# crab apple



## nvrhapy

anyone plant these on there hunting property? my reason for planting them is for wildlife, deer,turkey,birds. are these trees hard to mantain? any info would be great


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## autumnlovr

I planted 10 trees this spring for the same reason. I really can't give you any first hand experience yet but the reason I planted them is my bro-in-law has one crab apple tree in his yard, among other fruit trees....and the crab gets the most attention from the deer.


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## woodsrunner

All the critters go nuts for the crab in my yard. I don't do anything with it - no spraying and hardly ever even mow around it. Don't have to wait for them to drop, deer will stand next to it and pick them off themselves. Never thought of planting some around my food plot that's a good idea I'll have to try that!


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## James P. Bipps

nvrhapy said:


> anyone plant these on there hunting property? my reason for planting them is for wildlife, deer,turkey,birds. are these trees hard to mantain? any info would be great


I will be planting a bunch in the next few years on my hunting property...Dolgo, Transcendent, Chestnut, Siberian and Zumi. Currently, I have 50 plus growing in my garden...to be transplanted to my hunting property in 1-2 years. I bought the 1-2 footers, per Bishs advice, and am "tending" to them until they are bigger.

I decided to go with crabapples due to ease of maintenance...or certainly less maintenance than apple trees.

JPB


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## tommy-n

where do you guys buy them and how much do they cost? how long do they take before they begin to bear fruit?

Thanks


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## Direwolfe

The designation crab apple can be given to apples that are up to about 2.5 inches. For wildlife use many of the crabs mentioned above are good as they are large fruited and produce a large quantity. Most of the ornamental crabs in the garden shops will produce a lot of cherry sized apples(though wildlife will munch those also).

The seedling apples (including crabs) will be hardier and more disease resistant than the named variety commercial apples. While a nursery may advertise a "Zumi" crab, its most likely a seedling and will not be true to the parent. But from a wildlife perspective it doesn't matter because a seedling apple is cheaper than a grafted variety, and the deer don't care.

Get them cheap when they are a year old and let them grow at your house until they get bigger. Transplant them at 2-3 years as they will be taller to compete with weeds but not so big you have to worry about cutting roots when transplanting.

Seedling apples will most likely be similar to crabs (smaller and more acidic than commercial). They can all start bearing starting roughly 2-4 years out (again varies by tree for seedlings) though some can take up to ten years. No need to spray if its just for wildlife. Though insects can attack leaves and reduce yields, they tree won't be killed as long as it survives its first 5 years or so.

Thet biggest problem is keeping the tree from being eaten as browse.

Note that individual seedling apple trees will occaisonally not bear fruit readily (e.g. blind wood) or be more susceptible to insects or diseases. They're so cheap though, thats why you plant extra and cut down the non-performers.


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## fairfax1

To the first three posters on this crabapple thead: Do you know the variety of crab that is in your yard or that you are considering?

How big is the fruit?

When does it drop?......
All drop at once?........or trickle down over an extended period?


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## answerguy8

Keep the weeds down with old carpet that you find on the curb. Either cut an 'X' in the middle and slip it over the sapling or cut it to the center of the rug.


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## nvrhapy

were do u guys buy from? was thinking about buying a few from coldstream some of tHE 4-5 footers, would these work? is it ok to plant now?


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## Direwolfe

Only plant now if you can keep them well watered until the ground freezes. Fall planting works well if the plant can make roots before the ground freezes.


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## nvrhapy

anywhere locally i could go to pic some up i live in the detroit area heading to the property during labor day weekend thinking about planting them around that time


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## autumnlovr

I got mine from an auction this spring, a nursery was liquidating due to the owner retiring. I got (9) multi-stem Prairifire Crab Apples & (1) Spring Snow Crab Apple for $106 (they charged sales tax) out the door. I found out later the Spring Snow is sterile; it has pretty blossoms but no fruit. It got planted in the back yard.

Here's a pic of one of them, they were decent sized, between 5 and 12 feet. You can see where the deer browsed off a bunch of the blossoms. Silly deer....don't they know they'll have less fruit later on??? According to my neighbor, they're doing well; I haven't been up to check on them since July. It was a great summer for them to take, lots of rain in the Oscoda area.


