I think keeper is fine for a pie/cider apple. Process all apples in one batch.
I had one in my cummins cart this year but ended up buying 5 trees from ACN so i didnt get it.
Sorry, I missed this reply somehow.
The Arkansas Black just isn’t much bothered by the coddling moth. Refresh my memory, I’m not thinking what pc’s are.
Perhaps the hard flesh.
Stan, I wasn’t too thrilled with Arkansas Black either, but the fact it will produce a fair percentage of good fruits organically, and will keep much of the winter…
I have grafted King David in 2019…so I’ll find out eventually how I like it.
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PC’s are plum curculios, which ruin most of the apples here without protection of some sort.
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Gonna attempt to top-work my parent’s crabapple, emailed Hocking Hills to see if they still have Fuji and Zestar! scions. I first asked for Arkansas Black, but then I figured I’d play it safe with a keeper that is familiar to anyone since it’s my parent’s yard and sent a 2nd email. I’ll do the Fuji and Zestar! plus something from my yard. Leaning towards Hooples, the other options are GoldRush and Kidds.
I see conflicting information about pollination. Some sites say that Zestar! is in group 1 and that Fuji and Golden Delicious (Hooples) won’t pollinate it well, others like Adams’ chart say it’ll all be fine. One next-door neighbor has a crabapple and I don’t know when it blooms, and probably 500 feet away in another person’s yard is a very old apple tree. Is there going to be an issue with the Zestar!'s pollination here?
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I looked at orange pippin pollination list for zestar
List of pollination partners for Zestar! apple trees
Does not mention fuji or gd
I have mac and golden russet for group 1 apples. But in truth my crabs probably ensure pollination for me.
That’s where I got the group 1 thing from. Adams says it’s fine. I’d rather not load up the parent’s front yard with high-maintenance apples that I’m not sure about. Zestar, Fuji, and Hoople’s seems like a slam dunk if only I can be sure about pollination.
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If you are concerned about Zestar getting seed set, find another early bloomer and put it to one branch of a tree. Bees will do the rest.
Off the top of my head, early bloomers:
Redfield, Nutting Bumpus, Airlies Red Flesh, Transparent. (Gravenstein isn’t a help: triploid)
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Looks like Golden Russet is another option.
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Yes an early bloomer or a crab
I want to get some OHxF 333 pear root stock, Boreal Beast and Strawberry Sensation Honeyberries, and several new strawberry varieties.
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How do u grow yr strawberries? Ground or containers?
Ive had zero luck with in ground. Rot rot rot
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I’m in zone 6a and I normally grow them in deep mulch (about a foot deep). This spring I planted around 1200 and decided to try planting some of them in the ground and some of them in deep mulch (as usual). The ones that I planted in deep mulch did better than the ones that I planted in the ground. I’ll probably buy around 500 this year and they will go directly into deep mulch as it’s the easiest, fastest way to plant them and they do really well.
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Any certain kind of mulch you are liking better than others. I’m assuming you are using something like fine pine bark mulch?
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Fine pine bark can be ok…if you’re not in a windy location or have heavy running water through the mulched area.
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If you are directing your question towards me, I get loads of wood chip mulch delivered (for free) from local tree service companies, so really, it’s a mixture of all types of trees.
Before I had access to the wood chip mulch, I would sheet mulch the ground with cardboard, cover that with a thick sheet of hay, make “holes” in the hay, put compost in the holes and stick bare root strawberries in that with great success. I’m not sure that I really needed the compost, but I liked the extra insurance. It’s a great way to plant without having to till.
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I rarely buy anything, I usually pay shipping at the most, yet for 2020 I ordered 1 ‘Suffolk Red’ grape vine, and 1 ‘Himrod’ grape vine, both are seedless grapes with disease resistance.
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I have ordered the following
From groworganic:
Cot-N-Candy Aprium on Citation
Sauzee Swirl Peach on Citation (early donut peach for some fruits in May)
Emerald Beaut Plum on Citation
Hachiya Persimmon (unfortunately no Saijo from DWN this year)
Liberty Apple on M111
Warren Pear on OHxF333
Bavay’s green gage plum on Citation (have to see if this will produce in my climate)
From baylaurel:
Moorpark apricot on Myro (influenced by @Stan’s photos 
)
Spice Zee Nectaplum on Lovell
Candy Heart pluerry on Citation
Emerald Drop pluot on Myro
Marion berry (based on @Drew51’s reviews!)
Tried to avoid Citation but wasn’t able to for many varieties. Bavay is experimental in my area, if it doesn’t produce I can top work it over to French Improved or Sugar prune which I know fruit well here. Finally, No, I definitely don’t have space for all the trees. So, I have to get creative planting them. I’m gonna try my hand at espaliering pear and apple (chose disease resistant varieties so I can add other grafts later)
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I picked up a marion berry too
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Here are my orders for 2020. (Many of my selections are based on reviews posted by our members):
Peach Trees:
• Laurol (Adam’s County)
• Sweet Breeze (Adam’s County)
• Tiana (Adam’s County)
• Bellaire (Adam’s County)
• Spring Snow (Adam’s County)
• Sweetstar (Boyer)
Apricot Scions:
• Afghanistan (Purvis)
• Hargrand (Purvis)
• Orange Red (Purvis)
• Robada (Purvis)
• Zard (Purvis)
• Spark’s Mammoth (Fruitwood)
• Moorpark (Fruitwood)
Peach/Apricot Scion?:
• Bill’s Nectar Peach Cot (Purvis)
Peach Scions:
• Risingstar peach (Purvis)
• Victoria peach (Purvis)
• Loring (Fruitwood)
Nectarine Scions:
• Fantasia nectarine (Purvis)
• Red Gold nectarine (Purvis)
Euro Plum Scions:
• Early Transparent (Purvis)
• Kirke’s Blue (Purvis)
Asian Plum Scions:
• Purple Heart (Purvis)
• Rosemary (Purvis)
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I didn’t realize how many things I had ordered until I put pen to paper.
Apple scions:
King David
Williams Pride
Plum Scion:
Hollywood
Superior
Jujube Scion:
GA 866
Trees:
Candy Heart
2 Wild Goose Plum tree seedlings
I don’t know where I’m gonna put everything!
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