Well, I finished grafting of two of my other scions to some M7 rootstocks today. I got them at the apple workshop I went to Sat. These were some of my first whip and tongue grafts, and I had trouble getting them lined up, but I think I did alright. I wrapped them nice and tight and hope they take. I grafted Snapp Stayman and Suncrisp, on Sat I grafted a Goldrush. I have heard that GR doesn’t do so great on M7, but that’s what I had available, so…
Today I also got a blackberry plot tilled up, getting ready for some plants to go into the ground. It hasn’t rained any in about 5 days, so I figured I’d better take advantage of the weather.
It’s supposed to get cold later this week, highs in the low 40s, lows in the hi 20s. Looks like we’ll be in this cool spell for a while, but not too bad.
Well, yesterday I got a blackberry run tilled up, and today I got my Triple Crowns planted. I ended up getting 7 tip layers planted with very good roots. I placed them about 4-5ft apart in the row, hope that’s enough room.
Some of the canes had a little green on them, don’t know if they’re starting to wake up yet. I had to hold onto them almost two weeks before I could plant them as it was way too wet to plant. It’s been a bit drier the last week, so thought today would be my best chance. I kept them moist in a bag with wet paper in a dark cool cellar before planting.
When I know they’ll survive and sprout new canes, I’ll be putting up a trellis for them. They’re near the barn in some very rich soil, so they should do well.
Hopefully next year we’ll have more TC’s than what we know what do with! Plus, next month we’ll be getting some more thornless BB’s to plant.
A special thank you to the very generous GF member who sent them to us, you know who you are!
Anyone heard of this apple? Ruby Frost. I bought a tray of them at Costco yesterday. Huge, crisp apple. Very good flavor. Quite hard. White flesh, tinged with pale green. The tag says they are ‘distributed’ by United Apple Sales in NY - but doesn’t say where they are grown. Australia, you think? I’ve never seen this one before.
My favorite apple of this winter was, hands down, Pink Lady.
A close second were the early Opals. They must not store very well . . . because later purchases were not anywhere as near as good.
Strawberry Plugs. I found a ‘new’ feed & seed that’s not too too far away from my house. Norfolk County Feed & Seed. The biggest supply and choice of soils, composts and fertilizers, in one place, that I’ve ever seen. The only place around here that sells ‘mushroom compost’, (which a friend raves about.) While I was there I picked up some strawberry plants. One variety for stacked pots. And one with runners, to plant in beds. I’ve never tried the pot method. Should be fun - and I can put it close to the house and easily net it. Kids will love it, too.
We have ‘U Pick’ Strawberries around here, but they have become tasteless over the years - and I quit going. Gonna try growing some at home.
Got an email update on our 3 pluots from Bay Laurel. They shipped out today, supposed to be here next Monday. Was hoping they would’ve shipped yesterday so that they’d be here by Friday. Don’t like the idea of them being in a truck for 7 days, but not much I can do about that.
Anyways, getting kinda geeked about them coming in. I have a place for them planned, down by the barn with some other of our fruit trees.
As mentioned earlier today, I got some blackberries planted today, with more rasps and BB’s coming in next month.
That’s all the fruit plants I’ve ordered for this year, l’m serious. Really. Hard to believe, but we’re actually running out of good places to put all these plants and trees.
It’s about time to get my indoor veggie starts going soon.
@BobC, we were in Ashland today and stopped by Rural King to check out their fruit tree stock. They had a lot to pick from, quite a few apples, plums, peaches, and cherries. They even had a Pixie Crunch apple like the one one you got.
Of course there were some that I wanted to get, but had some self-restraint. I was particularly interested in a Santa Rosa plum, but at $40, I had to say no thanks.
Afterwards, we stepped inside the store and got some hot popcorn and looked around a bit, but I only got a couple packets of yellow tomato seeds. It had been a long day so we didn’t linger too long and headed home. But always nice to look around at the ole RK.
Thanks.Yes,only the Cornelian Cherry has fruited and the others are about two year old grafts.I’m looking forward to getting some Apricots this time.
