Native Hunter 2023 Apples

[Native Hunter]

This is a tree called King David that I will go ahead and talk about, because we will probably just leave these for the deer. The apples look ripe in the picture, but it will still be a while for them. When ripe, they turn almost black. This tree has good disease resistance and I consider it a good deer apple. It would probably make a good human apple with just a little attention, which I never give. It tends to overbear, so thinning would help for human purposes. it's just a tad on the tart side for my taste.

 

[Native Hunter]

I’m 3 to 4 weeks from Liberty being ripe. The one pictured below is still a fairly small tree but already making nice crops. Liberty is a highly disease resistant apple. It has a nice flavor for fresh eating - kind of a blend of sweet and tart. It is one of the best no spray apples.

 

[Native Hunter]

This is a tree called Freedom that is highly touted as a disease resistant apple. My tree is young and just started bearing fruit last year. So far my experience had not been great, but sometimes it takes a few years for a tree to hit its stride. This year I started out with about a dozen apples but most have fallen prematurely. Fruit is very large. I think this cultivar will be good given time. Ask me in a couple of years.



I will go ahead and post pics of Yates, since I got some good pics yesterday. Yates is perhaps the best deer apple I grow. It is a reliable producer of small to medium sized, sweet fruit that drops into mid November where I live. It is highly DR and loaded most years.

 

[lakngolf]

Dang, Native, you have it going on. May have to change your name to Johnny something.
Could you provide an aerial or diagram to show where these trees are and how far apart? Also note the pear trees.
Thanks

 

[Native Hunter]

Dang, Native, you have it going on. May have to change your name to Johnny something.
Could you provide an aerial or diagram to show where these trees are and how far apart? Also note the pear trees.
Thanks

Lak, most of my trees are on MM111 rootstock, and set approximately 18 feet apart. You might get a few limbs from different trees touching with this setup, but not much. MM111 makes a big semi-dwarf tree that is close to full sized. Other rootstocks that make smaller sized trees can be planted a little closer. Full sized pears can also be planted this close, but 20 feet might be better.

Some of the trees I post are at my house and some at my farm. Regardless of where you plant them, make sure you get full sun and that the roots are not in a swampy place. Neither apples nor pears like wet feet, and both require full sun to fruit well.

Another important thing is to start with good disease resistant cultivars. It’s fine to experiment a little, but make sure you have a base of proven varieties. I’m a no spray person, so disease resistance is important to me.

Getting the tree off to a good start is important too. Cages are a must, and weed mats and screening the bottom are highly recommended. Also, in the first year I will water during a drought. I have also occasionally fertilized and limed a little, but that isn’t absolutely necessary in most cases where I live.

PS- I just sliced another 5 gallons of Priscilla and put in the dehydrator for Carmel apple chips.

Best wishes.

 

[Native Hunter]

Even though it is a few weeks from ripening, I’m going to go ahead and post pictures of Black Limbertwig. This apple will be deep red when fully ripe. The crop this year is low - maybe 50 apples on a big tree. But, the apples are nice looking. Tree is very DR to all major diseases. I had 2 of these. We moved both with a backhoe for the new road. One died, and this one is recovering. But, we put it in a place with a little to much shade I think, which hurts it. I do recommend this variety.

 

[RGrizzzz]

This is a tree called Freedom that is highly touted as a disease resistant apple. My tree is young and just started bearing fruit last year. So far my experience had not been great, but sometimes it takes a few years for a tree to hit its stride. This year I started out with about a dozen apples but most have fallen prematurely. Fruit is very large. I think this cultivar will be good given time. Ask me in a couple of years.

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I will go ahead and post pics of Yates, since I got some good pics yesterday. Yates is perhaps the best deer apple I grow. It is a reliable producer of small to medium sized, sweet fruit that drops into mid November where I live. It is highly DR and loaded most years.

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Good to hear about the Yates. Ryan at Bluehill highly recommended them too.

 

[Native Hunter]

Our recent drought has ended this morning, which is good, but I'm housebound until the rain stops. I'm going to go ahead and post pictures from last season of 2 similar crabapples. Both of these trees are at the farm and strictly for deer.

First two pics are Dolgo from Wildlife Group. Very DR and productive. Has slow fall and winter drop, however, a few (maybe 30%) hang on all winter and never fall.

Third pic is Eliza's Choice Crab. Very similar to Dolgo, but fruit is a tad larger and maybe deeper red.

