BYC gardening thread!!

[Peep_Show]

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/

If this question was directed to me, I have 13 apple trees, 5 of which are mature -- the Cortland is in this group along with its next-tree neighboring MacIntosh -- and 8 trees in a 2 y.o. cider orchard. Last year the fruit crop on the Cortland literally stopped traffic, so I think it took a year off as a result. Not too worried, just found it odd in production.

The trees that are the real iffy ones are the apricots. It seems they bloom too early and then get blasted by a late freeze or they have an off year. The community here said that about once every five years is a good crop.... this last year was it! Squirrels got about 40% of my crop, but I still got a pantry full of cots AND gave away flats to the Sr. Center's lunch program, neighbors, coffee klatsch ladies, etc. Really an obscene amount of apricots (and peaches, too!)

 

[BantamFan4Life]

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

It's the opposite here! I'm kinda sick of apples, actually

 

[dan26552]

It's the opposite here! I'm kinda sick of apples, actually

Well my dad has one (Actually two, ones a flowering pear) the fruiting pear puts on quite a bit of fruit. My grandma has one and my uncle has one and theres several other people I know that have them. Last year I found a pear seedling in the yard and I grafted a branch off the fruiting pear (Which is a bartlett, also know as Williams pear) onto that so maybe in about five years or so that will start producing too. (Actually I think it'll probably be longer than that.)

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Well my dad has one (Actually two, ones a flowering pear) the fruiting pear puts on quite a bit of fruit. My grandma has one and my uncle has one and theres several other people I know that have them. Last year I found a pear seedling in the yard and I grafted a branch off the fruiting pear (Which is a bartlett, also know as Williams pear) onto that so maybe in about five years or so that will start producing too. (Actually I think it'll probably be longer than that.)

Looks like you'll have lots of pears! We have 3 pear trees.

 

[hippiestink]

I only have nut trees. XD Walnut, hazelnut, and chestnut. Our neighbor has an apple tree though he doesn't pick the fruit. He just lets it fall and rot and I can't help thinking "what a waste".

 

[BantamFan4Life]

I only have nut trees. XD Walnut, hazelnut, and chestnut. Our neighbor has an apple tree though he doesn't pick the fruit. He just lets it fall and rot and I can't help thinking "what a waste".

Yeah...I always hate to see fallen fruit. Makes me think of all the starving people around the world...if you're not going to eat the apples, give them away!

 

[Guvnah]

Yeah...I always hate to see fallen fruit. Makes me think of all the starving people around the world...if you're not going to eat the apples, give them away!

Or give them to someone who has chickens! Trade them for fresh eggs.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Or give them to someone who has chickens! Trade them for fresh eggs.

Yeah.

I know we have two plum trees and we never eat them...but our chickens will stay under the tree all day and eat the fruit!

 

[hippiestink]

I want a small orchard when we move into the grandfather in law's house, the in-laws have a field that is zoned only as farmland. Belgium is great for apples and pears but since I hate pears with a passion I'll be trying some stone fruit and using the rest of the land for corn and subsistence farming.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

I want a small orchard when we move into the grandfather in law's house, the in-laws have a field that is zoned only as farmland. Belgium is great for apples and pears but since I hate pears with a passion I'll be trying some stone fruit and using the rest of the land for corn and subsistence farming.

Sounds nice! Hope you can do that.