What are they lookin like?

[chummer]

No pics but an observation and question. I have noticed fire blight in previous year but only on a few trees and paid no attention to it(was not aware what it was). This year appears to be a severe year. 75% of the trees within 10 miles are loaded with it. The ones with it have few apples, the ones without are loaded. What are the chances this is a one year flare up, or is it a sign of bad things to come? Some trees including a couple of mine look real bad. The four trees that surround the bee hives are the worst, any chance they made it worse.

I did take one pic. This tree has no FB but feet away from a tree that has it bad. This tree is loaded with apples that will be a little bigger than a golf ball. The deer hit this tree first every night despite it being very close to the road.

 

[Turkey Creek]

FB varies with the year. Mostly temp and moisture driven. Yes bees can make it worse as they carry the bacteria from flower to flower. But you need pollinators or you dont have apples, so dont take it out on the bees!:D

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I agree with TC. ^^^ I see FB on a pear in my yard some years ( usually the windier, wetter years ) and other years no sign of it. I wouldn't panic over this year's FB outbreak, based on what I've seen. The worst year I had FB was a really wet, rainy, windy spring when we had some pea-sized hail go thru that tore up the foliage and blossoms. This spring was drier and no hail and no bad wind storms at blossom time. I see FB on a couple SMALL limb tips on that same pear. Those limb tips wouldn't fill my hand - from a 35 ft. tall tree. So very small impact this year. Hang in there, Chummer !! ( Nice crop in pic on post # 21 )

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Native - I'm gonna look into Black Limbertwig for camp. It sounds too good to pass up. I may have to scrounge up a spot to plant it - but I can manage that !! :)

 

[sandbur]

I lost most of my apples to frost, but will have a few chestnut crabs and maybe my first taste of kerr crab.

I do have a maya graft from this spring! Thanks, George.

 

[Scenttrails]

I lost all apples this yea r to late frost both at home in Eau Claire and 45 miles northwest at cabin. All trees growing well though.

 

[sandbur]

Is this the typical growth habit for Golden Hornet?

Should I weight the limbs down or is it not necessary with the smaller crab apples?

 

[chummer]

Is this the typical growth habit for Golden Hornet?

Should I weight the limbs down or is it not necessary with the smaller crab apples?
View attachment 9275

I planted a couple of those this year. Has it made it through any winters yet? I couldn't find any proof of it being cold hardy but Cummins told me with its lineage he wouldn't be surprised if it turned out cold hardy.

 

[sandbur]

I planted a couple of those this year. Has it made it through any winters yet? I couldn't find any proof of it being cold hardy but Cummins told me with its lineage he wouldn't be surprised if it turned out cold hardy.

We had a mild winter last year and it came through with no damage. It bloomed right after I grafted it last year and again this spring. I pulled all of the blossuoms off and it had plenty of them.

 

[j-bird]

I was out over the weekend and the few I have (my first year for actual apple production) they seem to be doing fine. They are larger than a golf ball but not as large as the palm of your hand and thus far appear to be healthy. I have a few trees with a couple each, but I'm excited to see them - they where planted as 3 gallon container trees and have been in the ground for a few years. Hopefully this is the first of many years to come as far as apples are concerned at my place.

 

[buckvelvet]

Man I can look at these kinda pics all day long, thanks for sharing guys, my trees are a few years from anything like that. Guy has to have an outlet for things to come! :)

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Bur - I have several smaller crabs ( 5/8" fruit ) at camp that are about 20 yrs. old now. One is red fruit, another is yellow fruit, and I planted them as seedlings. I never trained them at all and now they are about 20 ft. tall and have loads of limbs. They put on gobs of fruit each year and the deer, turkeys and bears stop by every day / night to clean up the drops and any that are within easy reach. We get circular paths around those trees and despite no training or fussing - they produce EVERY year with a good crop.

I don't know if that answers your ? at post #27 or not, but I see smaller crabs around a big shopping mall near my home too, and they get NO care at all. Every fall the ground is red under those crabs ( 5/8" dia. fruit ) and they seem to shape themselves. FWIW.

 

[j-bird]

Based on what I have seen with my apples - I doubt I plant any more actual true apples anymore. I will more than likely focus on crab apples.

Not that true apples are bad.....I'm just lazy and maint is hit or miss for me. I'm also impatient! Those two things alone and knowing certain ones will produce fruit sizes to be of interest to deer makes me want to lean more toward crabs in the future. I also didn't plant apples for me to eat - they where for the deer.

 

[greyphase]

Is this the typical growth habit for Golden Hornet?

Should I weight the limbs down or is it not necessary with the smaller crab apples?
View attachment 9275

Hey Burr

Here's my Golden Hornet planted in the spring of 2014 from Cummins on G202 semi-dwarf rootstock. It's about 10 foot tall this year.

No training. It's produced a good crop the last two years.

 

[buckvelvet]

Smokers, I field grafted 1 of them on Antonovka this spring and it has taken off. Thats going to be quite a producer when it gets there.

 

[Merle Hawggard]

This is a granniwinkle on mm111 in my yard. Ate one yesterday, wasn't the best apple, but not the worst either.

 

[sandbur]

Based on what I have seen with my apples - I doubt I plant any more actual true apples anymore. I will more than likely focus on crab apples.

Not that true apples are bad.....I'm just lazy and maint is hit or miss for me. I'm also impatient! Those two things alone and knowing certain ones will produce fruit sizes to be of interest to deer makes me want to lean more toward crabs in the future. I also didn't plant apples for me to eat - they where for the deer.

You might find that crab apples taste better-if it is a chestnut crab!

 

[sandbur]

Hey Burr

Here's my Golden Hornet planted in the spring of 2014 from Cummins on G202 semi-dwarf rootstock. It's about 10 foot tall this year.

No training. It's produced a good crop the last two years.

I put my Golden Hornet on dolgo and it is one of the fastest growers. This is second leaf and it has blossomed both years.

Whitney did well on dolgo, but is susceptible to CAR.

 

[Dan Wombles]

This is a granniwinkle on mm111 in my yard. Ate one yesterday, wasn't the best apple, but not the worst either.View attachment 9279

Merle, your graniwinkle will be very good once ripened. I lost all of my graniwinkles blosoms this year. They do not hang on the tree very long after ripening, so watch them and pick as soon as they ripen. Mine ripen late August/early September. They make a great cider.

 

[buckvelvet]

Grannywinkle seems inappropriate to give to the children... :)