Grapes are more acidic than apples on average, not sure what kind of grapes you are eating. Wickson I would say is more like an average grape in acidity. Grapes are also on average much higher in sugar than apples so there are also sugars balancing the acids there. Note I’m talking about real grapes, not those store-bought underripe things. My Wickson tree came from Trees of Antiquity, they are in Wickson home turf and would be very surprised if they messed it up.
I have eaten Muscat de Venus, I like it about as much as you do.
Reading my description above I am surprised I did not mention the slight apricot flavor I sometimes picked up in my Wicksons. It was a really great-tasting apple, too bad it does not grow well at all in my climate. It probably tastes different compared to your climate as well.
I bought a Kania and found it ineffective, my squirrels never went into it. I worries about injuring other animals as well.
It seems as though the squirllinator is fairly irresistable, expecially if you lead them into the traps with sunflower seeds. I trapped about 60 last year and excuted them with a pellet gun. Turned out to be a real PETA act of mercy as the lack of acorns has led to mass starvation apparently. That is always their fate when there are insufficient acorns in the fall. If they are raiding apple trees at that time it’s a clear sign of a starvation winter for all forest creatures dependent on nuts.
@Alan did you use shelled or in-shell sunflowers? I am trying to find the cheapest mass bait I can get for this coming season. I have been using bulk peanut butter but it is a bit of a mess spreading it on things.
My new plan for this year is to bait without trapping for a week to attract the hordes, then put out a mass of traps and bait/trap like crazy, then stop for a few weeks. If I constantly am baiting the birds will be swiping all the bait. I think I have 15 traps now for my mass operation, tube kania and squirrelinator.
Be great if you can attract a red tail hawk to take up residence. If you have any large trees you can build a platform.they can do great job at reducing squirrel population
I am behind but plan on building and putting out barn owl and kestrel hawk boxes to help control voles, night and day I chose not to use rodenside.
Those apples look great. Is that a banana shallot I see in the back? This year we discovered the awesomeness of shallots, especially crispy fried shallots but also in other dishes.
I’m trying to grow a few types this year including a type of banana shallot. I’ve not had any success in the past growing bulbing onions but I’m trying again this year and starting them inside (already growing in the basement).
I never figured out for sure what it was, but based on descriptions it seemed the most like Keener Seedling. Many apples were called Rusty Coat including Pomme Gris, Roxbury Russet, etc. It was highly bug-prone and very dry-textured so I decided to remove it a few years ago. The only apple of that type I kept was Swayzie. The “type” is smaller, completely covered with russet and not so sour.
Thanks Scott, you wouldn’t think it would be bug prone being a hard apple but good to know. Ever try Bullock or Campfield? Looking for a bittersweet apple that can perform in hot and humid climates. Any suggestions?
I grew Bullock, no bitter there that I can recall. Campfield I have now, it has been slow to fruit but it should be fruiting a bit more this year. My current favorite in that category would be Yates, it is very sweet and shows quick browning so must be reasonable tannins as well. It is very late-ripening, for me I pick them right before the first hard frost in November. They are not really in their prime until the following February, and they are even better now. The last one I checked brix on was 20, definitely in the sweet category with that.
So if you have a long enough season I would go Yates all the way. Along with being a great cider apple it is completely bulletproof and is very productive. The only downside is small size of the fruits.
I do have a Yates planted, but maybe I should plant another. I do like to diversify though so always on the lookout for other options. The bittersweets are hard to come by.
Scott do you know if your Yates is the standard or the cluster Yates? I guess the cluster Yates fruits like it’s name implies, in clusters. I have the cluster type but it hasn’t fruited yet.
