JNRBRONC
Well-Known Member
While at WalMart a couple of weeks ago, my wife wanted to tour the live plant display in the parking lot. We happened to pass by the apple trees and I was surprised to see that they had a variety named Haralson. That "planted the seed" so to speak. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
I had read that this variety is very winter hardy (having been developed through the University of Minnesota horticulture program). I also read that it is such a heavy producer as to break branches and that chemical or mechanical(hand) thinning of fruit might be necessary. The card hanging on the tree said that the use of a pollinator tree would assure heavy crops.Well, today I decided to plant one tree. I figure that by itself and in a valley where it might lose some blossoms to late frosts, it shouldn't set enough fruit as to break limbs (and as a wildlife tree, who cares if it does?). There are apple trees within about 400 yards, so there should be some cross pollination. Push come to shove, I'll plant a pollinator near it in the future.
I selected the "whippiest" tree they had and then cut most all lateral branches off after planting. I plan to prune it so there are no branches lower than the 6 foot cage it is in, since the deer would browse anything lower anyways.
I'm sure the planting of this tree pretty much assures that the weather will turn hot and dry so that watering all summer will be necessary. At least I can drive right to it with the truck. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif
The cage in the background with a white plastic grocery bag is an oak tree I planted today. Earlier this year I found a huge acorn laying under a bush in the front yard. It was cracked in half and this told me that it was trying to germinate. I grabbed an empty plastic pot from the garage, filled it with dirt and planted the acorn. Sure enough, it sprouted into an oak tree. I figured it was going to be easier to take care of it if I planted it, as the pot might have a tendancy to dry out rapidly. Also, with it being such a small tree, there wouldn't be much transplant shock. I guess I'll water it when I tend to the apple tree.
I had read that this variety is very winter hardy (having been developed through the University of Minnesota horticulture program). I also read that it is such a heavy producer as to break branches and that chemical or mechanical(hand) thinning of fruit might be necessary. The card hanging on the tree said that the use of a pollinator tree would assure heavy crops.Well, today I decided to plant one tree. I figure that by itself and in a valley where it might lose some blossoms to late frosts, it shouldn't set enough fruit as to break limbs (and as a wildlife tree, who cares if it does?). There are apple trees within about 400 yards, so there should be some cross pollination. Push come to shove, I'll plant a pollinator near it in the future.
I selected the "whippiest" tree they had and then cut most all lateral branches off after planting. I plan to prune it so there are no branches lower than the 6 foot cage it is in, since the deer would browse anything lower anyways.
I'm sure the planting of this tree pretty much assures that the weather will turn hot and dry so that watering all summer will be necessary. At least I can drive right to it with the truck. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif
The cage in the background with a white plastic grocery bag is an oak tree I planted today. Earlier this year I found a huge acorn laying under a bush in the front yard. It was cracked in half and this told me that it was trying to germinate. I grabbed an empty plastic pot from the garage, filled it with dirt and planted the acorn. Sure enough, it sprouted into an oak tree. I figured it was going to be easier to take care of it if I planted it, as the pot might have a tendancy to dry out rapidly. Also, with it being such a small tree, there wouldn't be much transplant shock. I guess I'll water it when I tend to the apple tree.
