The Blairmont Apple Project

 Been checking everybody growing out there. Most of the Blueberries are coming back well after a bad year of rabbit damage. 4 plants are still tiny with little or no leaves though. Yet still alive. My P.2 rootstock I nervously cut to the ground to stool are finally sending up shoots. Next year I should have a good supply of rootstock to harvest.  Plan on stooling P.18 and M111 as well. The G.257 sample promised by Geneva appears to have got wiped out from budget cutting. As well as our mostly rootstock germplasm from GRIN. Maybe next year. P.14, MM109 and MicroMalus is not available elsewhere. Rooting by cuttings is going very well with Lord Burghley and Gasconye's Scarlett. Empire and Appletown Wonder also seem positive. I think my Mank's Codlin are not likely to make it. They were quite small.

 Finished up grafting some minimalist size scions via whip and tongue today. Hall was particularly annoy as it was a bit woody and wanted to break apart. At any rate got all the "Root by cuttings " apples going. Appletown Wonder was a disappointment as half of it was dead. I did manage 1 4 inch piece that was still alive.  Also got Empire and Gascone Scarlet done. I fear my Manks Codlin are possibly dead. Despite wrapping and constant hydration they are weak looking. It is clear 2 rooted as has Lord Burghley. Kimrome, Etter's Gold , Annie Elizabeth are some others grafted. Most top worked as we await more soil to be picked up.

 Is growing from one of the cuttings. I can see at least two thick side root starts of the 3 buds buried. 2 of the 3 above the soil buds can not get more green tipped without leafing. They are literally all green. I peeled the tape off the scion and will move it to a part sun area that I can control watering tightly. It will be great to try the fruit; but on own roots that will probably be years away. I mainly want vegetative growth for now anyway.  The planted Florahome peaches do not look the best. Definitely tip die off. Weird they greener up the trunks nicely. I guess we will increase watering on them.

 

 It is that annoying time of year when you see eeks of progress. But it is a while until things are in full swing. I get most annoyed with the non-progress of the supple and quite alive rootstock. With a small subset of root by cutting test subjects; I will only need about 26 rootstock this year. While only 17 are left from last season. Plus I need another 10 pear rootstock to plant out scions. Speaking of our Namesake Blairmont; it to is among the lazy that refuses to break bud. Still limber but smaller then most. Need to settle on who we will cross with it soon. Leaning hard toward Pionier this first season. It too is a late-early season apple. Slightly smaller sweeter fruit. Hope it embues some of it's handsome dark color to the offspring. Both are well thought of dessert types. Pionier seems to be a bit more care free and mild mannered as a grower. With some luck; maybe one of the seeds will better storage times some. My original thought was to cross any successful offspring wi...

 While Centurion crab took the first apple bloom of the year on March 3rd; I have been waiting for the first standard apple action. Anna and Dorsett Golden would be odds on favorites; but no. My money was on Yates which greentipped bud on Feb.27th. And now has 6-7 buds that way. But it was not to be. This morning Park's Pippin unleash a nice big king leaf. And this afternoon Pink Lady joined it with a small leafing. Another surprise is Disharoon. Which suddenly green tipped about a dozen buds.