The Blairmont Apple Project

 Put them on the concrete pad. 45 out there now{5 small pots in the hot house}. And 88 more in group pots. Was concerned some scions had dried out. Pulled a very tan and hard looking Tarbutton. And snipped an end. Quite green and juicy inside to my surprise. I'm just assuming there are a lot of late budding plants in my collection. Because the others are limber and greenish but un-budded. Anyway I resealed the Tarbutton and put it back. So we have 133 grafts, Not counting 8 top grafts on Anna and Dorsett Gold or Centurion.

  Fixed the one scion I planted upside down. And found enough nubs to make 3 other grafts while I was at it. Looks like I will have plenty of Shockley. Other notes butterflies, bees and hornets had been mobbing a Parks Pippin and Hoover in a race to flower. Had my money on Hoover. But Parks Pippin burst 2 white fragrant flowers today. First flowers since Pink Lady/Cripps Pink bloomed. Lastly I hauled all the single potted grafts over to the concrete pad with a wagon. Put some in the hothouse to see how that effects budding out. Re-arranged the plants out there by rootstock. Then filled in the lines with M111 grafts. Still have another 50-60 to single pot. Speaking to our namesake Blairmont; it seems to be in the late bloomer camp as far as budding.  Other notable laggards? Piervomaiskoie, Norfolk Beefing, Hudson Golden Gem, Husk Sweet and Tarbutton.  All from that " I will twist and contort for awhile team."

 Been a busy day. Watered the herd and plants. Re-arranged the green house and culled some dead plants. Mixed up a half load of soil. Finished of all grafts into soil now. Inspected the plants in feed bag root wraps. Though 4 of 6 took on grafts; they were very goopy and lost a lot of soil as well. To me it seems to be begging for root rot. So those 6 too were placed in pots. I was also curious about my fast take scions. Most of them were on P.2. Some were G.214. just one on straight M111. None on interstems. Either M111/P.2 or M111/G.214.  The girls got excited because 4 grafts were putting out bright flower buds. Have not had the heart to tell them I will pinch them off eventually. After I get good pictures of the flower to go in each variety's info file. Few of these old apples have many pictures available. Lastly I put the cull on my first 2025 scions list. It is still large. But a sizable cut was made to order some other year. The focus is finishing up my Georgia Origin a...

 By the end of the day I got out 26 final grafts. Today got most of them and another bucket in pots with soil. The girls having fun helping. 14 grafts left to pot now. Also finished the first draft of scions for 2025. A short little list: 39 th Parellel Alabaster Alaska Pink Alexander’s Ice Cream*+ American Summer Pearmain*+ Annie Elizabeth Appletown wonder # Arkansas Black*+ Barritskovs Madaeble Bart*** -2 Beacheamwell Bedfordshire Foundling Bella Di Pontise Bismarck*+ Black Limbertwig Blanc Dur {orne} Bohmischer Rosenaphel Broadholme Beauty Brushy Mountain Limbertwig*+ Bryson’s Seedling*+ Buckingham{equinetelee}*+ Bud 57-146 Calvin*+ Candy Stripe*** -2 Capt. Davis*+# Carolina Greening Catawba -2 Chemsford Wonder Chestnut Crab-2 Clark* -2 Clark’s Crab-2 Coffee Seedling* - 2 Coul Blush* - 2 D an McDaniel*+ Devonshire Crimson Queen* D isharoon***+ Dixie Red Delight*+ Dodge Crimson* Ecolette Eggleston Styre Egri Piros First and Last Forward Sour* -2 Frequin Tardive Galacia+ Gilpin* ...