Gonna Restore Apple Orchard

[dmccarty]

Hard to say, but probably not exactly like the apple the seed came out of.

Once in a while you will hit a jackpot with a seedling. We had one at my parents' place that I pruned for 40 years. It was a great apple, large, juicy, heavy bearing with great flavor. All of the popular apple varieties started from a random seedling.

Yep, I don't think you are going to know what those seedlings are going to produce but they are not going to be the same apple that is on the tree. Might be good, great or really bad. :laughing:

Later,
Dan

 

[MossRoad]

I read somewhere that most apple trees you buy now are grafted onto some variety of crab apple root stock. I know my apricot trees are grafted. I let a sucker come up off the roots right next to one of my apricot trees and now I have two very different varieties on what looks like the same tree! :laughing: They are different sizes, different color blossoms, and ripen about 2 weeks apart. But fortunately, both are tasty! :licking:

 

[HillStreet]

Just a couple of thoughts on reviving an old orchard, HillStreet. Do not go crazy for the first year with pruning. Try to take about 1/3 of the old wood out, taking more than that shocks the tree, and it will throw out a huge amount of new growth, which will need to be removed the following spring.
The general rule for pruning older established trees is to try to remove the branches that grow inward, towards the center of the tree, and those that grow pointing upwards. You will notice uncared for apple trees have a lot of beaches or sucker growing straight up towards the sky, you want them to grow downwards or parallel to the ground.
Unless the trees are in very bad condition, they shouldn't need any fertilizer, as it causes excess growth of new foliage, and you want fruit, not leaves. If you do decide to fertilize, use a fertilizer with little to no nitrogen in it.
Copper sulphate or a combination fruit tree spray, is very safe to use on Apple peach and plum trees, start spaying in Feb. and keep going throughout the growing season.
Turning an neglected orchard around is a little like turning a battleship around, it takes time, effort, and diligence. It's an ongoing process. Every year, you prune and spray, and at the same time, the tree tries to revert to the condition you started with in the first place.r

Thanks Rgr, very informative.

 

[California]

I don't have much that's useful to add to this thread, just thought I would share a photo I just took. This is an old Gravenstein orchard (with a family Persimmon tree at the center of the photo below). Legend says this was subdivided in 1905 into one-horse parcels when the developer who started it at square miles size went bankrupt.

My orchard - 8 acres productive and another three in jungle ravine - has been contracted to neighbors to operate along with their larger parcels since at least 1950. My own role is limited to dig out stumps, watering and maintaining new trees until they reach productive age, rototill the tight spots, maintain water supply etc. The neighbor brings his 7 to 20 man crew for pruning and harvest, and drives tractor himself for spraying and discing. We have quite a few family trees among the commercial trees. (Persimmons) and tons of blackberries in the ravine.

I'm in a region where properties are rapidly turning over to absentee owners who want a weekend getaway with 'ambiance', that is, they tear out the apples, and contract with someone to plant and operate a vineyard. Then deer-fence themselves into a little prison and put in motion-activated lights to defend their fancy new house against imagined hazards because they are seldom around. Most have no interest in becoming real neighbors.

Now all the fenced-out wildlife has migrated over here. It's like a zoo. (coyote pounce pic). In the photo posted below, this is the second tame peacock that I think someone brought out to the country and dumped. He's not alarmed if I walk within 2 ft of him. The one that was here a few years ago would go to the door of the guest cabin and beg to be let in at sunset every night, obviously he was raised that way. I've never fed either, just let them be and talk to them which they seem to like.

 

[JPRambo]

Doe anyone here know of the RAMBO apple variety?

 

[MossRoad]

Yes, but if they told you about it they'd have to kill you....

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I read somewhere that most apple trees you buy now are grafted onto some variety of crab apple root stock. I know my apricot trees are grafted. I let a sucker come up off the roots right next to one of my apricot trees and now I have two very different varieties on what looks like the same tree! :laughing: They are different sizes, different color blossoms, and ripen about 2 weeks apart. But fortunately, both are tasty! :licking:

The root stock varies. I think dwarf trees are grafted onto quince stock.

 

[California]

Rootstock and a lot more details are documented in these best-practices research publications from UC-Davis School of Agriculture. The orchardist who operates my little orchard along with his larger operation was one of the research subjects.

Google on:

94appdry.pdf (dry farming)

94appsprk.pdf (sprinkler irrigated)

94ncapples.pdf (production practices)

applesjv2001.pdf (cost studies)

One point that these brought into focus for me is that in Northern California, producing apples can cover production costs but isn't economically rational if you need to consider the cost of land. So apple production continues on land owned clear or leased, but the conversion to vineyards we see all around us makes more sense if you are trying to earn a living.

 

[OldMcDonald]

California, I do like your post #34. I think having wildlife about the place is one of the greatest joys of farming.

HillStreet, I am a bit surprised that nobody has given you the sort of info California gives at #38. I make great use Of UC Davis despite being thousands of miles away. For local advice though I think you need to approach your own State advisory service and learn a lot more about apple varieties and their management BEFORE beginning to prune. As someone else has already posted, there are courses available.

Once learned, pruning is not so difficult and I do agree with Jeff at #18 about using a hand saw. Good secateurs are essential, and maybe loppers too. I manage 500 olive trees from young to very old (some posters might not know that an olive is a drupe the same as peaches and plums so they are fruit trees) and pruning is a major task every year, but harvest is the really testing time. Make sure you have plenty of assistance available to enable a quick harvest at the optimum time.

 

[5030]

been following along but not commenting. Dead applewood limbs chipped make dandy smoker chips. I have no issue getting rid of mine but then I own a chipper too. I put a burlap sack over the chipper outlet and chip into a bag. All my 'friends' come get them....