Backyard fruit trees (advice and experience?)

[Big Thumper]

I plant lots of apples every year on a piece of land I own in NS. Making it into better grouse/deer/bear habitat. I can get wild rootstock apple trees at $6.00 each. Will graft them in coming years with a variety of apples. The rootstock are hardy and do well without me being there to look after them.

[Dewey Cox]

Originally Posted by Big Thumper

I plant lots of apples every year on a piece of land I own in NS. Making it into better grouse/deer/bear habitat. I can get wild rootstock apple trees at $6.00 each. Will graft them in coming years with a variety of apples. The rootstock are hardy and do well without me being there to look after them.

Where do you get the root stock apple trees for six bucks?
And, what are they?

[Big Thumper]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

Where do you get the root stock apple trees for six bucks?
And, what are they?

Hardy Tree nursery in QC. They grow great trees. They are not your typical retail nursery with big trees, small roots that look good to some urbanites. These are small trees, big roots. They have a couple of varities of rootstock, the one I plant in NS with produce fruit and will actually be fine for food for wildlife. The one for harsher climates, like AB, I believe, may not produce fruit (until grafted). They don't list the 6.00 rootstock online, you have to ask.

[CaberTosser]

Whatever you get do check if its self-pollenating or if it needs a companion tree to be able to cross-pollenate with.

I put in some Evans sour cherry trees that put out their first reasonable harvest last year (and that was still rather modest). I've got some honeycrisp apple trees that I planted a few years ago that I thought had died the other year, but then thee two grew back from a new stem that branched out from the base, I guess the main trunk had died but the root still lived. I'll have to see how those fare in the future, I don't expect fruit from them for a few years.

Last year I bought a Pembina plum to replace one of the 'dead' apple trees but when I was about to dig up the apple tree I saw that signs of life returned to it so I had to pick a spot for the plum. I put it in my front yard but chose a poor spot as it got too much shade and died. I may luck out in my front yard soon as my neighbor noted she was going to have some of her spruce trees cut down, they're far too dense & large for a typical front yard as she has 9 of them and they're probably 50 or 60+ years old (1952 home). I'll also be dropping a mature spruce in my own yard that should help with getting more light to the fruit trees.

[Big Thumper]

Originally Posted by CaberTosser

I put in some Evans sour cherry trees that put out their first reasonable harvest last year (and that was still rather modest). I've got some honeycrisp apple trees that I planted a few years ago that I thought had died the other year, but then thee two grew back from a new stem that branched out from the base, I guess the main trunk had died but the root still lived. I'll have to see how those fare in the future, I don't expect fruit from them for a few years.

If they came back from below the graft, they will produce 'wild' apples if anything.

[CaberTosser]

Originally Posted by Big Thumper

If they came back from below the graft, they will produce 'wild' apples if anything.

These were not hybrid trees with grafted varieties, there is just one variety of apples to expect from them rather than 3 or 4.

[Big Thumper]

Originally Posted by CaberTosser

These were not hybrid trees with grafted varieties, there is just one variety of apples to expect from them rather than 3 or 4.

Honeycrisp apples do not grow true from the root. They must be, like most all edible apples, be grafted onto a rootstock. This graft is a few inches above the ground, normally.

[HunterDave]

I’m up a little north of Edmonton but.......

The season is too short to produce large pears on a Ure Pear tree. I get lots of small pears that are okay for pies but not for eating off the tree.

I get tons of cherries off my Evans Cherry Tree. They are tart but outstanding in pies, jelly and jam. If you are into that I highly recommend it.

Not sure if my Apple tree is a Norkent or a Norland. It’s a heavy producer most years. Occasionally it produces fewer apples but always enough to do something with.

My Pembina plum doesn’t produce a lot because there are no pollinators in the neighbourhood. As soon as it blossoms i’ll Be buying a Brookred Plum in bloom to park beside it until after it blooms and I can plant it. If you aren’t into buying two plum trees, Can Tire has “combination” plum trees that pollinates itself. Three different varieties......same for apple trees.

With Saskatoon and small berry shrubs/trees the birds seem to get the berries before you get a chance to harvest them.

[CaberTosser]

Originally Posted by Big Thumper

Honeycrisp apples do not grow true from the root. They must be, like most all edible apples, be grafted onto a rootstock. This graft is a few inches above the ground, normally.

