Apple trees/Fruit trees ... Where to purchase.

 
Hoytman
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Post by Hoytman » Fri. May. 15, 2020 11:56 am

Any of you raise any fruit trees?

Where's your favorite place to buy them from?

Stark Brother's is one catalog I get. Looking two buy no more than 2-4 trees. I will be grafting additional varieties onto these trees so that I can get more than 2-4 types of apples.


 
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Post by warminmn » Fri. May. 15, 2020 12:09 pm

I was going to say anywhere but seed catalogs, but if your grafting that may not matter. The problem I have with seed catalog dormant fruit trees is they usually prune the main stem heavily and it can take a few years to get over that. Some of the fruit bushes thats not a concern.

But Im still going to say at minimum a retail store as early in the growing season as possible. If they are flowering already (and they usually are) that will slow down the growth the 1st year and more chance of it dying. Ive had my very best luck with dormant fruit trees at a local nursery where I dug them out of a pile of dirt, sawdust, etc. No leaves started yet on them. Those take right off and did well. Ive mainly planted apples and pears, a few plums, and never had one die that way. You results may vary.

 
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Post by pintoplumber » Fri. May. 15, 2020 1:00 pm

I do my own grafting too. I have 7 trees but 3 trees have more than 2 varieties. Last year I did 4 rootstocks. This year I did 4 again but I’m not sure they are taking.

 
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Post by Hoytman » Fri. May. 15, 2020 1:22 pm

Well...
Grafting is something I only know a little about, but I plan to learn more. I've gardened nearly half a century, but never messed with fruit trees...other than helping my grandpa prune his.

The grafting of multiple varieties on one tree is something I seen another fella do...and it makes good sense for me since my space is limited. I have more space than is needed, but not wanting to use it all for trees.

I am thinking I don't want mini-trees...more like semi-dwarf...something no taller than 12 feet...something I can prune to that height, keep the top open, trim everything else to grow towards the ground for easy picking and a real open growing habit...like live oak trees with their low hanging limbs. This something I've seen (Back to Eden Garden) Paul Gauchi do on youtube...growing an orchard and covering the ground with wood chips and growing produce right in the orchard to make the most of my available space.

 
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Post by pintoplumber » Fri. May. 15, 2020 1:29 pm

I think M7 is the size of the rootstock you want. Next year. Too late for this year.

 
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Post by Hambden Bob » Sat. May. 16, 2020 11:10 am

Now this is a Great Thread! Looking very forward to getting knee-deep back into this!!

 
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Post by johnjoseph » Sat. May. 16, 2020 12:18 pm

Prior to my recent debacle... I ventured out to the back part of my property and claimed about 20 clippings from several wild apple trees and some crab apple trees. Grafted them in to 3 of the "non wild" trees my gram planted 20 years ago. I did this last year, but just 2 clippings per tree. The ones from last year took and they are starting to "bud" now. My hope is I can get some of the wild into the mix and have heartier apples on opposing seasonings. The crabapples...well, they aren't much different from cranberries in taste, if they take that fine and if not...there are plenty around for my fall jelly every year.


 
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Post by pintoplumber » Sat. May. 16, 2020 3:19 pm

I belong to the Backyard Fruit Growers Assn. Last year at our winter meeting a fellow associated with Fedco Seeds in Clinton ME came to talk with us about antique varieties and keeping them going.

We have a cabin in Potter county PA. There was a farm close by that was abandoned around 1915. The orchard is still there, but the trees are in poor shape. I’m trying to get a couple of them going on new rootstock. One aerial photo is from 1938 and the other is from 1968. You can see the neat rows in the 1938 photo. Not sure I can find a current photo.

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Post by pintoplumber » Sat. May. 16, 2020 3:25 pm

]Here it is off of google. Don’t know how recent it is.

Sorry, can’t do it, file is too big.

 
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Post by warminmn » Sat. May. 16, 2020 6:10 pm

Old farm sites around here I have also found apple tree's and most are on the small size (the fruit). On my GG Grandfathers farm I know there was a Wolf River variety there but that one is still available. Figuring out the varieties could be very difficult with apples. But almost everyone grew a few if they wanted anything to eat. Those and potatoes.

 
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Post by CapeCoaler » Sun. May. 17, 2020 11:28 pm

Worked on a farm in NH For College Beer Money...
And Ski money...
Lots of old stock trees back then...
Great cider...
Better fermented...

 
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Post by Hoytman » Mon. May. 18, 2020 6:31 pm

pintoplumber wrote:
Fri. May. 15, 2020 1:29 pm
I think M7 is the size of the rootstock you want. Next year. Too late for this year.
I have no idea what you mean by M7...other than it is probably some grafting rootstock. Fruit trees are not part of my gardening experience.

I’ve been an avid gardener since I was old enough to walk. My grandpa had about 9 apple trees but both my grandparents and those trees are now gone.

Here at my place, where my dad grew up, my grandma planted 3 apple trees from seed just before or after I was born. Nearly 50 years ago. I have no idea what kind they are.

They are not in the best shape as each has some rot. Each have been left to grow without pruning for many years. They do produce some apples, but full of bugs because my grandparents didn’t do much with them.

They really need to be in different locations for what I want to do. I decided to wait and be patient in doing anything because I wanted to research apple trees more. I came a hair of cutting them down, but decided to wait. Mainly because my grandma planted them. If I am to keep them they are going to need pruning. I have enough experience to maintain young trees, but these old un-pruned trees I feel need an experienced touch. I have read neglected trees need to be pruned over two to four years to get them back in shape. I’m just not sure it is worth it with these “seedling trees”...a term I just became familiar with as it describes a tree planted from seed...something I have not found much information about. We know Johnny Appleseed planted apple trees from seed, but these days grafting are the rage.

I may be better off cutting these trees down and starting with new. I decided not to cut them down this past winter until I could find someone to help me reach an informed decision. At least waiting to cut them down I can at least take some cuttings to graft into other trees so I can at least save part of what my grandma started.

 
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Post by Benny » Mon. May. 18, 2020 6:54 pm

Great topic, just told the wife I wanted to do fruit trees. Putting in about 100 ft of privacy fence and want to mask it with something. Time is really not on my side. LOL

 
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Post by Benny » Mon. May. 18, 2020 6:57 pm

This is the old orchard at camp, fun to keep it looking nice.

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Post by johnjoseph » Mon. May. 18, 2020 6:58 pm

Did she say you were a "fruit loop" or just humor you and say yes dear, add that to your list. 😊


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