PS - Crabapples not dropping is a problem in the south. These two varieties aren't perfect, but they fall reasonably well and are much better for me than Golden Hornet. None of my Golden Hornet ever drop and just hang all winter - turning into dried up mummies.

 

[Native Hunter]

I’m going to go ahead and post pictures of Terry Winter. This is a small to medium apple that is supposed to be very similar to Yates in most respects. It’s an OK deer apple, but I think Yates is superior. Yates generally has bigger crops and drops a little longer. Terry is very disease resistant, but I wouldn’t plant it again unless I had a lot of room to spare.

 

[Native Hunter]

Back earlier I gave you a preview of Sundance. This is my first crop, and I’m now excited about this apple. It seems to be bulletproof in all respects.

I’m just now beginning to get the red blush on the yellow skin that I have seen in pictures. I’m getting an occasional apple to drop, but I have calculated that the prime ripening at my location will be about September 1. I’ve already taste tested and like it, but know that the flavor will sweeten even more in storage. My plans are to add one or more Sundance next spring for my own personal use.

 

[Native Hunter]

I’m considering giving the apples on my Caney Fork Limbertwig to a friend for cider, so I will go ahead and post pics now. This apple will get a red cast but not deep red. The only problem I have with it is that it always shows moderate CAR, but it isn’t enough to hurt the crops. The taste is great. It has a long, slow drop, and Most will have fallen by early October where I live. If you don’t spray for CAR, I wouldn’t recommend planting this cultivar in a place where aesthetics would be important.

 

[Native Hunter]

I told someone a while back that I didn’t have an Arkansas Black producing at this time. Well, I was wrong. I have now identified a previously unknown tree as an AB. It’s a young tree and only has 17 apples, but I’m excited to finally get to try this famous variety. PS - I have a temporary cage built around the tree to keep the deer from getting them before I do.

 

[lakngolf]

That is a pretty apple. Glad you found a surprise

 

[Native Hunter]

The Sundance Apple is now in a tie for second place as my favorite no spray human apple. They are slowly falling, and I love the complex flavor. Below are a few I picked up over the last couple of days. Im headed to my basement to dehydrate these and make Carmel apple chips.

 

[Native Hunter]

This is a poor year for pears in my area, but some trees do have a few. However, most are not as large as normal. I believe this is mostly due to the polar vortex we experienced last winter along with spring freezes at a critical time for pears.

Below is a picture of a Kieffer at the farm that has a decent crop of smaller than normal fruit. Pic taken today. A few other trees are similar and other have almost no fruit.

PS - I plan to keep this same thread going next year and hopefully cover pears and a few more apples.

 

[weekender21]

I told someone a while back that I didn’t have an Arkansas Black producing at this time. Well, I was wrong. I have now identified a previously unknown tree as an AB. It’s a young tree and only has 17 apples, but I’m excited to finally get to try this famous variety. PS - I have a temporary cage built around the tree to keep the deer from getting them before I do.

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I planted a few AK black in 2019. They’ve been slow starters for me and some years they almost look dead. Those look amazing!


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[weekender21]

This is a poor year for pears in my area, but some trees do have a few. However, most are not as large as normal. I believe this is mostly due to the polar vortex we experienced last winter along with spring freezes at a critical time for pears.

Below is a picture of a Kieffer at the farm that has a decent crop of smaller than normal fruit. Pic taken today. A few other trees are similar and other have almost no fruit.

PS - I plan to keep this same thread going next year and hopefully cover pears and a few more apples.

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I’ve had great growth from our 2019 wildlife group pears and less bear damage than the apples. I’m not sure if they’ll every do much with a high frost threat during our blooming season in Appalachia but they’ve become some of my my biggest trees.


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[Native Hunter]

I planted a few AK black in 2019. They’ve been slow starters for me and some years they almost look dead. Those look amazing!


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AB is a slow growing tree for me too. This is my first crop and the tree was planted several years ago. Good luck with yours.

 

[Native Hunter]

I’ve had great growth from our 2019 wildlife group pears and less bear damage than the apples. I’m not sure if they’ll every do much with a high frost threat during our blooming season in Appalachia but they’ve become some of my my biggest trees.


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I have learned to never plant a pear tree on low ground. Frost pockets are a killer for pears. High ground is a different story. I have good crops most years.

 

[Native Hunter]

Here is another pear that I really like. This year the crop isn’t so great, but last year my two trees of this variety were both loaded and the fruit was large. This includes one on low ground in a frost pocket. The pear is Senator Clark. It appears to be a European Pear with a few Asian genes mixed in.