Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On at WhitetailCrabs

You guys comparing growth rates from different suppliers is pretty hilarious. Until you compare the same grafted variety on the same rootstock grafted at the same time and grown out using the same fertilizer/soil, the comparisons are worthless.
 
I think most of us get that. Help us out and show us some of your results. All I can say is that my anty St Larry trees will never get a fair shake because they unfortunately were planted in the same orchards as all my other trees and they're so far behind that unless they can grow in 90% shade they're toast. They'll never see the light of day.
 
they're so far behind that unless they can grow in 90% shade they're toast.
Sounds like you planted your trees too close.
 
Eh, I'll be fine. 24'-25'x30'. Plus the random B118 taking the knee every so often should help open up the canopy. I think you have some old apple wisdom so rather than laughing at guys trying to figure it out lend us all a hand. Commercial orchards can't each offer us a "Droptine" or a "Candy". Good luck getting that science experiment here. I have droptine on 4 different roots but I'll be wearing velcro shoes by the time that lab report comes out.
 
I've grafted the Droptine and 30-06 to a pretty wide variety of rootstocks over the years, like M111/Dolgo/Antonovka/seedling... both those varieties have done great for me whatever they were grafted onto.
 
I grafted a bunch of Droptine, Kerr, 30-06 and Winter Wildlife on dolgo rootstock from Bluehill. I'd go that route. Choose the trees you most want and buy the dolgo roots.
Hopefully he has some Dolgo rootstock for 2024! Used some 2 years ago, and I was very impressed.
 
I’m looking whitetail crabs website can’t find a single thing about the rootstock he uses. Do people just know from asking him that he uses B.118?
 
I’m looking whitetail crabs website can’t find a single thing about the rootstock he uses. Do people just know from asking him that he uses B.118?
Bought from him last year and he said he uses B118 and has some antonovka. What he puts in the ground can vary year from year. I got an enterprise from turkey creek on M111 and one from Whitetail crabs on B118. B118 is doing better. But, I have to wait 2 or 3 years when the tree tries to get past what i rototilled and amended. The B118 might get fat dumb and happy in its 6ft hole.

I dug up antonovka bareoots planted the year before to put grafted trees in it's spot. Those sucks grow some mean roots. Worried about tipping over, put those in.

Regardless of what you think of B118. It's worth it to get a droptine and crossbow in my book. I'm sure his turkey tree will be worth it too. Graft them onto anything you like after that.

If your worried about your trees in loose soil or bear / racoons, prune them well. Grow your roots and your scaffold of the tree before you get alot of apples. The old orchard farmers used to do this. Now, they grow them one wire frame like grapes, focus on apple production. Trees have shorter life, but produce faster with less labor to maintain and harvest.

Walter91, Can you get a close-up of that tree. I am suspecting it wasn't pruned much it at all.
 
99% of the B118 tress I have planted over the years have been bad leaners, to the extent that they are useless. I will never plant another B118. That is also why I won't buy from anyone who won't tell me what the rootstock is on their trees. I have 30-06 and Droptines that I have bench grafted to Dolgo rootstock. They are doing great and should start fruiting this year. Dolgo and MM111 are the only rootstock I use for my area now.
 
99% of the B118 tress I have planted over the years have been bad leaners, to the extent that they are useless. I will never plant another B118. That is also why I won't buy from anyone who won't tell me what the rootstock is on their trees. I have 30-06 and Droptines that I have bench grafted to Dolgo rootstock. They are doing great and should start fruiting this year. Dolgo and MM111 are the only rootstock I use for my area now.
How long have your grafts been in the ground? Curious how long it would take new grafts to bear fruit.
 
I saw this on FB. Ask if you can get the m111.

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I sent Terry an email and this is what his response was: "We only have bud 118 and 111 for large cold hardy rootstock"

I also asked how many trees he could fit in a box and his response, "Boy...I would say we could push about 30 into our large boxes...if you are looking for more just let me know...the shipping is actually discounted online so the more trees add the shipping stays about the same. If you go over when shipping to a second box I would just cover the cost of the second box so no surprises. Thanks!!! Hope this helps"


I sent another email asking if I could request the M111 for my order, I will report back when he responds.
 
Anyone try burying the graft union on B118 trees? If you get the scion to put out some of its own roots it might make it stronger...
 
Bigbore, Im not sure what all he did with the tree. I will have to ask him. He may even be on this forum and if so hopefully he chimes in. I know the day before the tree went down we got an 1"+ of rain.
 
Anyone try burying the graft union on B118 trees? If you get the scion to put out some of its own roots it might make it stronger...
I asked him and he sent me enough to do like 40 trees.

I would ask him trees for "zone 3". He might admit to having some antonovka. That's how I got mine.
 
How long have your grafts been in the ground? Curious how long it would take new grafts to bear fruit.

This spring will either be the 4th or 5th year they have been in the ground. They looked like they were going to have apples this year but we got hammered with a bad late frost. Nuked literally all the apples here, even crabs I have that I have never seen without apples.
 
10 Point hasn't grown for me as well as the 30-06 and Droptine next to it, but it puts on alot of fruit and seems to be a good early season draw. This morning and last night.t
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10 Point hasn't grown for me as well as the 30-06 and Droptine next to it, but it puts on alot of fruit and seems to be a good early season draw. This morning and last night.t
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Gunfun13 Those are great pictures. I personally don't have a 10 point yet, but plan on adding one in the future for early season draw. According to the write up for the Ten point tree it says " 10-Point drops September into October. Given it’s smaller tree size, we suggest planting 10-Point at a low percentage ". I think maybe your tree is growing fine...it's supposed to be smaller in size compared to the others.
 
Sept to October drop for 30-06.... I'd just plant a liberty or enterprise instead.

Is winter gold worth it? I have a all winter hangover growing and got scionwood for a few more. Got maybe another 30 seedlings that need grafting, and a dozen grafted trees that need new homes.

Wasn't going to buy trees this year, but Macoun, gala, hewes, and his turkey tree looks tempting. My Redfield I grafted isn't growing a bunch. However, I put a small 8 inch dia cage around it and the birds keep pooping on it. I swapped put the cage labor day weekend.

I'd prefer m111 over b118. I got some heavier clay, and my home apple trees get mowed weekly around them, so soil compaction will be an issue.
 
Sept to October drop for 30-06.... I'd just plant a liberty or enterprise instead.

Is winter gold worth it? I have a all winter hangover growing and got scionwood for a few more. Got maybe another 30 seedlings that need grafting, and a dozen grafted trees that need new homes.

Wasn't going to buy trees this year, but Macoun, gala, hewes, and his turkey tree looks tempting. My Redfield I grafted isn't growing a bunch. However, I put a small 8 inch dia cage around it and the birds keep pooping on it. I swapped put the cage labor day weekend.

I'd prefer m111 over b118. I got some heavier clay, and my home apple trees get mowed weekly around them, so soil compaction will be an issue.
bigboreblr Is that when your 30-06 drops, Sept to Oct ?. According to the website the 30-06 drops fall through the beginning of winter...First day of winter is Dec 21 . I have one 30-06 with a decent crop this year, I haven't seen any drop yet. The " Ten Point" is the tree that drops Sept to Oct.
 
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