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Post by smallchunk on May 19, 2019 7:08:43 GMT -6
Yep, doesn’t look great for us
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Post by smsmith on May 21, 2019 10:10:43 GMT -6
My 2nd leaf Chestnut crab is going to have a few blossoms. I will likely remove any fruit it sets, but it sure is tempting. I'm concerned about delayed winter mortality. My trees look so unusual this year. I've been blaming it on the unbelievably cool, wet spring but I'm starting to get worried. Yesterday I checked on an Eastman Sweet that had shown green cambium about a month ago. It's now brown
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Post by benmnwi on May 21, 2019 11:29:25 GMT -6
What rootstock did is that Chestnut Crab on? That's impressive that have a few blossoms on a 2nd leaf. I know you're supposed to pick off all the flowers on young trees, but I kind of prefer to leave just one apple to try that first year.
I have two 6th leaf grafted plums that probably won't make it through the year. They had some severe winter die back 2 years ago and last winter might have been the nail in the coffin. They are both pushing a few flowers, but most of the branches are dead with very few leaves so I think their days are numbered. I'm not a huge plum fan generally, but these two trees had very large plums with excellent flavor for both fresh eating and for jelly. But it just seems that they aren't hardy enough for even SE MN. These are from St. Lawrence Nursery, so I hoped they would survive here but that doesn't seem to be the case.
A few of my apples are looking pretty rough this spring as well, but I'm hoping they are just slow to wake.
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Post by smsmith on May 21, 2019 12:05:09 GMT -6
My Chestnut crab is from Stark Bros, so I don't know what rootstock it is on. I suspect M7 given it's precocity, but that's just a guess.
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Post by nhmountains on May 21, 2019 13:17:53 GMT -6
My 2nd leaf Chestnut crab is going to have a few blossoms. I will likely remove any fruit it sets, but it sure is tempting. I'm concerned about delayed winter mortality. My trees look so unusual this year. I've been blaming it on the unbelievably cool, wet spring but I'm starting to get worried. Yesterday I checked on an Eastman Sweet that had shown green cambium about a month ago. It's now brown I wouldn’t let it fruit Stu. It will set it back.
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Post by smsmith on May 21, 2019 15:47:10 GMT -6
My 2nd leaf Chestnut crab is going to have a few blossoms. I will likely remove any fruit it sets, but it sure is tempting. I'm concerned about delayed winter mortality. My trees look so unusual this year. I've been blaming it on the unbelievably cool, wet spring but I'm starting to get worried. Yesterday I checked on an Eastman Sweet that had shown green cambium about a month ago. It's now brown I wouldn’t let it fruit Stu. It will set it back. Ya, you're right, I know. I'll have to see if it even sets fruit. I've seen young trees blossom and then abort any fruit a few times. On another note, does anybody grow Keepsake? My tree was planted spring of '13 and has produced a handful of fruit in '17....that's it. I'm not seeing any blossoms forming this year either. The fruit I did get was pretty darn tasty, but man...what a shy bearer for me.
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Post by nhmountains on May 21, 2019 16:03:54 GMT -6
I wouldn’t let it fruit Stu. It will set it back. Ya, you're right, I know. I'll have to see if it even sets fruit. I've seen young trees blossom and then abort any fruit a few times. On another note, does anybody grow Keepsake? My tree was planted spring of '13 and has produced a handful of fruit in '17....that's it. I'm not seeing any blossoms forming this year either. The fruit I did get was pretty darn tasty, but man...what a shy bearer for me. Mine needs more sunlight. It’s not very tall and hasn’t grown much since I planted it in 2013 but produced 3-5 apples the last 3 years. They were tasty.
