Whitetail Crabs Sheepnose Apple

[Native Hunter]

Native,
You need to train your local turkeys to clean that Droptine up during the winter. Of course nothing like a foot or two of fresh snow to motivate the local birds around here. But understand, winters not big stress time down south having lived in TN and TX myself

Back to the sheepnose. Does that also get called Horse apple at times? Seem to remember that as a heritage southern one

No, Horse is a big yellowish (with slight hints of red) apple. My inlaws used to have one. The Sheepnose he sells is red (...per his pics. I've never seen one.)

PS - Osage Orange (Bodock) fruit is also sometimes referred to as a Horse Apple.

 

[Telemark]

I always thought Sheep Nose was a northern apple for bow season. I planted one in Ontario with the hopes of hunting it starting October 1st and through the Autumn. I don't think I would want one in Ohio or further south.

 

[Native Hunter]

The term "Sheepnose" has to do with the shape of the apple. There are several varieties of sheepnose, and some of them are better known by other names - such as Black Gilliflower or Southern Crow's Egg. My neighbor has a "sheepnose" apple in his yard, which is a small, yellow apple that he started from seed.

 

[Telemark]

I think I'm referring to the Black Gilliflower.

 

[KY wild]

Yes, Golden Hornet has improved some for me with age. Mine was always clean enough, but the fruit would dry up and not fall until the next spring. I still have at least 60% of the fruit that dries up and doesn't fall, but enough drops to be meaningful. It's possible that it might get better in 5 more years - we will see.

I decided to give the sheepnose one more year. It is not growing very clean, and it has zero apples on it. In fact, it has never produced a single apple for me in all of these years. Rather than topwork it, I'm just going to cut it down, because I can tell it is on a B118 rootstock. I have it braced with 2 T-post, but another B118 standing 60 yards from it was braced the same way and got took down in a storm this spring. It just took the T-posts down with it.

Near that Sheepnose is a Grey Ghost that was planted at the same time. It does have apples for the first time this year, and they look good. This tree is not on B118, because it is anchored very solid. I've seen quite a bit of fireblight on this tree in recent years, but it seems to be building a little resistance to it as the tree ages. That happens with some cultivars, but not with others. I'm watching this tree closely this year to see when those apples fall. This could be a tree that I am eventually happy with - we will see.

Move down another 30 yards and I have a Droptine that is also solidly anchored in the ground. It has been producing loads of fruit for years, but they just dry up into mummies that are useless. It will topwork this tree to something else next year.

Native, besides Droptine and Golden Hornet what other trees hold apples all winter and turn to mummies? Quick list would be appreciated

 

[bigboreblr]

Violi's and Kerr are 2 good examples. Red splendor is well touted for winter food, bird crab size though. Not super late, but granny smith is a good fall tree too. Black Arkansas is a must have for southern places too. Mid november here in NY zone 5/6. Kerr is a somewhat common apple at many places, violi's all winter crabapple is a older variety from saint lawrence nursery, they have them on antonovka or siberain crab, much like dolgo.

Contact terry f you buy trees from him, he likes B118 alot and dont blame him from a sales perspective. But, he does other roostocks here n there too, order early in the fall. He has antonovka and m111 for some of his varieties.

 

[Native Hunter]

Native, besides Droptine and Golden Hornet what other trees hold apples all winter and turn to mummies? Quick list would be appreciated

Those two are the worst. The following are better but still have the tendency:

Dolgo from Wildlife Group = 40% mummies
Eliza's Choice = 40% mummies (This one was advertised as October and November dropping)
30-06 Crab = 40% mummies

Some of my other young trees may do the same, but still too early to tell.

 

[buckdeer1]

I have some gray ghost and sheepnose and they both got hit with FB this year,They are getting pulled and replaced.My golden hornet produces a ton of fruit it just doesn't ripen or fall off

 

[Native Hunter]

I have some gray ghost and sheepnose and they both got hit with FB this year,They are getting pulled and replaced.My golden hornet produces a ton of fruit it just doesn't ripen or fall off

Welcome to the "Just ah Swingin" club.

 

[H20fwler]

Pic from last year of my smaller sheepnose that is one of the grafted trees I did with my original ten year old Whitetail Crab sheepnose.

 

[bigboreblr]

You guys with mummy issues considered using sevin? Use it during june drop. The apples will thin out more making larger ones.,j

 

[Native Hunter]

You guys with mummy issues considered using sevin? Use it during june drop. The apples will thin out more making larger ones.,j

No. I will just stick with apples that don't have to be sprayed. My motto is growing apples that support life rather than needing life support. And, I might add that there is no shortage of them. You just have to know which ones they are and avoid the others.

PS - I also own a self defrosting freezer.........

 

[Telemark]

Pic from last year of my smaller sheepnose that is one of the grafted trees I did with my original ten year old Whitetail Crab sheepnose.

I hope your overarching message is that Sheepnose is awesome.

 

[b116757]

No, Horse is a big yellowish (with slight hints of red) apple. My inlaws used to have one. The Sheepnose he sells is red (...per his pics. I've never seen one.)

PS - Osage Orange (Bodock) fruit is also sometimes referred to as a Horse Apple.

I believe you mean “hedge apples” around here Osage orange is known as bois D’Ark or hedge

 

[H20fwler]

I hope your overarching message is that Sheepnose is awesome.

I like it fine. Just showing some of the fruit on one of my younger ones grafted to M111, only sheepnose pic I had. The original tree is around 15' and the racoons go after it pretty hard being in the orchard along backside of the little woods.

 

[Native Hunter]

I believe you mean “hedge apples” around here Osage orange is known as bois D’Ark or hedge

No, I did mean Horse Apple. But, Hedge Apple is also another name people use for Osage Orange. For an example of this, look at the following Website. You will see that they use both names. It just depends on where you live. And, when I used to occasionally work in South Central Tennessee close to the Alabama line, those folks called them “Bodock.”

Maclura pomifera (Osage Orange)

Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera) is a resilient, thorny tree with glowing fall leaves, quirky "hedge apples," and a legacy of natural fencing!

www.gardenia.net

 

[rocksnstumps]

When I lived in TX they called em bois d'arc which was pronounced "bo-dark". It was a French word that translates roughly as bow wood. The French noted the wood was highly prized by local tribes for making bows.

That NE part of TX was close to Louisiana so expect some Cajun influence drifted around.

 

[buckdeer1]

They did call hedge apples,horse apples because they would get them in their throat and choke on them,at least that was the story