Which apple tree varieties have done well with little spray?

[Jordan Selsor]

That's what I had assumed. The funny thing is, I found the first (and only) 2 cedars on my property a few days ago. I was going to keep them just for the sake of diversity, but now I'm pondering whether or not to cut them down or relocate them. I've got plenty of spruce seedlings to use as screening, so they are expendable.



I've got 2 goldrush grafted (this year) on the property, where I found those 2 cedars. They're a few hundred feet away.
Now in our "orchard" we've got white cedar within a hundred feet of some trees, but they don't seem to be effected too heavily.

What is your surrounding habitat like with regards to cedars? Lots? Little?

I got lots of red cedars.I like them but gold rush trees sure don't. Also have lots of oaks, pines, maples an hickories

 

[Rally1148]

Red cedars will grow where spruce won't.

I guess I never thought of that. I've got some growing on plain blow sand, so I figured spruce would grow anywhere.

I got lots of red cedars.I like them but gold rush trees sure don't. Also have lots of oaks, pines, maples an hickories

Sounds like a good mix! Are cedars your only conifer?

 

[CrazyEd]

Goldrush has been a good tree for me so far. It does have good disease resistance but just not with car. We have plenty of cedars, the Goldrush shows signs of car on its leaves only, not the fruit. Some years it's more present than others, some years no signs at all. Out area is usually really dry due to all the sand, so maybe that helps. Develop a spray plan for the tree or replace it with a car resistant variety if you think it's a problem.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Like Ed said, ^^^^^ I think some trees get CAR on the leaves, but it doesn't affect the fruit. I get some CAR on a Profusion crab in my home yard, but it still puts out fruit like crazy. My neighbor just up-wind has junipers in their yard.

Whip - you're right on having cedars as the only conifer on your property. I think they make great cover and grow quick in most places. Cedars and apple trees just don't get along so well. I WISH I could have both at camp, but we have plenty of pine, hemlock and spruce. In the southern part of Pa. where I live, red cedar are all over the place. Great deer bedding cover.

 

[wiscwhip]

We had primarily all jack pine on our place, mingled with some red and just a few HUGE white pines down in our river bottom. We did have a few random cedars as well on the north side of the river, but they seemed to be stunted? We had a couple bigger trees, but most were 4' or smaller.

 

[Rally1148]

Get into more southern areas, like say southern IA and spruces don't do well due to the heat. Red cedars do.

I have a few red cedars here, but not many. They were the only conifers here when I bought the place (besides tamaracks...but they're a deciduous conifer), I now have balsam fir, norway spruce, white spruce, ponderosa pine, austrian pine, and white cedar. Future conifer plantings will mainly be austrian pine and norway spruce I think.

Any reason for those two? I've been pretty happy with the wild white and blue spruce I have here.

Goldrush has been a good tree for me so far. It does have good disease resistance but just not with car. We have plenty of cedars, the Goldrush shows signs of car on its leaves only, not the fruit. Some years it's more present than others, some years no signs at all. Out area is usually really dry due to all the sand, so maybe that helps. Develop a spray plan for the tree or replace it with a car resistant variety if you think it's a problem.

I haven't had any major problems with CAR, actually with any major diseases other than fb, I'm just wondering what overall trees to avoid/ which cider varietes have done well for people with minimum/ no spray. It's not that I'm not able to implement a semi-full - full spray program, I just don't think it's worth it for me to spend time putting all of the pesticides on when they can be pretty well avoided by selecting the right cultivars. As with most of my stuff, I'm doing this for fun not profit, so I think the use of most pesticides (including herbicides) can for the most part be avoided while still retaining pretty good results. I've found that they key is to listen up to all of you nice folks so that I can "do my research" upfront, rather than realizing I put in 8 highly disease susceptible trees like I did last year! Luckily I grafted them over to DR types, so I'll only have about 3 feet of trunk that I really have to worry about.

Like Ed said, ^^^^^ I think some trees get CAR on the leaves, but it doesn't affect the fruit. I get some CAR on a Profusion crab in my home yard, but it still puts out fruit like crazy. My neighbor just up-wind has junipers in their yard.

Whip - you're right on having cedars as the only conifer on your property. I think they make great cover and grow quick in most places. Cedars and apple trees just don't get along so well. I WISH I could have both at camp, but we have plenty of pine, hemlock and spruce. In the southern part of Pa. where I live, red cedar are all over the place. Great deer bedding cover.

Now you all have me thinking about adding hemlocks and white cedar! I know deer love white cedar, so it'd be more of a screen for higher than 5-6 feet in the air. If nothing else, just something for the sake of diversity!


Thanks for all of the info, everyone!

 

[sandbur]

Same at my folks' place. Seems red cedars would get started....and either die or remain tiny specimens forever. I recall reading somewhere that RC's native habitat at one time (pre-fire suppression I think) was rocky limestone outcroppings. Maybe the native low ph in your and my old area kept them from growing?

Lower than the 4.5 or so in my red cedar woods?

You did say that my cedar look different than some of the others you have seen.