The Sandbox

[sandbur]

Here is a graft of one of the wild crabs
.

About mid-July I will pull the north half of the tube off and let the graft harden off. The south side should prevent sunscauld for this next winter.

 

[sandbur]

Interesting way to deal with the tubes Art. I'm going to roll the dice on my trees/grafts in tubes this year and see what happens. I do know I'm getting better growth this year in tubes than I had previous years without them....how that translates long term remains to be seen.

I like the tubes to get some height on the trees, but no longer like the long tubes.

Most of my old trees that are fading are showing old scars from sunscauld. I suspect this sets them up for other problems.

I'm going back to leaving some lower limbs on the south and sw side of these trees.

 

[sandbur]

I should have said chest height and remember that is about 1 foot less than your chest height!

 

[sandbur]

I clipped open some more of my deer trails

.

 

[sandbur]

And went by some hinge cutting from 2 winters back.

 

[sandbur]

This scrape is as big as a car hood and still has no weed regrowth in it.



Somebody still visits this location.

 

[sandbur]

Art, checked on my grafts/scions from you today....one is over waist high in a 4' tube, I won't be surprised if its out of the tube before the end of summer. Now to see if they survive winter in tubes

Which ones were they and can you ventilate it a bit more for the rest of the summer to harden it off?

The wild crab from my neighbor has been a fast grower. Two inch crab that drops about Veterans day.

 

[sandbur]

Stu-I sent you a picture. What I think are black raspberries are ripe.

When would you like some plants-spring or fall.

 

[sandbur]

Which ones were they and can you ventilate it a bit more for the rest of the summer to harden it off?

The wild crab from my neighbor has been a fast grower. Two inch crab that drops about Veterans day.

Chestnut crab has also been a fast grower.

 

[sandbur]

I would like to get about a dozen Ranetka, baccatta, or dolgo rootstock for next spring. B118 might be Ok also. From what I have read, I wonder if B118 is as good for northern areas.

I have ground prepped and sprayed for 12-15 trees. I was wondering if someone in central Mn. would split an order of 25, or we could order a larger amount if people are interested.

Source of rootstock?? If someone could find Columbia rootstock, I would like to try it.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Bur & Stu - Bur you wondered about the B-118 rootstock being good for northern areas. I'll give you what ACN says in their catalog about B-118 : " Another of the Budagovski rootstock series. ( Russian ) Bud-118 produces a vigorous tree, similar in size to Emla-111. This rootstock is winter hardy, resistant to collar rot and adaptable to a wide range of soil types. "

They - ACN - have a chart in the catalog that shows the height of mature trees on various rootstocks. B-118 and MM-111 are both at 80% of a standard size tree, which puts them at 20 ft. on their chart. Standard size by the chart is 25 ft. tall. Hope this helps.

 

[sandbur]

I've got some B 118's from last springs grafting class. Some cummins on b118's. Some antanovka from sln purchase of last year and also from a purchase of about 26 years ago. I have this year's grafts on dolgos, except for those I top worked on seedlings of dolgos and other wild crab trees. Baccata as a flowering crab have done well for me. They were planted 25 plus years ago. Old antanovka trees seem to have reached old age, but bacata seedlings are still going strong.
I would like to try a variety of rootstocks and see how they do.

 

[sandbur]

I'd like to try a handful of either ranetka or baccata rootstocks. I may contact Walden Heights to see if I could get 10...pretty much be out of room for more fruit trees after those 10 I think...unless I hire a bulldozer someday :D

I keep finding room. Before you order, please let me know.

 

[sandbur]

I did some searching and could not find any other sources.

Maybe back to dolgo or b118. I hate to wait until spring to see if any are available.

What about where you get your evergreen plugs? Or Lincoln Oakes? SWCD?

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Stu - Post #445 above - I seem to remember a certain Mr. Smith telling me last winter on another thread that ....... " There's always room for more fruit trees " !!!!!;):D

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Just had to bust on ya, Stu !! All good.

 

[wiscwhip]

Speaking of apples from seed, is what I have been reading lately about Antonovka being true to seed actually true? I have never eaten an apple from one, but apparently they are all the rage for both cooking and fresh eating in Russia? They wouldn't necessarily be good for us guys in our mid 40's or older due to taking many years to bear fruit, but these might be the cat's meow for the younger guys starting out their wildlife/personal use orchards who have the extra time to wait for fruit. How cheaply could a guy fill an orchard with trees from seed? One could likely get hundreds of trees for next to nothing other than the time invested in keeping them healthy. Plant those along with some native crabapples for pollination and those trees would likely be around for their grandkids to hunt over.

 

[wiscwhip]

Antonovka from seed would be similar to Dolgo or Siberian crab from seed...they'll come true to seed if they're pollinated by another Antonovka (or Dolgo to Dolgo or Siberian to Siberian). In many parts of Russia, the only full size apples grown in an orchard are Antonovka...so the resulting seed may likely produce another Antonovka tree.

That makes perfect sense, but I have also read that Antonovka are not self pollinating, so how can this be? :confused:This is what confused me, as I was under the impression already that what you said might be true about them being pollinated by the same variety of tree. Some of this apple stuff...:confused:o_O:confused:!!!

 

[wiscwhip]

Make sense as well stu. What that tells me then(in my mind at least) is if you have a group of "cloned" Antonovka, like from grafting off the same scion tree or growing them as trees from the same stooled rootstock, they would not be self pollinating, any grown from seed would likely pollinate themselves. Interesting!

 

[sandbur]

I have some trees from Morse that are supposed to be antonovka. Three or four have apples for the first time. Stu -you pruned one of them on the back field about two winters back.

A considerable number of my seedlings from wild crabs are now producing apples. Unless they all blew off last night. I plan to mark those with tiny crabs and top work them, but at least half will have crabs big enough for our deer. One of those I top worked with whitney this year and I have almost 3 feet of growth.