My 20 bushels turned into 15 gallons of juice. I didn’t count the windfalls, which all went into sauce.
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Of the 3 trees I originally grafted I now have 1. I believe the bark splitting I reported was due to late season growth that wasn’t hardened off before winter. The final tree I have is not at all vigorous even on B.118. It seems to me this is a Z5 apple as suggested in what I’ve read. I’ll probably graft 2 additional trees to see how they do, but I don’t hold out much hope this tree will be productive in Z4a.
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None of mine have ever maxed out on size. Even the big, ancient original one on seedling stock was happy to go bigger forever. All of my grafts (mm111, mm106, g890, g41) have grown really prolifically.
I can’t comment on cold hardiness, I just get explosive growth on everything in z9.
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We included a Yellow Bellflower as part of our Fedco order back in 2009, so it is on Antonovka rootstock. Three years later deer got into our orchard and feasted on a few trees in particular, including the YB. It survived, but barely. The tree seems to be permanently dwarfed. It is no taller than 6 feet with no special pruning beyond what the deer did. It took several more years before it bore fruit, and it has rarely produced more than a handful of apples in any year. This year, for the first time ever, it is full of blossoms. Here’s hoping.
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Maybe try and “dung it” (give it some manure to boost the vigor)?
We have plenty of aged chicken manure
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That ought to do the trick to stimulate it.
A couple shovels-full
shouldn’t hurt an older tree if scattered under the branches.
Actually I lost one, and the other I thought might flower this year but it didn’t. Not a tip bearer I suppose.
My Yellow Bellflower was relentlessly harassed by deer and I eventually caged it and grafted two more. The 2 new trees are doing quite well and the original tree has recovered and is growing well. It had a single bloom this spring but didn’t set fruit. So it appears this tree will do well in my climate after all.
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They are supposed to be very good apples. I hope your tree does well now.
Our Yellow Bellflower eventually died after struggling for years to make something of itself after severe deer damage. It is an old heirloom and suspected parent of Red Delicious, so it was a tough call, but I decided not to replace it. The few fruits we ever got from the tree were fine but nothing special. Scott’s wording was that it was perfectly ok but not great. But others have praised it, so you may have a much better experience.
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Just coming across this thread. the large yellow apple i discovered at the Rossingnol farm where i work may very well be a yellow bellflower. its got some russeting but its a little more squat but ive seen examples of both squat and elongated in these apples. they are a late oct apple here. that means this 150+ old tree has survived z3 winters on a exposed bluff in thin soil over ledge. there were 2 but one got split by lightning and died in the 60’s the size of the tree matches as well. I’ve talked to some of the ol’ timers and they speak of a large yellow apple called Bellefleur apple that was considered the best apple to grow by their parents and grandparents. i need to do a little more homework to confirm. right off the tree its a good apple but maybe we are picking it later than its ripening time, so it sweetens up more.
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I read a 1920’s book chapter about Pumpkinsweet, Yellow Bellflower, and Baldwin. It was all about rural life in New England. He described the Pumpkinsweet as orangish yellow and uncommon by then. They were going to market in a wagon. The old farmer said he had them since the 1800’s. Someone else had a fruit cellar full of Baldwins and Yellow Bellflowers in springtime, ready for market. The owner said Yellow Bellflowers reach their dessert perfection after storage.
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