Crab Apple

[Dave McCormick]

Yesterday I got x2, 4ft crab apple trees, both grown from wild apple seeds, both healthy. Does anyone know how long it will take to get apples appear on them? Will it be next Autumn or will I have to wait another year or more? I have seen small cultivars of domestic apple (3-4ft) that have had apples on them but not sure if crab apples are the same. Anyone know?

[JohnR]

I have to say that it may be several years. Domestic apples are grafted onto rootstock as are the hybrid crab apples. Trees grown from seed have little predictability. The so called crab apple whips that went into my shelter belt took about 5 years to flower and then they turned out to have been open germinated, so no two trees were alike and none were crabs. It's not too late in the year to take some crab apple cuttings from a known crab and stick them in the ground in some sheltered spot.

[essexbuzzard]

I have to go along with that. A few flowers may be borne after 3-4 years,but you are probably looking at 6 years for a good crop. An advantage,however,is that they are self-fertile,which most domestic apples are not. Whatever you do,don't prune them, it sets them back even further! A bucket full of well rotted farm manure,applied as a mulch around the base in March,is beneficial.

[Dave McCormick]

Thanks both, well I can wait. Just wanted the trees really to help wildlife in my garden along with the other trees I got (x3 Common Osier 6ft, x2 Grey Sallow 6ft, Hazel 4ft, x1 Sessile Oak 5ft, x2 bird cherry 5ft and x1 blackthorn 5ft). So if I got apples, that would be good, but don't mind waiting a few years. Won't prune them. Crab apples (true wild ones) are quite rare around here, only varieties of domestic apple thought it would have been better to get native wild crab apple trees that were grown from wild crab apple seeds.

A bucket full of well rotted farm manure,applied as a mulch around the base in March,is beneficial.

I just did that today, have two very large pots which I put both in, with peat free manure compost. I'll remember to mulch it in future.

[hilary]

What are the benefits oF a wild Crab apple tree over a domestic tree? are the cultivated garden crab apples any good? (I am asking as I have both of the above but not the native crab apple )

[Dave McCormick]

What are the benefits oF a wild Crab apple tree over a domestic tree? are the cultivated garden crab apples any good? (I am asking as I have both of the above but not the native crab apple )

I am not to sure, I am growing them because I find native trees important to grow, especially when some like native wild crab apple have become rarer in favour of cultivated varieties. I have been told if you add one or two crab apples in an apple tart, it will taste better, but never actually seen or used any crab apples before so can't say for sure.

[hilary]

Having only recently become aware of the real immense value of native plants I truely appreciate your efforts and am glad that when in my 'gardeny' years I never got control of any land!