They don’t call the Pacific NW,Pluot country,but most of the ones I’ve grown have been very good.Hopefully your area will be a favorable place to cultivate them. Brady
Thanks. Yeah, I’m not too sure that pluots will work well here, but they are supposed to be good to zone 6b, so I thought I’d give them a shot.
I considered apricots last year, but thankfully didn’t get any trees then. I believe I’d be lucky to get any fruit from them once every four or five years. Shoot, even peaches may be tough, but that didn’t stop me from planting four of them.
@subdood_ky_z6b Sounds like you have your hands full! Me too.
But, as my veggie garden gets smaller and smaller - my fruit ‘farm’ gets larger! I used to grow all sorts of vegetables . . . but now it’s down to cukes, tomatoes, peppers, radishes, and some potatoes. My huge tilled plot has become several raised beds, with nice mulched paths between them. And many things have gone into pots. I gave up on the idea of trying pluots, here in VA, after a lot of advice against it. Too many late frosts and cold weather. I’m surprised that it isn’t the same for you in KY. Good luck, tho. I’ll be anxious to see how yours do.
Snow’s been coming down off and on all morning. The deck is covered with a thin layer, but it’s not sticking to the ground very well. It is sticking to some brush and weeds, which makes a curious contrast with the now deep green grass. It’s 34 and warming a bit, so it won’t stick around. I’m sure glad I got those blackberries planted yesterday, it’s about 25° colder today.
@PomGranny, yeah, I may be pushing my luck with pluots, but we’ll see. I figured if @Drew51 can grow them up in Michigan, then I might get lucky here. I do know he has a microclimate that is conducive to such stone fruit, so it may be a poor assertion. The trees are still in SoCal, last I checked on UPS, due Monday.
What does a Cornelian Cherry taste like? Isn’t it related to a dogwood? We have those around here, but haven’t tasted the fruit off them, don’t think our version is edible.
It’s worth trying the pluots I think. If they don’t work out you can graft other plums to them, even peaches. And I have all kinds of scion to try.
I’m excited about my weeping Santa Rosa. I kept it staked to 7 feet and it has made it there. Now to let it weep at that point, and I have to wait for growth to see it it worked. If not I can head it down and try again. I’m worried that some branches reverted back to regular Santa Rosa and will go straight up. Guess I will know by the end of spring.
Have you ever fruited any Santa Rosa? We were at Rural King yesterday, and they had a semi-dwarf SR, but it was $40, so I had to pass. If a plum is on semi-dwarf rootstock, is it safe to assume it’s Citation? I guess if I really wanted a SR, I could have got one from Bay Laurel with my other pluots for $25.
Are there any other folks in this part of the country that’s had success fruiting Santa Rosa?
I guess with my wild plum, I could try grafting some SR on it, correct? I might try that next year.
No, my tree is 3rd leaf this year but it died back after being planted and barely made it. So it lost a year. Now that it is bigger. it is doing better. Still for how tall and being staked, the trunk is very skinny. I untied it yesterday and it is strong enough. I put some safety ties on it (it can move about a foot before tie stops it)
Yes, a good way to practice. Weeping is supposed to be a better fruit, but to have the weeping form it needs to be by itself. so probably not a good one for multi-grafted trees. I plan not to graft anything unto mine. Scion could be used to start a new tree by putting on wild rootstock for sure.
Not sure if the rootstock is citation, but I would avoid it unless it’s not! My weeping is on Myro 29C I have seen them on marianna too.which is considered semi-dwarf.
The fruit needs to left on the tree until withering.There is a little sweetness,but the flavor to me is like a dry red wine.
Some of the best frozen dessert I’ve had was made from them.With mine though,the flesh to pit ratio is low.There are some varieties out there that are bigger.
Yes,Cornelian Cherry(Cornus mas) is in the Dogwood family. Do the ones around your place have round or teardrop shaped fruit?Cornus Kousa has circular,bumpy fruit.I kind of like them as a snack.They are a little sweeter. Brady http://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-plant-descriptions/kousa-dogwood
