|
Post by Sandbur on Jan 21, 2021 19:05:35 GMT -6
I have a grafted Dolgo and a Golden Hornet. Not sure I would recommend either for where I'm at. The Dolgo's never drops and rot on the tree, the Golden Hornet doesn't seem to grow. It wants to produce but the tree hasn't gotten bigger for several years. The Dolgo was a quick producer also, and hasn't grown much in height but has added trunk diameter pretty well. All trees I buy are to be CAR resistant and Fire Blight resistant. Those are my number one priorities when I talk with nurseries. Nothing else I've planted in the last 5 years have produced enough or consistently enough to know how they are going to turn out. That seems to be a common observation with G.H. Mine doesn't put on much horizontal growth at all, but does at least grow "up" 8-10" a year. The fruit is worthless for humans (IMO) and since the tree is so narrow the fruit all falls inside the cage. I bought it as a late blooming pollination partner for my Court Pendu Plats, but it doesn't bloom that late. Prairie Spy appears to stay in bloom longer than G.H. at my location. I won't rip it out, but I won't plant another G.H. either. I have seen pictures of GH with wide hanging limbs. I wonder if that will happen with fruit loaf and age, or do we have a slightly different variety?
|
|
|
Post by smsmith on Jan 21, 2021 19:09:55 GMT -6
I should correct myself. I didn't buy the G.H. I got the scion from Art and grafted it to Dolgo
|
|
|
Post by benmnwi on Jan 21, 2021 19:17:23 GMT -6
I've been impressed with norkent and dolgo for their early dropping times. Mine are just starting to drop decent amounts of fruit and there are lots of deer turds under them in early bow season.
|
|
|
Post by Sandbur on Jan 22, 2021 4:27:18 GMT -6
I should correct myself. I didn't buy the G.H. I got the scion from Art and grafted it to Dolgo I was going to post some pictures of GH from Ireland and Britain, but they might be copyrighted. Those pictures show more of a spreading growth habit. Different variety or will the limbs begin to spread from fruit load with time? I got my scion from someone on HT.
|
|
|
Post by Sandbur on Jan 22, 2021 4:33:06 GMT -6
October 8 picture of a crab at a public landing at Outing, Mn.( I think Bwoods has visited that lake.) There are three similar flowering crabs at this location and one to the side. Only this one shows fruit that I would consider large enough to attract deer. The ground was covered with fruit. it might be a good choice for more northern areas. SD, might be with a try. 25 miles south of you or so?
|
|
|
Post by Sandbur on Jan 22, 2021 5:02:39 GMT -6
I have a grafted Dolgo and a Golden Hornet. Not sure I would recommend either for where I'm at. The Dolgo's never drops and rot on the tree, the Golden Hornet doesn't seem to grow. It wants to produce but the tree hasn't gotten bigger for several years. The Dolgo was a quick producer also, and hasn't grown much in height but has added trunk diameter pretty well. All trees I buy are to be CAR resistant and Fire Blight resistant. Those are my number one priorities when I talk with nurseries. Nothing else I've planted in the last 5 years have produced enough or consistently enough to know how they are going to turn out. That seems to be a common observation with G.H. Mine doesn't put on much horizontal growth at all, but does at least grow "up" 8-10" a year. The fruit is worthless for humans (IMO) and since the tree is so narrow the fruit all falls inside the cage. I bought it as a late blooming pollination partner for my Court Pendu Plats, but it doesn't bloom that late. Prairie Spy appears to stay in bloom longer than G.H. at my location. I won't rip it out, but I won't plant another G.H. either. Maybe we need to tie some limbs down?
|
|
|
Post by Sandbur on Jan 22, 2021 5:06:07 GMT -6
Kerr remains my favorite. They lived through the first polar vortex so I know they are bullet proof. They are also immune from FB. I get a few apples every year but think this could be the year they have a lot. How tall are your trees and what rootstock are they on. My Kerr are usually loaded. kerr is on the top. I am holding three apples from a seedling. The seedling I call Clown’s Nose and I have marked as a dolgo seedling.
|
|
|
Post by Sandbur on Jan 22, 2021 5:13:21 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by Sandbur on Jan 22, 2021 5:17:43 GMT -6
This fall I picked most of the Sour Dog for cider that I could reach. The tree seemed to have a slow drop and the apples I didn’t reach held on until later in the fall. I don’t have a record of this tree, but suspect it is a Big Dog or Chestnut Crab seedling. I can eat this apple and enjoy it, but it tastes like high acid.
|
|
|
Post by Sandbur on Jan 22, 2021 5:20:51 GMT -6
This fall I picked most of the Sour Dog for cider that I could reach. The tree seemed to have a slow drop and the apples I didn’t reach held on until later in the fall. I don’t have a record of this tree, but suspect it is a Big Dog or Chestnut Crab seedling. I can eat this apple and enjoy it, but it tastes like high acid. . I picked all of the lower apples about two weeks earlier. The fruit has all dropped by now.
|
|
|
Post by Sandbur on Jan 22, 2021 5:35:34 GMT -6
I consider Big Dog as inedible. It is very hard when it first drops. Big Dog was getting used by deer in February and March of those respective years. i need Freeborn or Stu over here to help me reach those water sprouts from a ladder.
|
|
|
Post by Sandbur on Jan 22, 2021 5:48:36 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by smsmith on Jan 22, 2021 7:49:40 GMT -6
That seems to be a common observation with G.H. Mine doesn't put on much horizontal growth at all, but does at least grow "up" 8-10" a year. The fruit is worthless for humans (IMO) and since the tree is so narrow the fruit all falls inside the cage. I bought it as a late blooming pollination partner for my Court Pendu Plats, but it doesn't bloom that late. Prairie Spy appears to stay in bloom longer than G.H. at my location. I won't rip it out, but I won't plant another G.H. either. Maybe we need to tie some limbs down? Your GH has more and larger limbs than my tree. I grafted mine in '15, maybe it just needs more time
|
|
|
Post by Catscratch on Jan 22, 2021 8:37:24 GMT -6
That seems to be a common observation with G.H. Mine doesn't put on much horizontal growth at all, but does at least grow "up" 8-10" a year. The fruit is worthless for humans (IMO) and since the tree is so narrow the fruit all falls inside the cage. I bought it as a late blooming pollination partner for my Court Pendu Plats, but it doesn't bloom that late. Prairie Spy appears to stay in bloom longer than G.H. at my location. I won't rip it out, but I won't plant another G.H. either. Maybe we need to tie some limbs down? That's pretty much a larger version of mine (yours has longer limbs). How old is it? I put mine in the ground 2017. I take a few bites of mine each year. Never get better. I have yet to see any evidence that deer has eaten ANY of my crabs or apples. No clue if they will ever take to these things, but they are not great to my taste buds.
|
|
|
Post by badgerfowl on Jan 22, 2021 9:41:43 GMT -6
That seems to be a common observation with G.H. Mine doesn't put on much horizontal growth at all, but does at least grow "up" 8-10" a year. The fruit is worthless for humans (IMO) and since the tree is so narrow the fruit all falls inside the cage. I bought it as a late blooming pollination partner for my Court Pendu Plats, but it doesn't bloom that late. Prairie Spy appears to stay in bloom longer than G.H. at my location. I won't rip it out, but I won't plant another G.H. either. Maybe we need to tie some limbs down? Pretty much what mine looks like.
|
|