Homestead mailing list

["Karen L. Black" <karen AT plamondon.com>]

Roy Morgan writes:

An earlier post mentioned caring for heritage apple trees instead of taking
them out.  We  live in a house first started in 1780 or so, and at the edge
of the back yard are a couple of apple trees that "seem" that old.  In any
case they are both quite at the end of their life spans.

How do we figure out if they are desirable old varieties?  Maybe there's
someone around here we could invite to come see them who knows all about old
types of apples.
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In Oregon, there is a group called the Home Orchard Society
(http://www.homeorchardsociety.org/) which is dedicated to preserving and
propagating fruit trees. In the fall, they have an "All About Fruit Show"
where you can taste hundreds of varieties. You can also bring in samples to
ID.  If there is a group like that in your area, they may be able to help
you ID your trees, though without fruit it is very hard.

Propagating apple trees is a bit more difficult than willows. Apples don't
breed true, so all named varieties are grafted (directly or indirectly) from
the first tree of that name. If the trees in your area haven't broken
dormancy, it is fairly simple to do a whip graft of dormant wood from the
parent to bought rootstock. There are websites that show how to do it; the
chief trick is to match the size of the stems so the cambium layers meet. If
the trees are already leafed out, it is probably too late. (You can do a
budding graft later, in the summer.) In any case, there is no substitute for
hands-on experience, so if you can find a group in your area that holds a
grafting class, you will be way ahead.

Hope this helps!

Karen Black
Norton Creek Farm
Blodgett, OR