What did you do in your orchard today?

[Trying2keepitReal]

@CrealCritter amazing trees, and yes I will remind you

 

[CrealCritter]

@CrealCritter amazing trees, and yes I will remind you

Please don't think your bugging me like most people do. It's just I tend to forget things unless they are right in my face. I only have so much memory available and they don't sell upgrades at Walmart. So by reminding me you are actually doing me a favor.

My original apple trees, both Red, Golden Delicious and a Granny Smith are in really bad of shape, too bad to try and revive. So I decided they are coming down next year sometime. I planted their replacements this spring. But I still might be able to get some scionwood for grafting off of them come march. We'll just have to see, they are on their last leg.how they are still alive and have a few apples growing on them is truly a mystery to me. I'll know more about the apples and any potential scionwood this fall.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[CrealCritter]

This is what I mean by last leg. It's pretty amazing these trees are still alive and producing apples. I haven't a clue how...

But right after pedal drop, I pruned a few dead branch tips back to green wood because I was conserned they might break off and land on a child, plus I had the pole saw out there anyways. And what! apples from the limbs I pruned? No way, how can this be? Only one answer

Careful there just might be a family of possum living in this one, but there's Granny's growing up there.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[Chic Rustler]

I haven't done much in my orchard, but my kids have hauled ALOT of fertility down there. one wheel barrow at a time.

 

[CrealCritter]

I haven't done much in my orchard, but my kids have hauled ALOT of fertility down there. one wheel barrow at a time.

Character Building

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[CrealCritter]

Apples do ok here. I have a ton of wild Pacific crabapples which are even more water tolerant. Cherries do ok but I gave up on them as both deer and elk ate the ones I planted. I tried pear trees of different varieties but only the 2 bartletts have done ok.

Have you thought about grafting into some of those crabs? If they grow like wildfire you might have a winning combination for your neck of the woods. I had to part my brain on these fruit trees. What's above and below the graft. What's below sets the stage for what's above as far as growth and resistance to diseases, etc. There's no rule that says you can't graft a bud or two or three onto a wild root stock, as long as it's in the same family (in you've case apple) it should take. Worth a try, nothing ventured nothing gained is the way I'm approaching it anyways.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[Hinotori]

Have you thought about grafting into some of those crabs? If they grow like wildfire you might have a winning combination for your neck of the woods. I had to part my brain on these fruit trees. What's above and below the graft. What's below sets the stage for what's above as far as growth and resistance to diseases, etc. There's no rule that says you can't graft a bud or two or three onto a wild root stock, as long as it's in the same family (in you've case apple) it should take. Worth a try, nothing ventured nothing gained is the way I'm approaching it anyways.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

I don't know if they are closely enough related. They aren't European crabapples.

But then quince are used as rootstock I believe so it might work just fine.

Can you tell I don't really know much about trees and grafting?

 

[Hinotori]

Apparently it's been thought of, at least by hobbiests, as Pacific crabapples tolerate inundation so well. So maybe I need to learn to graft. I have some trees that would be perfect for experimenting.

https://northwestmeadowscapes.com/pages/pacific-crabapple-project

 

[CrealCritter]

Apparently it's been thought of, at least by hobbiests, as Pacific crabapples tolerate inundation so well. So maybe I need to learn to graft. I have some trees that would be perfect for experimenting.

https://northwestmeadowscapes.com/pages/pacific-crabapple-project

Have a look at this T Bud and Chip budding video, done in August via budstick.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[Hinotori]

I have lots of the Pacific crabapple growing wild. Probably well over a hundred, but they aren't in optimal spots for collecting unless you're a deer. I'll see about propagation because having a bunch out front would be easy to get to, help dry the ground more through winter, and just look nice. I'd still experiment on the 4 trees out in the field that are now mature enough to fruit. I usually just pick from the old ones beside the drive.