Whitetail Crabs 2026

[RGrizzzz]

Are you guys doing an initial heading cut on the trees when you plant them or just letting them grow first year as you get them?

No heading cuts for me. I will trim low laterals if they have them

 

[TonySoprano]

Are you guys doing an initial heading cut on the trees when you plant them or just letting them grow first year as you get them?

I plant mine as I receive them .

 

[bigboreblr]

Are you guys doing an initial heading cut on the trees when you plant them or just letting them grow first year as you get them?

Some folks do some folks don't. I sort do in the middle. Get the lowest leader as high up as possible. I order less bareroots than I used to, but try hard to get the latterals at 4ft. There one or two guys on here they'll hack their bareroots hard. Make a 4ft whip. Trees still come out ok. I got alot of trees I did not remove all the latterals below 4ft I wish I did. I prune them the next year and I got ring ifinger sized branch cuts.

I was going to prune my 4 bareroots this year, but I pretty much got them as 4ft whips anyways. One or two thin 6 inch latterals that high. 3 franklin ciders on b118 and a liberty on m111.

3 years ago, I had my nursery cage blown down. I had rabbits nibble rootstocks right down to the stump. They all came back. Seen enough reason to prune them right when you get them. I also spray them with copper when I plant. I had an enterprise on m111 I put in a grow pot and put my window. 2 weeks later had brown aphids eating the leaves.

I had a few with mouse ears over the years, they all did fine. Forgot my plant date last year, but it was way earlier. In the aidrondacks frost during memorial day weekend is not a rare event. All winter hangover comes realy early as well as winter wildlife. Had mouse ears on 2 or 3 of those. Probably planted april 15th or so . Average last frost free date is around may 15th up there.

Dont quote me here, but frost isn't as bad as you think. Buds / flowers is 28 degrees and leaves are like 24 or 25 degrees before getting damaged. Seen young leaves all get wrecked on a young kerr, and the tree grew some back.

 

[TenPoint]

We’ve got 18 for a low Monday night.

I hardly ever prune mine. Just plant as is. I broke the tip on one so I trimmed it but that was it.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Of all the ones we planted at camp, the nursery trees that were feathered (had branches) I left alone - planted as is. The whips (no branches), I cut those whips back about 8" to force branching - IF they hadn't already cut the leader back at the nursery before shipping.