Hello All

[Greyphase]

Hi my name is Rick Grimes and I live in southcentral Pa. I've messed around with apple trees for quite a few years and have made all the mistakes you can make :). Most of my trees are on Antonovka rootstock planted for deer and other wildlife. My older trees are Yellow Delicious, Summer Rambo, Jonathan. Trees in the 4 to 8 year old range include Ashmeade Kernel, Purdy, Tolman Sweet, Sherry ,Wodarz, and some Antonovka seedlings all from St. Lawrence Nursery. I taught myself to graft last spring by watching You-Tube and have the following on either Antonovka or B118 rootstock:  Washed Russet, Golden Russet, Newt Grindle, Red Limbertwig, Cox Orange Pippin, Yeager Sweet, Mel Gibson, Pomme Gris, Black Oxford, Pitsmason Pineapple, & Hudson Golden Gem I will be planting these this spring in my Back40. I also plan on starting a "home orchard" next to my house. I have ordered from Century Farm the following on B9 rootstock for a trellis planting: Keener Seedling, Black Twig, Bevan's Favorite, Aunt Rachel, Swiss Limbertwig and Virginia Beauty. From Cummins Nursery I have a Kidd's Orange Red on B9 for the trellis and a Golden Hornet crab & an Ashmeade Kernel on G202 rootstock and a Pound Sweet on G222 rootstock. I also have 25 G202 rootstocks & 25 B118 rootstocks coming from Cummins. Have a pile of heirloom apple scionwood coming from Maple Valley and Big Horse Creek Nurseries. Thanks goodness I'm retiring the 1st of Feb. cause I'm going to have a busy spring.  Have enjoyed both Prof. Kent and John's You-Tube videos and hope you both keep making some more. Well my typing hand is starting to cramp up so that's it for now.

Rick

[Prof. Kent]

Good to here from you Rick. I would think you would grow northern apples rather than southern apples since you're from Pennsylvania. I'm interested in whether your southern apples produce as well as they would in the south. I also am starting an espalier orchard. I've had some setbacks (flood, drought, and deer on  my seedlings) but I'll keep plugging away until I succeed.
You can bet John and I will continue to make videos. I would do it even if no one else ever watched them. Videos are a good tool that I use as an orchard diary. I hope you have the time to make some videos of your trees and post use here.
May Providence smile on your orchard endeavors,
-Kent Eddy

[Greyphase]

Hi Kent

Thanks for the welcome.  I'm located about 25 miles north of the Maryland border in Pa so I think I will be OK with some of the southern varieties. Also in researching these varieties I've selected ones that are being grown in the southern mountains above 1500 feet in elevation. You-Tube has really helped me increase my knowledge of apple growing. Above I tried my hand at posting a pic of me and some of my "kids" from last springs grafting. Sorry , but it looks like it's going to be very big.

On Wednesday, January 22, 2014 7:14:42 PM UTC-5, Greyphase wrote:

[Kent Eddy]

Rick,

 h ave a couple trees planted on Antonovka and they are very slow growers. That's probably my misforture.
 I have learned since to pick vigorous growers for my poor (sandy) soil, like Grimes Golden
 (which I think is the only apple tree we have in common. I like the Grimes Golden, and I guess I already know why you picked it. ;-)
I haver a youtube video of my brother and I pruning the top out of the GG with his Husqvarna saw. That tree has long, weak wood and
the whole top of the tree (normally standing at 25') would bend over to almost to the ground. I would stake the tree up every year because
I thought it would bust in half. Ugly, rough apple but it tastes great. Hard as a rock until almost ripe, but juicy and sweet and the birds
prefer red apples.
I'm looking forward to Spring. Did you plant those grafts in your yard?

- Kent

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[Greyphase]

Kent

Most of my pervious plantings have been for wildlife thus I planted trees grafted to Antonovka rootstock and it has taken them 8-10 years to start to bear in my rocky soil.  I'm now trying the B118 rootstock that is suppose to be near full sized but quicker to bear fruit.........time will tell.  Dad (who just turned 85)had planted a Grimes Golden by the barn 40 some years ago and it blew over this fall, so I ordered another one on m111 rootstock to take it's place.  The trees in the pic are grafted to B118 rootstock and are going to be planted in my "Back40" this spring.

Rick

[John and Annette Trout]

Hi Rick.  Welcome to the addiction!  I love your selection and can't wait to hear more about your orchard!

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[Kent Eddy]

John,

"The addiction", hahahah.  Brevity is the soul of wit, and you sir, nailed it!

I'm ordering some more "hits" from Cummins Nursery this year.

- Kent

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[John and Annette Trout]

Haha.  Well, I've never been called witty before.   Thanks!

This has been a nasty cold winter.

[Kent Eddy]

Same cold weather here.

I don't believe in Global Warming, ...but I was kind of hoping.

[John and Annette Trout]

I've got 8 GG's on the vertical axis.  Hope they don't get too big for their britches!  Thanks for the pic.

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Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2014 6:25 PM

Subject: Re: Hello All

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[John and Annette Trout]

I bought two yr. old MM111's and they are heading into their 3rd growing season here.  What's that make them?  5?  Lots of flower buds from what I can tell right now.  Assorted varieties.

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