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## Direwolfe

Since its still summer few nurseries will ship apples now(not dormant, dry out, etc). The crabs at the big boxes will be mainly ornamental crabs but check anyway. They may still have potted apple trees ( though they try to sell these off by mid-summer). Fall shipment for most nurseries is still some weeks away. Might want to call Coldstream to see when they start shipping in fall or arrange to have some dug to pick up there. I know its a long way to drive but you'll get inexpensive stock that will take to transplanting better.


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## Willie Tippit

nvrhapy said:


> anyone plant these on there hunting property? my reason for planting them is for wildlife, deer,turkey,birds. are these trees hard to mantain? any info would be great


 Crabs are great for wildlife and disease resistant easy to maintain..You can go to mich state in Southfield and buy a nurserymen lic..not sure how much they are now but they use to be 50.00 and go buy from a wholesaler like Christenson nursery out in Plymouth...


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## fairfax1

Your Prairie Fire while being a gorgeous ornamental is not what one would call a 'wildlife'-crab. It will produce berries but is not exactly a critter buffet. Still, for about 5 or 6 days in May it is a knockout visually.

Here's a couple of links to Michigan State's opinion on crabs. Most all here are ornamental crabs as that is where the money is. The 'edible' crab market has gotta be a tiny segement of the 'Malus' market.

http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/modzz/00000939.html

http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/modzz/00000940.html 

For critters you may want to research: Zumi, Siberian, Callaway, Transcendent, Ralph Shay, Dolgo, Centennial, Chestnut, Hewes.......and a whole slew of others. 

The website of St.Lawarence Nurseries in NY has a good assortment with a good description. Google it.

Also google Johnson Nurseries in Milwaukee....they do crabs well and have a proprietary 'Birdland' variety.


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## nvrhapy

if i wanted to plant these in the fall what would be the ideal time? if not anytime soon maybe ill wait and try to get from coldstream


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## Anderson

I've got trees from Morse, Higgins, and Coldstream nurseries and some locally. All had very good service and Charlie Morse was very helpful when I called. The trees from Coldstream were taller and I had some growing out of the tree tubes the 1st year. (started @ 1-2 footers) ST Lawrence also has some good prices but have not bought from them. Bishs had a very good post about a year ago here that would be worth searching. They are fun to grow but keeping them protected from deer, rabiits, and mice can be work. I've fenced some and tubed some. The bucks will attack mine in about 30 days.

Tim


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## James P. Bipps

fairfax1 said:


> To the first three posters on this crabapple thead: Do you know the variety of crab that is in your yard or that you are considering?
> 
> How big is the fruit?
> 
> When does it drop?......
> All drop at once?........or trickle down over an extended period?


 
Fairfax,

Have you nailed down any specific "drop times" for crabs...especially such as Chestnut, Dolgo, Transcendent, Zumi, Siberian, or others?

JPB


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## CHASINEYES

I'm not sure on the date of these, I think it was last dec. I dont know the variety, they grow wild on our farm and surrounding farms. As you can see they were loaded last year, this year hardly any apples on them, maybe from the prunning? I,ve seen deer,turkey, rabbit and varmint tracks around the apples.


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## nvrhapy

so anybody know when the ideal time to plant these in the fall would be


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## nvrhapy

i just read that bare root trees should only be planted in spring and container trees can be planted any time as long as its 3 weeks before frost is this true cause arent the trees from coldstream bare root?


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## Direwolfe

Fall planting works well because the roots establish and have a functioning system ready to go in spring. The problem is if the ground freezes before these roots are established the tree will dry out and die during winter (during winter the tree loses moisture that is made up from the roots). Thats why fall planting (of dormant stock)is recommended is large areas of the country where there a few and later hard freezes. 

This week I transplanted some trees I had raised in pots to their locations in Montmorency county. These will have little transplant injury because of a relatively undisturbed leaf system and root system. They just have to extend the root system before freezing.

If you're transplanting bare root stock, its going to have to establish roots to supply a leaf system that was probably injured (dried out) due to root disturbance and/or want to break open new buds to replace lost leaves. In addition it will need an expanded root system before the freeze.

Net of the net-if the trees are fresh dug and quickly planted before the leaves are permanantly damaged (just wilted) it should work (assuming you don't wait much until we're closer to that freeze). If the amount of money involved is not too much to gamble for your way of thinking about things, go ahead and try it. Otherwise wait until spring.


