What apple trees do you have, but don't want anymore?

[chickenlittle]

Anybody have regrets they want to share? Trees hanging on that you wished you had never planted? Dwarf trees you bought on clearance? Disease magnets that won't die? Or maybe the dead and gone choices.

My trees aren't old enough for too many regrets yet. The one I know I would have skipped is Kingston Black. The more I read about it, the less I expect from it given how little I plan to spray. I think it has some apples this year but I continue to lean toward top working it something else.

 

[Native Hunter]

Yes, I can name some varieties that you definitely want to steer clear of:

Mrs. Bryan - Fireblight magnet
American Summer Pearmain - Fireblight magnet and Jap Beetle magnet
Winter King (aka Stark) - general disease magnet

I'm grateful I only had one each of these.

These were the worst apple mistakes I ever made - but I was young and foolish and just getting over being a hippie. But luckily I married one heck of a fine woman and have some fine apple varieties as well.......

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Whitney seems to have a tough time getting going for us. Not pulling the plug yet, maybe in another year or so, things will turn. Our Whitney's seem to be very gangly and spindly. Same care as all the other trees, so ........ ??

 

[SmallChunk]

Pears. They keep turning black either due to stress or blight. Tried 3 from cummins and none are above the cage after 5 years because of cutting them back or winter death. Even tried grafting two and neither have taken. Not putting anymore effort into them!

 

[TenPoint]

Just a dwarf wolf river. Will never be big enough. The one on B118 is doing fine.

 

[NE PA QDM]

Great thread topic!

I bought a few mac and gala before I knew anything about apples. I won't plant any more varieties that I can easily buy year round at the store (until I have more room to plant). Both are OK varieties but don't seem to be worth the effort to grow in the setting of limited time and space.

 

[g squared 23]

Pink lady. Very disease suspectible, haven't grown for squat in 3 years.

 

[buckvelvet]

When I had no idea what I was doing and transitioning to having a feel for what I was doing i had some learning curves (still learning, fyi!).

I bought a Winesap on unknown from a box store for at home in I think spring 2013, it died in 2015. Lol.....Had a horrible shape to it anyways.

 

[H20fwler]

Heck yes! I have a few I would like a do-over on. Like a lot have said I knew almost nothing about putting in a wildlife orchard when I first started.

Baldwin- Nice tree but really slow grower and only puts apples out every 2-3 years...the positive is they are very sweet.
Northern Spy- Slowest growing apple tree in the world still waiting for apples they say it could take 10-15 years.
NY-414- Slow grower
Spitzenburg Esopus- Slow grower and not very disease resistant...the positive is apples taste good.

I have at least two of each of those all are very healthy looking and I have other trees that cover the production slack, I have the space but in hindsight I wouldn't have planted any of those. Would much rather have had more of a good late season deer variety apple or crab. Also wouldn't ever have ordered any tree smaller than a grade #2 it just takes too long for them to catch up.

 

[j-bird]

I should have listened and been more patient when I bought mine. I bought "people" apples from a big box store.....red & yellow delicious, fuji, McIntosh and gala I think. I have 1 of these that produces about 6 apples now and that's it. They are roughly 5 years old now and where container trees and 5 to 6 feet tall when purchased. I should have stuck with crab apples and been done with it or went with true "deer" apples. My plan now is to plant crabs and then graft/top work these I have into something more desirable. I haven't had any serious issues with them that I am aware of....they just don't seem to want to produce fruit.

 

[SmallChunk]

Heck yes! I have a few I would like a do-over on. Like a lot have said I knew almost nothing about putting in a wildlife orchard when I first started.

Baldwin- Nice tree but really slow grower and only puts apples out every 2-3 years...the positive is they are very sweet.
Northern Spy- Slowest growing apple tree in the world still waiting for apples they say it could take 10-15 years.
NY-414- Slow grower
Spitzenburg Esopus- Slow grower and not very disease resistant...the positive is apples taste good.

I have at least two of each of those all are very healthy looking and I have other trees that cover the production slack, I have the space but in hindsight I wouldn't have planted any of those. Would much rather have had more of a good late season deer variety apple or crab. Also wouldn't ever have ordered any tree smaller than a grade #2 it just takes too long for them to catch up.

Spitzenburg has been so dang slow/died back after its first year here too. Wish I would've never planted it and I should dig it up and plant a better variety in its place!

 

[sandbur]

Regrets- all pears, most plums, many deals on close outs at box stores, most from Morse, Prairie Spy, probably honey crisp at one location.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

My first fruit tree plantings in 2007 were stupid Wal-Mart trees that are roughly the same height now as they were when I planted them. Every summer they grow 6" and every winter they die back 5 3/4". I also tried getting too creative on my land in northern WI and I planted some cherries and pears that didn't do too well. I think there are a couple pears still alive and well, but the vast majority died. Only the SLN pears that were listed as very cold hardy survived.

I also didn't have much of a plan when it came to my original orchard design. Originally I was just going to put a couple fruit trees in a random acre field, so I just threw them in any old spots. Now that I've went off the deep end and planted 50+ trees there, it sure is a pain to mow around those first few trees that aren't in straight rows like the others.