Just went out after lastnight’s rain and saw lots of windfalls under Belle De Boskoop. Sure enough, many are ripe and ready to pick. The bowl in the picture probably holds five gallons, its HUGE! besides the bowl of windfalls we picked about 7 more 5 gallon buckets. Planning on canning apple pie filling with them.
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That tree is a beaut Jolene! I love those huge stainless bowls, I just picked up another one from an Amish Store. They’re so useful for canning.
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I thought I had big bowls before we got that one. That one is probably two feet across!
We use big bowls a lot for salad, popcorn, meat processing, bread baking, and of course canning.
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Excellent!
I got to sample Golden Sweet this year…and just picked my first and only May Queen.
Looks like you finally have something to show for all your grafting!
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Most of the trees were purchased, not grafted by us.
That Boskoop was topworked from a Rome Beauty…and I’m sure glad we did!
Other varieties top worked or multi grafted are out there, including (trees of) Holstein, King of Thompkins County, Hidden Rose, Suncrisp, Virginia Gold, Hoople’s Antique Gold, Maigold, and Hawkeye Delicious, limbs of Golden Nugget, Zucalmaglio’s, Zabergau, Egremont Russet, Claygate Pearmain, Hawaii, Blushing Golden, Sinta, Grime’s Golden, Rubinette, Freyberg, Spigold, Pristine, William’s Pride, Kerry Pippin, Pink Pearl, Aunt Rachel, Liberty, and Akero.
Exciting is the Northern Spy on MM111 actually set apples this year. Planted in 2012, its been a wait!!
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I’d call 'top working" grafting…
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Anyhow, you have a fine collection of apples.
I’m going to have to get more of mine in the ground…too many losses
over time to drought, root rot, root freezing, etc, in containers.
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Great looking apple tree. LOTS of apples from it. I love using silver bowls for things. They are so useful. I like the other apple selections you have there. I have some of the same ones YET keep contemplating some of the others you have.
I like the info of the Holstein, Aunt Rachel, Boskoop,and William’s Pride. I only have room for a few more trees next year. I am taking out a few that have not produced any fruit or the fruit has been of poor quality or poor bearer. I just have to figure out what one(s) to actually try.
The Boskoop looks like a great choice.
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How 'bout grafting 3 or 4 kinds to the old trees rather than ripping them out?
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That was why I top worked three last year.
Aunt Rachel is a dud here in my opinion. Large apples, but I was not at all impressed.
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Good to know. I will cross that one off my list of “possibilities”.
I thought about that as well. The trunks are so small I believe I could only graft maybe one apple variety on it. IF it took. I would rather put something in the ground that will more than likely take. I can use one of the bigger trees I have to try and graft something onto them. I understand what you are saying but I have not grafted anything that has taken yet. I am still trying to get my grafting skills down.
I appreciate the suggestion.
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I have found apple grafting to be fairly easy. I’d recommend cutting the trees back to a small limbs and using a utility cutting tool to split them, and do all cleft grafts.
I could cut scions of most of what we have in quantity. I just use parafilm and rubber bands.
If you decide you want to go for it…and want scions…let me know.
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I’m betting you can do it…give it a try.
(Take some time to look up some video online and
observe cleft, side, bark grafts (rind grafts), even whip & tongue grafts…depending on size of scionwood…and do grafting combinations based on what you’re working with.)
First time I did 2 or 3 grafts, following printed instructions…my benchgrafts failed.
But next time I made attempts to do grafts, more than 2/3 of them were successful.
Sometimes I approach 95% anymore…but nobody gets 100% except those that did one or six or something and they all happened to take.
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Thank you for your offer.
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I will give it a try. I appreciate the information and what success you have had.
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I should have pruned Claygate carefully from the start, then it would be 9 feet tall by now and offering a crop. Instead I learned eventually it needed help, gave it the help it needs & is nearly as big this year. I left only two samples on it this year; they fell from the tree yesterday & today. So here they are.
Can’t say how long I will wait to try them. (Quite the push-pull of wanting to eat it & seeing how good it is if stored longer…)
Last year one tried around Christmas had 24 Brix! Still some tartness & the complex flavors of cheese & nuts.
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