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Post by benmnwi on May 21, 2019 17:35:26 GMT -6
I wouldn’t let it fruit Stu. It will set it back. Ya, you're right, I know. I'll have to see if it even sets fruit. I've seen young trees blossom and then abort any fruit a few times. On another note, does anybody grow Keepsake? My tree was planted spring of '13 and has produced a handful of fruit in '17....that's it. I'm not seeing any blossoms forming this year either. The fruit I did get was pretty darn tasty, but man...what a shy bearer for me. I have a keepsake that I grafted two weeks ago, so I won't see fruit for a while! Good to hear that they taste good though.
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Post by Sandbur on May 21, 2019 17:59:23 GMT -6
What rootstock did is that Chestnut Crab on? That's impressive that have a few blossoms on a 2nd leaf. I know you're supposed to pick off all the flowers on young trees, but I kind of prefer to leave just one apple to try that first year. I have two 6th leaf grafted plums that probably won't make it through the year. They had some severe winter die back 2 years ago and last winter might have been the nail in the coffin. They are both pushing a few flowers, but most of the branches are dead with very few leaves so I think their days are numbered. I'm not a huge plum fan generally, but these two trees had very large plums with excellent flavor for both fresh eating and for jelly. But it just seems that they aren't hardy enough for even SE MN. These are from St. Lawrence Nursery, so I hoped they would survive here but that doesn't seem to be the case. A few of my apples are looking pretty rough this spring as well, but I'm hoping they are just slow to wake. I have given up on grafted plums. They bear a few years and then die.
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Post by smsmith on May 21, 2019 18:22:20 GMT -6
Ya, you're right, I know. I'll have to see if it even sets fruit. I've seen young trees blossom and then abort any fruit a few times. On another note, does anybody grow Keepsake? My tree was planted spring of '13 and has produced a handful of fruit in '17....that's it. I'm not seeing any blossoms forming this year either. The fruit I did get was pretty darn tasty, but man...what a shy bearer for me. I have a keepsake that I grafted two weeks ago, so I won't see fruit for a while! Good to hear that they taste good though. My wife and I both said they were like a Honeycrisp but with flavor. Makes sense since Keepsake is one parent of Honeycrisp
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Post by smsmith on May 21, 2019 18:24:45 GMT -6
Ya, you're right, I know. I'll have to see if it even sets fruit. I've seen young trees blossom and then abort any fruit a few times. On another note, does anybody grow Keepsake? My tree was planted spring of '13 and has produced a handful of fruit in '17....that's it. I'm not seeing any blossoms forming this year either. The fruit I did get was pretty darn tasty, but man...what a shy bearer for me. Mine needs more sunlight. It’s not very tall and hasn’t grown much since I planted it in 2013 but produced 3-5 apples the last 3 years. They were tasty. Mine doesn't get all day sun, but it does get sun for the majority of the day. It hasn't grown much either. Keepsake is supposed to be "moderately vigorous". I'd call it less than moderately vigorous. I need to graft another one on Antonovka next year, mine is on b118
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Post by buckvelvet on May 22, 2019 7:18:59 GMT -6
Do you think they just had wet feet for to long Stu?
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Post by smsmith on May 22, 2019 7:28:19 GMT -6
Do you think they just had wet feet for to long Stu? Do you mean why my trees look so unusual? I don't think so, no. One of my orchards is on relatively light sandy loam with good drainage. The other has some heavier soil, but it is on a decent slope. I think the reason for such a weird leaf out is that we've had very little warmth this spring. I think it's hit 70 less than 7 or 8 days. Add in a pretty wicked winter and I think that's why they look like they do. In another month I should know if the trees will bounce back to normal or not I'd imagine.
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Post by nhmountains on May 23, 2019 4:59:02 GMT -6
We are at least a week behind normal years here in NH. My trees that are normally bloomed by now are at right cluster. The good news is no late frosts in the forecast. If we can get some warm sunny days they should produce a great crop.
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Post by Sandbur on May 23, 2019 5:27:04 GMT -6
Wild plum rootstock is in full Bloom. Flowering crabs are close to bloom as well as farmstead plums. We are probably two weeks behind.
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