Crab Apple Thread

Fishtank307 said:
Happy growing!
View attachment 194972

View attachment 194973

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Nice!! Make sure it's in as much sun as you can give it. Spray some anti-fungal this fall, a couple times over the winter and several times before, during, and after buds show. Fungus/bug magnets, and I think you might have some problems next spring. No offense. It's just some personal experience I wanted to share. I don't like the looks of those leaves, check for scale.

Nice lil' crabby!!!:cool::cool::cool::cool:
Keep it away from Junipers if you have any.
 
LanceMac10 said:
Nice!! Make sure it's in as much sun as you can give it. Spray some anti-fungal this fall, a couple times over the winter and several times before, during, and after buds show. Fungus/bug magnets, and I think you might have some problems next spring. No offense. It's just some personal experience I wanted to share. I don't like the looks of those leaves, check for scale.

Nice lil' crabby!!!:cool::cool::cool::cool:
Keep it away from Junipers if you have any.
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Yeah, I think it has scabs already! Some brown spots are visible when it gets really humid. Seems to be a bit better now. (last picture is from three weeks ago, after four days of rain and high temps...) Definitively have to spray this fall! Thanks!
 
The crab apple that I started from seed this spring, lots of growth over the last 3 months and it just recently started to develop it's first branches. Lightly put some wire on it a few weeks ago to add a little motion to the trunk. I've loved watching this grow.
IMG_20180614_105041077.jpg
 
John in Toledo said:
Here we go. Documenting the start. Arrived today. Three malusxzuma var Calocarpa
1 in colander, 1 in pot (on top of a perforated coffee can lid) - white pot, 1 in ground (hanging out temporarily in the green pot.

...Follow up. Each are growing well. Looks like they slowed down over the last few weeks. Didn't get the "ground-grow" garden built this year in time, so Green Pot will go to ground in the fall or late summer. I am so enamored with these. No flowers this year, as expected, but the explosion of vegetative growth is promising. Colander plant has been pushing roots through the holes, so I assume that the others have similar root success.

Check out the up close photo. One (and only one) of the three is curling it's tip leaves. I thought maybe spiders we're building shaded nests or something, but see no evidence of creepy-crawlies at all. I've moved "curly" away from the others as a precaution.IMG_20180630_112036597.jpgIMG_20180630_112837603.jpg Anybody recognize this symptom? Help?
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Victorim said:
Branches selected and wire guided. Will let them extend and thicken now for the rest of the season and cut back after leaf drop. And carve the top to the new leader.
View attachment 198949

Think it's going to go in this Erin pot :)
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The leader needs a LOT of growth to get respectable taper for the next trunk section. This tree is still in the trunk building stage and as such it needs some seasons growing out. I'd seriously consider taking it out of that very small container and into the ground or, at least a much bigger container. Otherwise it's going to take a very long time just to build the trunk sections, never mind growing out the branches.
 
Paulpash said:
The leader needs a LOT of growth to get respectable taper for the next trunk section. This tree is still in the trunk building stage and as such it needs some seasons growing out. I'd seriously consider taking it out of that very small container and into the ground or, at least a much bigger container. Otherwise it's going to take a very long time just to build the trunk sections, never mind growing out the branches.
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Was going to leave the new leader be. Was feeling happy with the first season on this, two hedge cuts to give options, and selected from there. Expecting some nice thickening now from letting these run. Could get it in a much larger basket, like my fuji is in.. Do you think that extra root run room will be significant?

edit: the chop is at 2/3 final height so the new leader is the last section if that makes any difference.
 
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Victorim said:
Was going to leave the new leader be. Was feeling happy with the first season on this, two hedge cuts to give options, and selected from there. Expecting some nice thickening now from letting these run. Could get it in a much larger basket, like my fuji is in.. Do you think that extra root run room will be significant?
Click to expand...

I think this is a far better alternative if ground growing isn't possible. Either tonight or tomorrow I'll post up a crab I chopped, grew out the trunk & am close to hanging a decent branch structure on to show you time frames etc.
 
Paulpash said:
The leader needs a LOT of growth to get respectable taper for the next trunk section. This tree is still in the trunk building stage and as such it needs some seasons growing out. I'd seriously consider taking it out of that very small container and into the ground or, at least a much bigger container. Otherwise it's going to take a very long time just to build the trunk sections, never mind growing out the branches.
Click to expand...

Add a tag for me pal ;)
 
@Victorim - here is a quick snap of the tree I posted earlier in this thread as it is today, complete with thread graft and a mossed / screened surface to maintain moisture levels and to develop surface rooting. It's been extremely hot for the UK over the last few weeks so this approach has kept the tree pushing buds. It's now almost at the end of the branch growing phase and will enter refinement soon - I have leaf pruned selected areas to keep the canopy open and to encourage more sub branching. A few thinner branches that popped later than the rest are being beefed up by allowing them to grow and slowing down / defoliating the rest. Crab apples do not have pronounced ramification usually so I am hoping a few years of partial defoliation will continue to improve the 'finished' image.

I've grown the upper half of the tree from a chop about 7 years ago and every branch. Apart from 2 years in the ground it's spent the rest in a big growing on box - if I had the space it would have stayed longer in the ground. I've wired movement into most of the branches. Any questions please ask :)

IMG_20180620_173710_DRO by Paul Pashley, on Flickr
 
Basket is way, way, waaaayyyy too small!! Next spring put it in something more appropriate for healthy growth. Soil looks more appropriate for conifers.
Crabs are pretty rugged, treat like a bodybuilder: lots of pumped-up growth from water/food, big shoes and a good look from lot's of sun!!;):cool::cool::cool::cool:
We don't want to treat it like a string bean supermodel.;);):D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
 
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