Ahh, I gotcha. Thanks. Now to wonder whether those things will be worth keeping in the first place. On the other hand, once my neighbor drops some spruce trees I should have more location options. Those 9 spruce share her front yard with a mature elm on the city’s setback (about 8’ of our front yards is the city’s land so many of the elm trees on our street get pruned by the city every 3 years or so)

[Big Thumper]

Originally Posted by CaberTosser

Ahh, I gotcha. Thanks. Now to wonder whether those things will be worth keeping in the first place. On the other hand, once my neighbor drops some spruce trees I should have more location options. Those 9 spruce share her front yard with a mature elm on the city’s setback (about 8’ of our front yards is the city’s land so many of the elm trees on our street get pruned by the city every 3 years or so)

I'd just let them come up for a couple of years then graft them. Easy to do and you can choose which variety or varieties you want!

[Dubious]

I have a Mount Royal plum it produces really nice toonie sized fruit they taste really close to regular store plums. It’s self pollinating and has been a nice looking tree. My friend has 2 pears a golden spice pear trees. I find the fruit quite bitter but it also does well in Calgary.

[CaberTosser]

Originally Posted by Big Thumper

I'd just let them come up for a couple of years then graft them. Easy to do and you can choose which variety or varieties you want!

I know where to buy trees but getting grafting stock would be a different challenge. Unless you get a whole tree and pirate a few branches...

[Koschenk]

Originally Posted by CaberTosser

I know where to buy trees but getting grafting stock would be a different challenge. Unless you get a whole tree and pirate a few branches...

I imagine one of the lovely folks here talking about how great their fruit trees are would be willing to offer you a branch or two.

[CaberTosser]

Originally Posted by Dubious

I have a Mount Royal plum it produces really nice toonie sized fruit they taste really close to regular store plums. It’s self pollinating and has been a nice looking tree. My friend has 2 pears a golden spice pear trees. I find the fruit quite bitter but it also does well in Calgary.

There is a sizable pear tree of unknown variety in my side yard, it produces lots of pears but they're mealy and never ripen, possibly also due to the considerable shade that tree gets from the neighbors spruce trees in her back yard that block it to the south. Those ones I don't think she has any thinning or pruning plans for. The local squirrels constantly litter the pears with a couple of bites taken out.

[Big Thumper]

Originally Posted by CaberTosser

I know where to buy trees but getting grafting stock would be a different challenge. Unless you get a whole tree and pirate a few branches...

Give it a couple years to grow, then PM me, I'll bring a few branches and we can graft on to the tree.

[Dubious]

When we harvest the golden spice pear I find hey need to sit in the basement or the fridge for quite some time to have the starches break down and they become sweeter. Pears can be tuff in Alberta plums and sour cherries do really well.

[Rdamours]

Another thumbs up for Goodland Apples. These are full on orchard sized apples. Fantastic quality eating apples on their own and make for excellent pies as well.

[CaberTosser]

Originally Posted by Big Thumper

Give it a couple years to grow, then PM me, I'll bring a few branches and we can graft on to the tree.

That's a kind offer, hopefully I remember it in a few years

[6.5 shooter]

We should form a graft trading thread.?? I would also be interested in getting trading grafts for my 2 trees..one is older and always had nice apples but neighbors kid was allergic to wasps so cut down our shared pollinator tree...And like others my fruit volume has dropped dramatically on the one remaining tree and no blossoms this year at all... I did buy a 3 fruit apple from CT last year that I hope will cross pollinate or act as a donor grafting tree.??? but it is to young this year...So if anyone wants to swap grafting bits I am in.

[Kim473]

Originally Posted by Kim473

I have a Honey crisp apple. Second year in the ground it was loaded beyond belief. I counted 50 or more fairly large apples. Third year it didn't even have one flower bud. Is this a problem I have to worry about ? Never gonna fruit again or did it just take a rest because of amount of apples on it that one year.

Originally Posted by FishHunterPro

Lots of apple trees produce bi-annually

Well after 2 years of no flowers or signs of apples, my Honey crisp is finally blooming again. Hopefully the bees come and pollinate. I think that maybe it just got stressed with so many apples that first year . I have read that it is a good idea to limit the number of apples every year as to not stress the tree too much and you may get the tree to produce every year. I will be thinning the apples to about 1/2 if and when they start to develop this year. I have also fertilized the tree in the early spring and will again in late spring as stated on the fertilizer bag for fruit trees.

[FishHunterPro]

Originally Posted by Kim473

Well after 2 years of no flowers or signs of apples, my Honey crisp is finally blooming again. Hopefully the bees come and pollinate. I think that maybe it just got stressed with so many apples that first year . I have read that it is a good idea to limit the number of apples every year as to not stress the tree too much and you may get the tree to produce every year. I will be thinning the apples to about 1/2 if and when they start to develop this year. I have also fertilized the tree in the early spring and will again in late spring as stated on the fertilizer bag for fruit trees.

