As I recall that was nasty hurricane Sandy here in RI. I lost a four year old apricot at the graft union. Only one tree, and I was upset. I cannot imagine how you felt.
Hurricane winds can do the same thing as that snow, and did here the following year with Sandy.
I grafted some Golden Russet and Bullock on B9/antonovka interstems, and was thinking these might go into an espalier planting, but knowing GRS reputation as a tip bearing variety I am hesitant, any thoughts?
By pruning all shoots from the branches back to three leaves, you’re creating a bunch of tips. Should work fine.
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Most of my apple trees have M111root/Bud9 interstems. Is there any big negatives to applying the 3 leaf method to these. My goal is to have self supporting trees with limbs pulled down. Thanks, Bill
Holy Smoke! That’s a painful sight to see. All those years of works and love, totaled in one heartbroken incident!
I’m so sorry of what you’ve gone through.
Applenut,
That is a very sad photo. What kind of rootstock were you using there? it looks to be extremely dwarfing. I will give some thought to reinforcing the trellis. I have been struggling to chose a evergreen windbreak. I planted some holly but they do not seem to be taking off. We are in an open area and do get high winds. Luckily the wind blows North-South, the same direction as the rows.
Guys, I don’t think that’s applenut’s orchard. It’s just an example of what can happen. I understood him to say that it was the UMASS research facility’s Cold Spring Orchard. It’s still sad and shocking to see.
I know this is an old post, but I am new to this forum and have been reading old posts for a few hours now. OK I’ll admit it many hours now. I got lost in the forum:) only emerging to refill my coffee and gaze at the falling snow.
I just ran across your plan for espalier apple trees and had to thank you for sharing it. A light bulb went on in my head when I saw it as I have been wrestling with what to do with my young apple trees.
I planted them all too close together, about 2’ apart, simply because I was new at grafting and expected most to perish. Two years later and they are still growing, with minimal losses. So it is dig up and move 30 trees to thin out the rows, OR better yet, espalier them. I am reluctant to dig them up as they are my test trees for winter hardiness and I would like a few more years to see if they live or die. Thanks again.
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You are about to find out how easy it will be to keep an eye on your trees and manage them anything from spraying to pruning to spotting diseases and pests.
and … THEY ARE SO COOL
Mike
What rootstock are they on and how large are they now?
95% of them are on Malus baccata or Siberian apple. I did a few on Ranetka, just to test the rootstock. I chose Siberian because it is both hardy and semi dwarfing in prairie conditions. Also it apparently can be planted with closer spacing than other crab varieties.
I pruned them last spring so I have the first laterals coming from about 12" from the ground. The leader is at about 4 feet.
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Hey … how about some photos.
Mike
What?? pictures in 2 feet of snow??? lol. And still snowing and blowing. I will add photos when the weather warms a little and the trees are visible right to the dirt.
Don’t expect much though with the close spacing and low branching ( done so they get snow cover and I will not loose the whole tree to freezing winter temps.) it looks a muddle till I can get it sorted out.
Welcome to the forum!
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Zone 2b, yikes!
What verietys did you graft?
2 ft spacing is close for espalier.
i would thin them out and or think about tall spindle.
Where are you located?
The Canadian praries are cold indeed. Bacuta should be a perfect fit for zone 2. This is a link for those not familiar with this apple Malus baccata - Wikipedia. I’d read about that apple only because i was interested in the fruit that it produced at one point and have no experience with it. Wanted to welcome you to the forum! Please update us with what works for you there. Do you grow the romance series cherries or evans? Was curious what other fruit grows well such as sakatoons etc.? http://www.fruit.usask.ca/dwarfsourcherries.html. Im assuming these are the apples your working with http://www.fruit.usask.ca/nmdcltvrs.html . You might be able to zone stretch a bit and grow harbin pears in the same way as apples.
Thanks for the kind welcome, I am concerned about the 2 foot spacing ( I did expect most to die as many are one zone higher, or two depending on the information source ). But before I touch them I want to find out if they could be left and trained. The last two winters have been mild, but the next one could be a doozy so I would like to have a low growing method in place this fall.
Up here there is a definite difference between an apple living and actually bearing fruit, the first is easier than the second. In a bad winter, fruiting buds and branches of non hardy varieties freeze off above the snow line. But there is promise for those under the snow, hence my interest in low espalier and or stepovers. I am not worried about lots of produce, just some delicious tastes of different apple types.
I cannot get the romance series cherries to reliably survive here, I have the Evans but it too does not produce lots of fruit, although there are some in more protected sites around here that seem to be producing fairly well, still not reliably though. Nankings are no problem, as well as Haskaps.
Saskatoon are a wild species here. We live on a farm and have left stands of them at the edge of the yard. I just manage them by keeping the other trees around them in check.
what is a harbin pear? you peaked my interest.
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http://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/trees/handbook/th-3-91.pdf&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwixq_OkmsbLAhWDuIMKHU7bCI8QFggPMAA&sig2=gu4hJQIrgro7rGo01q1keg&usg=AFQjCNH1dccmgF-vOoCH8meKUAwJ4DL0_A and this link Pear tree
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I might me misunderstanding your post, but your concern is that the Geneva rootstock will cause the grafted variety to behave as the rootstock would - tip bearing?
Being that the post is almost 5 years old, what did you end up doing and how did it work out? Cheers.