BYC gardening thread!!

[lazy gardener]

Oh nice! I do watch the chill hours on 95 percent of the plants I buy, and I have found several apples that "Should" do well in my zone but finding a place that sales them near me? Forget about it. And paying 100 dollars to ship dirt is out of the question.

Dan. With all the stuff you've got your green thumb into, I'm surprised that you're not growing your own seedling apples, and trying your hand at grafting. It would be a natural for you. You can buy seedling stock very cheaply, then all you have to do is find some nice trees in your area that you've noticed producing reliably, and beg, borrow, or barter some scion wood. What ever you do, don't waste your time or money on the trees that you see growing in pots or buckets at the box hardware stores, or even the nurseries. From my research, they're horribly stunted in the root system, and may never recover adequately to be a good tree in their adult years. Better to go with bare root stock from a reputable nursery. Just quoting what I've read.

 

[dan26552]

Dan.  With all the stuff you've got your green thumb into, I'm surprised that you're not growing your own seedling apples, and trying your hand at grafting.  It would be a natural for you.  You can buy seedling stock very cheaply, then all you have to do is find some nice trees in your area that you've noticed producing reliably, and beg, borrow, or barter some scion wood.  What ever you do, don't waste your time or money on the trees that you see growing in pots or buckets at the box hardware stores, or even the nurseries.  From my research, they're horribly stunted in the root system, and may never recover adequately to be a good tree in their adult years.  Better to go with bare root stock from a reputable nursery.  Just quoting what I've read.  

Actually I have tried growing apples from seeds, the longest I've ever gotten them to live was about a year though. (I was younger and didn't really know what I was doing) I do graft as well, my first grafts were actually apples. The problem is there are NO APPLES where I live, everyone grows pears. Yeah, I usually don't get stuff

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Probably

Fruit Thinning

There are several reasons to thin fruit:

• To reduce limb breakage
• Increase fruit size
• Improve fruit color and quality
• Stimulate floral initiation for next year’s crop

Home gardeners are able to effectively thin apple trees by hand. During May and June in most areas, many apple trees will start to drop or abort underripe fruit. This is a natural process that allows the tree to mature the remaining crop load. If not corrected through thinning, apple trees may bear biennially (fruits only every other year) or bear heavily one year, then bear a comparatively light crop the next year. Thinning may seem counterproductive in theory, but it really is a benefit to your apple harvest in the end.

Taken from http://www.starkbros.com/growing-guide/how-to-grow/fruit-trees/apple-trees/pruning

We usually thin are apples.

Thanks for posting the info though.

 

[lazy gardener]

Actually I have tried growing apples from seeds, the longest I've ever gotten them to live was about a year though. (I was younger and didn't really know what I was doing) I do graft as well, my first grafts were actually apples. The problem is there are NO APPLES where I live, everyone grows pears. Yeah, I usually don't get stuff

There's your answer! Not trying to be cheeky, but... you might be fighting a loosing battle!

 

[dan26552]

There's your answer!  Not trying to be cheeky, but... you might be fighting a loosing battle!

I know I know They grow apples about 3 hours north of me

 

[dan26552]

But like I said, they did have apples a few years back and they do flowers most years, they just don't flower at the same time.

 

[lazy gardener]

Maybe you have a pollination problem. I really don't have a clue, just tossing out ideas, I'm sure you've already thought it all through.

 

[dan26552]

Maybe you have a pollination problem.  I really don't have a clue, just tossing out ideas, I'm sure you've already thought it all through.

Thats what I think it is. My dad got a crabapple tree earlier in the year hopping it might solve our problem.

 

[1cock2hens]

not all apple trees produce ever year, I was reading some produce heavy one year, light the next, than take a year off.. do you just have the one apple tree? i was reading some apple trees are self fertile and some require a specific pollinator/

 

[dan26552]

not all apple trees produce ever year, I was reading some produce heavy one year, light the next, than take a year off.. do you just have the one apple tree? i was reading some apple trees are self fertile and some require a specific pollinator/ 

I have five trees, they produced maybe ten apples all together 4 years ago. Two Annas, one granny, I think it's a granny, my dad put it in some 10 years ago so I don't really know what it is, I just have the apple color to go by which was green with a pink blush and two others that I have know idea what they are. I have tried to match the pollen as best I could. (Hence the crab)