Search found 58 matches

by dmtaylor
Sat May 06, 2017 7:51 am
Forum: Apples, Cider and Variety and Other Fruit Questions
Topic: Newbie apple grower
Replies: 3
Views: 20050

Re: Newbie apple grower

Don't let them fruit, it will stunt growth and the weight could bend your tree down to the ground. Remove all the blossoms or young fruitlets in the first year or two when the tree is stronger.
by dmtaylor
Fri Oct 14, 2016 6:47 am
Forum: Apples, Cider and Variety and Other Fruit Questions
Topic: Strawberry Apple
Replies: 4
Views: 12300

Re: Strawberry Apple

I have tasted this apple.... it even TASTES like strawberry!:

http://maplevalleyorchards.com/Pages/Ap ... Strawberry
by dmtaylor
Mon Sep 12, 2016 7:53 pm
Forum: Fruit Trees and Orchard Maintenance
Topic: Neglected brand new orchard
Replies: 1
Views: 10370

Re: Neglected brand new orchard

Your orchard should turn out fine. Assuming you are in the northern hemisphere: Hold off on pruning until February or March of next year. At that point, on each tree, remove any branches in the lowest 3 feet of the tree all the way back to the trunk, then tip the central leader to a southwest facing...
by dmtaylor
Thu May 05, 2016 6:30 am
Forum: Apples, Cider and Variety and Other Fruit Questions
Topic: New to the apple tree world!
Replies: 1
Views: 8111

Re: New to the apple tree world!

Welcome to apple growing! It is a very rewarding experience, although I'll warn you that patience is a requirement. Planted from whips, you might see fruit in the second year at earliest, but often it takes an extra season or two to get very much at all, and I have one tree that took about 6-7 years...
by dmtaylor
Fri Oct 16, 2015 11:09 am
Forum: Apples, Cider and Variety and Other Fruit Questions
Topic: Mystery apple shrub
Replies: 2
Views: 8632

Re: Mystery apple shrub

That's not an apple. Might be quince -- I don't know a lot about quince except that they are very hard and dry, large, and more closely related to pears than to apples. Look into it.
by dmtaylor
Sat May 30, 2015 7:17 pm
Forum: Apples, Cider and Variety and Other Fruit Questions
Topic: So much blossom.
Replies: 7
Views: 15797

Re: So much blossom.

It's helpful to thin right away to one fruit per cluster, or even more severely to one fruit every 4 to 6 inches on each branch. This will maximize the size and beauty of your fruit and prevent biennialism (bearing heavily only one year out of every two, common on most varieties).
by dmtaylor
Mon May 11, 2015 9:28 pm
Forum: Fruit Trees and Orchard Maintenance
Topic: Question about my dwarf golden delicious tree please?
Replies: 3
Views: 9796

Re: Question about my dwarf golden delicious tree please?

The tree is probably just too young to have any blossom this year. Give it a year or even two years to grow before expecting much fruit. Some young trees bloom right away. Most do not. Patience.
by dmtaylor
Mon May 11, 2015 9:26 pm
Forum: Apples, Cider and Variety and Other Fruit Questions
Topic: So much blossom.
Replies: 7
Views: 15797

Re: So much blossom.

It depends where you live. Here in Wisconsin, I am expecting an excellent season, as the weather has been a little cool but no late frost. Late frost can really hurt the crops. Without frost, you might experience a boom this year. Keep in mind also that pome fruits often tend to be biennial in natur...
by dmtaylor
Thu Sep 25, 2014 10:15 pm
Forum: Apples, Cider and Variety and Other Fruit Questions
Topic: How to get started as a true apple lover?
Replies: 4
Views: 12078

Re: How to get started as a true apple lover?

If you have any orchards nearby, taste 10 or 12 different kinds of apples... buy a small bag or half-peck of each, and compare slices side by side to see what you prefer. I am fortunate to live near some excellent orchards, some of which have many old heritage varieties. I have tasted probably 100 d...
by dmtaylor
Mon Sep 22, 2014 9:33 pm
Forum: Apples, Cider and Variety and Other Fruit Questions
Topic: Recommendations for late bloom/ early harvest?
Replies: 5
Views: 14557

Re: Recommendations for late bloom/ early harvest?

Your best choice is probably Zestar! The license has recently loosened up, so I know you can buy them now from big nurseries like Cummins and Maple Valley. Excellent apple as well. Related to the famous Honeycrisp.
by dmtaylor
Fri Jun 27, 2014 9:27 am
Forum: Fruit Trees and Orchard Maintenance
Topic: Mystery Disease ???
Replies: 2
Views: 8502

Re: Mystery Disease ???

Looks like freeze-thaw damage. Are the cracks confined to the south or southwestern portion of the bark? The theory goes that if very wet weather is followed very quickly by very cold freezing weather, the tree might not have time to adjust its water content, resulting in bursting of the bark, since...
by dmtaylor
Sun Jun 01, 2014 4:59 pm
Forum: Apples, Cider and Variety and Other Fruit Questions
Topic: red cider
Replies: 3
Views: 9355

Re: red cider

Yes, I have. It works!
by dmtaylor
Mon Mar 17, 2014 8:24 pm
Forum: Apples, Cider and Variety and Other Fruit Questions
Topic: "pound apple" tree? Correct name
Replies: 3
Views: 10315

Re: "pound apple" tree? Correct name

Is it a green/yellow color, or is it more yellow/red? The green one might be Pound Sweet. The yellow with red patches might be Wolf River. Both are available here:

http://maplevalleyorchards.com/Pages/Apple_Trees.aspx