps tend to show me closer to zone 3.

 

[sandbur]

I made a quick trip to the northland and tore up part of my tiny clover plots in the woods.

Before pictures.

 

[sandbur]

After pictures with my " high tech" equipment. I added some chicken manure, pel lime, a bit of fertilizer, and turnip seed.



I left half of the clover stand.

Soil moisture was just slight excess for planting. I did not roundup the area and might regret it.

Woodticks and deer ticks were terrible! Deer flies are starting, so wood ticks should taper off.

 

[buckvelvet]

Nice lookin in deed sanbox. Yeh I'm in W MI on sandy land and the heat is here now and I always have problem w/ horse flies. They swam like crazy and they hurt something fierce when they bite. Working in the garden on Sunday I got whacked by one, so yep all those pests are now out until it cools again in October.

 

[chummer]

We have had deer flies thick for 3 weeks. I thought it was early, they were out before the black flies were gone.

 

[sandbur]

Bowsnbucks asked about my crab apples in another thread.

Bunches red have held
their apples the latest, but suffer some die back during some winters on the zone 3-4 border.

 

[sandbur]

Chestnut crab is one of my favorites and ripens in early to late Sept. It ripens over about a 3 week period.

 

[sandbur]

Dolgo drop about Labor day for me.


They have a short drop time as compared to chestnut crab. They also drop ahead of chestnut crab.

 

[sandbur]

Here is a late dropping yellow crab grown from seed-thanks to Grandma-in-law! They hold crab apples into Dec. and even later this winter.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Thanks for posting pix, Bur. Looks like the Chestnuts, Dolgos, & yellow Grandma's crabs are good producers. Are the yellow ones good "eaters "?

 

[sandbur]

Thanks for posting pix, Bur. Looks like the Chestnuts, Dolgos, & yellow Grandma's crabs are good producers. Are the yellow ones good "eaters "?

Nope!

 

[sandbur]

Here is another yellow crab that I grew from seed. It drops early and is OK for eating.

George _I have pruned this tree since this picture was taken, thanks to your advice!

 

[sandbur]

Was that dolgo seed raised or grafted?

That dolgo in the picture is grafted and on antonovka. Across the ditch where we jumped that buck a few years ago. I wish it were closer to the house for easier picking. But I do have another grafted dolgo by the house.

None of my seedling dolgos or purchased dolgo seedlings from the SWCD have produced yet. I imagine it will not be too many more years until they do produce.

 

[sandbur]

Here is an old picture of the root ball of my swamp crab that blew over but kept growing.

Stu is correct. I need more of these for rootstock. It grows fast in wet conditions.