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## sourdough44

Ckeck out the 'Dolgo' crab apple. It's hardy, desease resistant & has fruit about an inch or more in diameter. There is a place in N WI that will ship them bare root in the Spring. Later Fall is also a good time to plant, you need to protect the tree of course. I have a Dolgo in the yard & plan to plant some in the U.P. next Spring.


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## fairfax1

Poster Bipps asks: _"Have you nailed down any specific "drop times" for crabs...especially such as Chestnut, Dolgo, Transcendent, Zumi, Siberian, or others?_

No I haven't got a good source(s) on drop times. Unlike apples ...where you can get drop time information fairly easily (look at the Adams County Nursery website, for example)....it is much tougher to get that info for crabs.

On a positive note, there is the recent article in the QDM organizations' magazine _'Quality Whitetails'_ that is mentioned in the following forum discussion on their chatboards:

http://forums.qdma.com/showthread.php?t=27873

..............................

I'd like to see this forum take some kind of a lead in gathering more information on crabapples for habitat. It seems to me to be a food 'topic' that has a lot of interest but little commercial incentive to develop more information. There is an overwhelming amount of info on the ornamental flowering crab cultivars. But a real scarcity on the 'edible' crabs.


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## James P. Bipps

fairfax1 said:


> Poster Bipps asks: _"Have you nailed down any specific "drop times" for crabs...especially such as Chestnut, Dolgo, Transcendent, Zumi, Siberian, or others?_
> 
> No I haven't got a good source(s) on drop times. Unlike apples ...where you can get drop time information fairly easily (look at the Adams County Nursery website, for example)....it is much tougher to get that info for crabs.
> 
> On a positive note, there is the recent article in the QDM organizations' magazine _'Quality Whitetails'_ that is mentioned in the following forum discussion on their chatboards:
> 
> http://forums.qdma.com/showthread.php?t=27873
> 
> ..............................
> 
> I'd like to see this forum take some kind of a lead in gathering more information on crabapples for habitat. It seems to me to be a food 'topic' that has a lot of interest but little commercial incentive to develop more information. There is an overwhelming amount of info on the ornamental flowering crab cultivars. But a real scarcity on the 'edible' crabs.


Yes, I enjoyed the Quality Whitetails article. It was the "best" attempt at compiling "drop" times for crabapples that I have seen. I am glad to see that I was able to sift through what information was out there, as I have purchased 5 of the top 10 crabapples in the past year.

Anyone know a source for Kerr crabapples? Oikos Tree Crops?

JPB


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## jrodrick4

Hi,

I plant every month a tree for saving the wild life. My family member also support me to save the wildlife. They also plant small trees and plants for the birds and wild animals.


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## netta

Crab apple trees are the best pollinator there is. Some are prettier than others all summer long, depends on what you want. We sell all types. netta


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## netta

Did some checking and we carry many good crab apple trees for you. Some of the better ones are: Firebird - Indian Magic - Candymint - Prairiefire - Profusion - RedJade - Robinson
Any questions just give a hollar. netta


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## Bill Bolyard

Welcome to the board Netta,

To all, 

Nettas green house is located just south of Posen on hwy65. This year I have purchased 18 apple and crabtrees from them. I was amazed that there trees have fruit on them. I picked up the first 5 trees this fall full of apples enough to make 11 pints of apple butter after loosing a lot of the fruit during the trip. I have purchase tree from home depot, Kmart and others, and seven years later still waiting for fruit. It seems Netta's purchase's there trees started in Minnisota not Tennessee where most of the other greenhouse get there's. I will warn you they are not the cheapest, but I would rather spend $45 dollars on a tree that I know will have fruit the following year and survive opposed to the $10 sale trees that have done nothing.

Bill


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## marco

netta said:


> Did some checking and we carry many good crab apple trees for you. Some of the better ones are: Firebird - Indian Magic - Candymint - Prairiefire - Profusion - RedJade - Robinson
> Any questions just give a hollar. netta


Hello Netta. I'm Fred Zaborneys Son-in-law. Didn't know you had those kind of trees. We planted some apple trees at my place in Clare a few years ago and they are not producing apples as promised. I'll try and stop by in November and talk to you.

Marco


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## autumnlovr

autumnlovr said:


>


Bastitches! I ran around this past weekend pounding in fertilizer stakes and this tree & the one behind it have several of the trunks all peeled up. Some stupid little buck is using them for a rub line! I just might have to protect my trees from him!


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