I’ve read the same thing that your tree puts in all it’s energy from a large crop that it puts I all it’s energy trying to grow it and doesn’t develop the next seasons fruiting buds. Thinning about 3 weeks after your blossoms peak is suppose to be the right time to do it and can stop your tree from producing bi-annually . I’ve read for each cluster leave one apple, pretty tempting to want to leave more but the information on my tree says it tends to be bi-annual so i’ll Give this little experiment a try and see how it goes cause it looks like if I left the tree alone this year I could be looking at a big crop for such a little tree judging by all the pink clusters .

[Big Thumper]

Originally Posted by Kim473

Well after 2 years of no flowers or signs of apples, my Honey crisp is finally blooming again. Hopefully the bees come and pollinate. I think that maybe it just got stressed with so many apples that first year . I have read that it is a good idea to limit the number of apples every year as to not stress the tree too much and you may get the tree to produce every year. I will be thinning the apples to about 1/2 if and when they start to develop this year. I have also fertilized the tree in the early spring and will again in late spring as stated on the fertilizer bag for fruit trees.

Honeycrisp is a variety that needs to be pollinated from another tree. So, hopefully, there are other apple tree(s) nearby

[bertha]

I love this thread,very interesting discussion

[bsmitty27]

Hardy fruit and nut trees of alberta facebook group is amazing. The wealth of knowledge is unmatched. They also set up a scion wood exchange (grafting wood) it's a swap or 2.00 a scion. I encourage anyone who is interested in growing fruit, berries or nuts in our northern climate to check it out. I did my first 12 grafts this year and it's got me hooked!

[Sooner]

Dad brought home a apple tree from the nursery many moons back on the advice it would be a great tasting apple. Soft, yucky and an after taste. I find more trees than not have apples that suck.

Now my mother in laws tree has two styles. A red and someone grafted a yellow apple on long before I met her daughter. I could eat pails of apples right off this tree. So good. The reds are juicy and tart. The yellows are just awesome. Both good size and are crunchy. We went from having to support the branches with 2x2's as the tree was so loaded to minimal harvests the last couple years. 5 red apples last year and no yellows. Apples seemed to rot from the inside out. I cut back a bunch of dead branches this spring. The tree has many blooms right now so fingers crossed. Be a shame for this tree to be done. If it comes back, we will be grafting both onto dads tree.


I did notice her tree's bark has white spots on them. Trying to figure out what this is and how to remove it if it is harmful.

[bsmitty27]

Originally Posted by Sooner

Dad brought home a apple tree from the nursery many moons back on the advice it would be a great tasting apple. Soft, yucky and an after taste. I find more trees than not have apples that suck.

Now my mother in laws tree has two styles. A red and someone grafted a yellow apple on long before I met her daughter. I could eat pails of apples right off this tree. So good. The reds are juicy and tart. The yellows are just awesome. Both good size and are crunchy. We went from having to support the branches with 2x2's as the tree was so loaded to minimal harvests the last couple years. 5 red apples last year and no yellows. Apples seemed to rot from the inside out. I cut back a bunch of dead branches this spring. The tree has many blooms right now so fingers crossed. Be a shame for this tree to be done. If it comes back, we will be grafting both onto dads tree.


I did notice her tree's bark has white spots on them. Trying to figure out what this is and how to remove it if it is harmful.

If apples are rotting from inside while on the tree look for apple maggots. Clean up around tree and get fallen apples picked up right away. Good luck!

[roughneckin]

We have two old Yellow Transparent Apple trees in our yard in Calgary. One was grafted years ago with a crab apple variety but they’ve never really produced, but the transparent do every year. They are a tart apple, but work well for baking and sauce.

[buckmaster]

i have 3 apple trees, 1 pear , 2 plum,1 northstar cheery with lapin cherries grafted on the tree and 1 carmine jewel cherry tree. The plum trees will sucker in time if your worried about your lawn. I used to have a evans cherry and also suckered all over the lawn. My 1 plum tree is about 15yrs old and looks like its not doing well. Not sure what the life span is on plums.

[HunterDave]

How are people’ Trees doing this year? We have very few blossoms on our apple tree and our cherry and plum have hardly any foliage. A buddy of mine told me that his Evans Cherry has no foliage whatsoever.....like it died. Tough winter I guess

[CaberTosser]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

How are people’ Trees doing this year? We have very few blossoms on our apple tree and our cherry and plum have hardly any foliage. A buddy of mine told me that his Evans Cherry has no foliage whatsoever.....like it died. Tough winter I guess

My 3 Evans sour cherry trees are starting to flower. My two apple trees that used to be Honeycrisp but have probably reverted to their root stock are starting to leaf out. A plum died out front but it never took in the first place, probably from inadequate sun.