What are they lookin like?

[Dan Wombles]

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

Only if fermented!

 

[buckvelvet]

lol!

 

[j-bird]

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

I'm not worried about what they taste like. I simply want them big enough to be of interest to deer and hang late enough to be around come gun season.

I figure if I can get fruit that interest deer, fruit that hangs late enough to make it worthwhile to hunt over AND be less work for me to care for.....that's what I'm talk'n about!

Chestnut, Transcendent and Dolgo are those in particular I am interested in moving forward with.

 

[buckvelvet]

Jbird why you gotta be a hater on the apples. You 'ol Crab! :)

 

[Dan Wombles]

I'm not worried about what they taste like. I simply want them big enough to be of interest to deer and hang late enough to be around come gun season.

I figure if I can get fruit that interest deer, fruit that hangs late enough to make it worthwhile to hunt over AND be less work for me to care for.....that's what I'm talk'n about!

Chestnut, Transcendent and Dolgo are those in particular I am interested in moving forward with.

j-bird, plant yates apple. Great small apple, produces every year and holds apples well into December in my area of western IL.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

J-bird - For crabs that don't need attention and are tough, I can recommend a couple. Chestnut crab, Dolgo, Centennial, and All-Winter-Hangover. << AWH is from St. Lawrence Nursery and is a champion crab for us at camp in NC Pa. - same zone as you. Fruit is about 1 1/2" in dia. and is also delicious, just in case you want to try one !!

 

[Maya]

Zestar!s are getting there!

 

[Maya]

Grimes Golden. No matter what I do to them, the leaves always curl as if they are starved for water or something, which isn't the case. Leaves otherwise are beautiful and they spit out nice apples. I guess it's just in there nature.

 

[Maya]

Starting a couple espalier trees for my wife (HC's). I shook my head, but I guess it will look kind of neat. Wives are always right, right? ;) I need to start training those upper laterals .

 

[chummer]

Am I the only one that had chestnut crabs die in the winter. I had 4/5 completely die in their first winter. The other one is probably my best looking tree. I planted another 8 this year before I realized these were dead. Kerr, Dolgo andFrostbite(which I believe are a very small apple)are the only trees I have planted with 100% success.

 

[Maya]

I only have a couple young ones Chummer and they are fine, but we didn't have much of a winter here. Some of my Dolgo's didn't have anything for apples, not sure why.

 

[Maya]

We had a pretty good thunderstorm roll through w/ a lot of wind. I had quit a few of these yellow transparent drop. Deer love these apples, but they are real early. They'll mature here in a few weeks.

 

[Maya]

There are still quite a few hanging though!

 

[Maya]

I've got a few Asian Pears hanging.

 

[Maya]

These young Galarina's have a good first crop.

 

[Maya]

Liberty's look great as usual!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Maya - Are those Liberty along the central leader ?? Our oldest Liberty tree seems to have a vertical look to it - not many side laterals. The central leader is very tall & I wonder if that's just the normal growth pattern, or if that one is just an oddball ?? Seeing your pic above ^^^ has me wondering.

 

[buckvelvet]

Man I cannot wait for the day that my trees look like this. One day man, one day!

 

[Maya]

Maya - Are those Liberty along the central leader ?? Our oldest Liberty tree seems to have a vertical look to it - not many side laterals. The central leader is very tall & I wonder if that's just the normal growth pattern, or if that one is just an oddball ?? Seeing your pic above ^^^ has me wondering.

Yes, that is a tree in my tall spindle, just one section at the top of the tree. I don't have a problem with them not putting out laterals though. Don't let them fruit in those sections and the branches will grow better. There are also growth regulators that can be sprayed to get them to feather better. However that's used more in High density orchards rather than central leader systems. You can also score above buds in the spring to try and get them to branch. I've had decent results with that.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Maya - I've read something about scoring, but haven't tried it. How far above a bud and how deep do you score with the knife ?? I'm not opposed to trying that.