Native Hunter 2023 Apples

[Native Hunter]

We are still harvesting both Striped June and Bevan's Favorite. My next apple to ripen will be Summer Champion, but it is going to be another two to four weeks or so before they are ripe. While we are waiting, I want to list the young trees I have that look great but will not be bearing fruit this year due to their youth. I have high hopes for these:

Ed's Crazy Crab
Whole Season Crab
Sonofcal Applecrab
Big Dog Crab
Advent Pear
Canisteo Apple
Big 10 Apple
Turning Point Applecrab
Rifle Deer Pear
Roadkill Crab
Buckman Crab
Big Lou Crab
Sweet November Crab
Malus Pear
Candy Crab
Ruby Rush Apple
Atago Pear
Galarina Apple
All of these are growing like weeds and look very clean and healthy.

 

[RGrizzzz]

Great list! I have a number of the bluehill trees, which are all doing well. The only one I haven't managed to get yet is rifle deer pear.

 

[Native Hunter]

Great list! I have a number of the bluehill trees, which are all doing well. The only one I haven't managed to get yet is rifle deer pear.

I’m impressed with his knowledge and love for finding good deer apples and pears. I also love the Dolgo rootstock he uses, because you will never have any anchoring problems like folks do with B118. I realize that some of his varieties may not do as well in the South - but, some might even do better!

 

[Native Hunter]

Just FYI - my biggest Striped Junes this year max out at 2 7/8 inches, and most will be 2 to 2 1/2.

 

[Native Hunter]

 

[RGrizzzz]

I’m impressed with his knowledge and love for finding good deer apples and pears. I also love the Dolgo rootstock he uses, because you will never have any anchoring problems like folks do with B118. I realize that some of his varieties may not do as well in the South - but, some might even do better!

Ryan is about an hour from our camp. I sent him some scion from a tree on our camp last winter. It's near an old homestead, and keeps apples well into December. I'm curious to see how it does long term. He sent us a few grafts back that I planted in April.

 

[Native Hunter]

Going to give you a preview of my first apple crop of Sundance. Looking insane right now. October ripening.

 

[Native Hunter]

Next apple to ripen is Summer Champion. As you can see in the pics below, some are starting to get some color. This is a good early season apple that I recommend. Taste is slightly on the tart side but good for fresh eating too. Will show light to moderate CAR and seems immune to FB and everything else. My tree is small on mm106 - about 12 feet tall and wide. Crop this year is on the light side. Size of this apple is medium to large. Has been dependable.





Now I will give you a preview of Myers Royal Limbertwig. I’m going to need some help with this one.

 

[Native Hunter]

The first pictures I posted of Bevan’s didn’t do it justice, because it was too early. Below are some better pics from today.

 

[Native Hunter]

The bad new = we had a strong storm to hit at my home Sunday night. It took down one of my apple trees. It also blew about 1,000 apples off of the other trees.

The good news = The tree that went down was not one of my better cultivars, and we still have plenty of apples left hanging.

The tree that went down was a Betsey Deaton. I will go ahead and talk about it a little. It was an early summer ripening apple that was very dependable and made good fruit regularly. However, I won't plant another one, because there are better choices that fill the same time frame. Betsey's worst problem was showing quite a bit of CAR, which I don't like for an apple in my yard.



And of course I had more fun with my in-laws weeping willow and I went ahead and pruned a mulberry while I was at it.

 

[Native Hunter]

I finished picking my last bunch of Bevan’s Favorite today. The few that are left will feed the deer. Second pic is a preview of one of my favorite drying apples that is a long way from being ready.

 

[Native Hunter]

My next apple to ripen is Williams Pride. This is at the farm, and I had almost forgotten about it. This is only the second crop of apples, and so far not very impressive. At this time I am holding my recommendation on this cultivar until I get more experience. The apples this year are misshapen looking and small. That could be because of the polar vortex last winter. They are fine for deer but not very good looking for humans. Ask me about this one in a few more years.




This is one of the better looking ones.

 

[Native Hunter]

My next apple to ripen is Priscilla. We are loaded with them this year. In my opinion, there is not a better apple. It is extremely DR and reliable. The taste is outstanding. The first ones should be ripe by the end of the month and the will continue over 6 weeks. More pics to come as they ripen.

 

[Native Hunter]

Priscilla starting to fall. I’m going to pick a bunch tomorrow.

 

[Native Hunter]

All I want to mess with today.

 

[Native Hunter]

Cherry picked a few nice ones before the bees drill them.

 

[Native Hunter]

Next apple to ripen is Myers Royal Limbertwig. Bulletproof cultivar where I live for no spray. Apples are big and tart. Has the rep of a great cider and cooking apple. Perfect for drying and making chips. Comes from the Great Smokey Mountains.

 

[Native Hunter]

My goal in life is to make people sick of looking at apples.

 

[Native Hunter]

I took another bushel (approx 10 gal) off Priscilla today. Had some relatives asking for more. These are the last two buckets I picked.

 

[Native Hunter]

No, we are not having a Hulk Hogan cage match.

Some of you have been growing Enterprise for a long time. My oldest one that was just ready to start bearing got broken off by the storm last year. This young one had 5 apples this year and the deer have already picked 4 of them off the tree.

I now have this one tightly caged with window screen so I will finally be able to taste one. If I like the taste, I’m planting another one for a home eating apple. I can already see that this cultivar is very disease resistant and easy to grow.