Just saw your reply. Take a look at those and let me know which varieties you’d like to try. I should (weather permitting) be doing my pruning and gather scions sometime in Jan. Glad to put together whichever you want to try.
I didn’t see this post when it was made originally. I’m curious about that Crab and will reach out to see where it’s at.
How are those grape vines doing, now that they’ve had some time? Were all the fruit trees new, too?
Thanks for the offer, Steve. I may take you up on that next year!
I think I saw that you have or had Gold Rush at some point… I think @danCO also has a young one. Did either of you ever get production, even if it got too cold for them to ripen?
I’m trying to do a blend of trees in-ground and containers (esp. for things that might need a longer growing season) and thinking of trying a Gold rush in a container.
I did have a Gold Rush. It never really did that well here. Never got to the size where it might bear fruit, suffered die back and had to regrow a couple of times before it gave up entirely. But judging from what others write here, at my elevation Gold Rush probably would not have ripened or even close for me. I expect that would be different for folks lower down.
1 Like
My yard is a little hard with sun, but our sun is more powerful than other places. Anyone have a rule of thumb as to how much light apple trees need during harvest to get the sugars up in the front range?
1 Like
Hi folks,
Trying my hand at grafting apple varieties to my crabapple tree this year. The place where I bought my scionwood was out of Honeycrisp. If nyone is growing Honeycrsip, I would be happy to pay $5 each for a couple of nice scions. PM me of so. Thks. Jerry
2 Likes
Hi Jerry, sounds like a good experiment. I don’t have any honeycrisp, but am going to be placing a scionwood order soon if you want to order some without paying shipping. PM me if interested.
1 Like
Fortuitous that you posted this, as I was thinking this afternoon about offering up some scionwood in the near future as I think I’ll get around to pruning soon before Spring vegetable starters take up my free time. Jerrym303, I got your Honeycrisp scionwood, no purchase necessary. I’ll PM you with details.
To the rest of the Front Range crew, anyone interested in a scionwood swap? I’d prefer to A) get varieties that you all seem to see success from in our climate and B) avoid shipping if possible. Anyone interested? If so, we can discuss varieties afterwards.
2 Likes
@Scooter - personally I love the idea. I was actually asking the folks at the Boulder Apple Tree project recently if they knew of a local scionwood exchange, but they did not. My issue is that I won’t really have scionwood to offer for probably a couple of years. I’m probably going to plant a dozen or so apple varieties on cordons this year, and don’t know what to expect yet for wood, since they are pruned short and there is a summer pruning involved. But, once my existing trees are larger and these additional apples are starting to produce, I should be able to contribute.
1 Like
I do have Honeycrisp, and can still take a few scions for you, though if this warmer weather holds maybe for not much longer. Also have a few other varieties if you are interested. We can figure out a way to get them to you. Let me know.
1 Like
I’d be interested in the scion swap as well.
1 Like
OK @brandon and @rossn. Figure out what scions you’d like, and where we can meet (or guess I could ship too), and I’ll make it happen.
Not sure I’ve posted a recent list of apples I’m growing, but here’s one from memory of the ones big enough to take scions from: Honey Crisp, Zestar, Keepsake, State Fair, Wealthy, Mantet, Winekist, Lodi, Summer Treat. There are probably a few others I am forgetting, but I will edit them in when I think of them.
Let me know. Probably needs to happen (at least the cutting) in the next week or two, or we risk the trees not being dormant any longer…
1 Like
@Steve333 (and @Brandon) I’ll let you know shortly… if I do, it will be Honey Crisp, Zestar, State Fair, and possibly Wealthy. I’m going to try an apple cordon… I believe none of those are tip bearing, but if so, let me know.
I was going to do my pruning today, then saw the red flag alert. Any idea if that’s a risk to drying the cuts or fireblight transmission at this point in the season?
I don’t have too much in the way of apples to share… though I may find I have some prior grafts that get trimmed back, and can let you know if I do.
I may end up with some cuttings off of some pear grafts or , but won’t know until I get out there… and I have to lookup what makes for a good scion. If you or anyone is interested in any of these, let me know and I can try to save some cuttings. Those coming off grafts or young trees would probably be pretty thin.
Pear (former grafts): Colette, Harrow Sweet, Harrow Delight, Seckel, Ubileen, Parker
Also may have some cuttings off of some young plum trees: Empress, Mt Royal, Superior, Toka
1 Like
I should have the below (some won’t be optimal scion size):
- Liberty
- Gala
- Golden Delicious
- September Wonder Fuji
- Roxbury Russet
- Orleans
- Jonafree
- Chestnut (one small scion)
- Cox’s Orange Pippin
- William’s Pride
Might have a few additional varieties too.
I’m in the Highlands Ranch area, how about you all?
2 Likes
I do not have scions to offer - maybe in a couple of years.
I started pruning my grape vines today. It will take a few tries because I can only stand on my new knee for about 30 minutes. So far, all survived the frigid temps in January. Somerset is already breaking buds.
If all goes according to plan, I may have a 4-year-old Himrod vine to dig up next year at about this time.
1 Like
I am located in the foothills, W of Boulder. So opposite side (almost) of town from @brandon . But let’s see who’s interested and if we get a central meeting place or just want to mail things…
1 Like
I’m in for a swap. I’m in the process of collecting scionwood right now. I’ll have peach, nectarine, plum, pluot, and apple to contribute - I can update specific varieties when I’m done.
I live in South Denver.
1 Like
I’ll put together a group message where we can exchange info and come up with a plan. Anyone else here who is interested, feel free to let us know and we can add you to the message.
Edit to add:
Calling out to some other front rangers who have posted in this thread before, in the event they didn’t see Scooter’s suggestion for swapping some scionwood locally.
@danCO @cis4elk @RichardRoundTree @SamCOz5 @Codude @hikeike @DDGColorado_z5ab @Rusty @oulous @Dr.Dude
2 Likes
I have nothing to offer and no real needs besides the Honeycisp wood offered by two of you. However, i would like to attend just to meet people. I post on the Rocky Mountain Gardening Forum and they have plant swaps most springs and falls and they are great. I am in Broomfield and almost ready to get back to driving.
2 Likes
I would be interested in a Colorado Scion swap. Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot to offer right now and i cant always travel far, but hopefully in the future I will have more to give. I like to grow a lot of stone fruits and apples so in a few years I should be able to share some.
I focus a lot on growing local stone fruit species (p. americana, p. pensylvanica, p. tomentosa, and p. armeniaca) for rootstock and other grafting purposes. I grow them from seed and then propagate the ones I like by cutting or other methods. I doubt there is much interest in these, but I will have mostly scions of these local stone fruits to offer before I have traditional cultivars to offer in a few years (if anyone is into that).
2 Likes