Let's Kill Some Apple Trees! Seedling Assessment and Culling. Part 1

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  • Опубликовано: 24 окт 2023
  • Tasting, assessing and culling apple trees in the breeding trial rows.
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Комментарии • 109

  • @primoculturefarms
    @primoculturefarms 8 месяцев назад +25

    This is the elite level video we've been waiting for. Can we just band together already and get this man a 100 acres on a mountain somewhere and 2 assistants. Imagin what he could do.

    • @sempi8159
      @sempi8159 8 месяцев назад

      If it were possible it would have already happened...

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад +9

      I'm working on it. I seem to be making gains in my health, which could make all things possible. I will be able to afford at least a mountain property, just hoping to get something I'm worthy of, not some dry hillside with thin mountain soil.

    • @joshua511
      @joshua511 3 месяца назад

      I can't buy him 100 acres but I'll try to get scion wood from him next time.

  • @jonf2086
    @jonf2086 8 месяцев назад +11

    I feel like one of the candy apples could be called “jolly brancher”

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад +2

      That's awesome lol. I have definitely though jolly rancher and even tried to think of names that are a play on that with no luck. I might use that! Good one. Not the new columnar tree though, it is not branchy enough ha ha. Maybe some offspring of that and hard candy cider...

  • @elkhound25
    @elkhound25 8 месяцев назад +12

    Mad apple breeder scientist + caffeine = longer videos = win win for viewers !

  • @Tmakepeace
    @Tmakepeace 8 месяцев назад +7

    I'm getting out my engraver to rename my Flaxen to Pink Lemonade. Thanks for the update.

    • @Scrial
      @Scrial 8 месяцев назад +4

      Patch notes IRL.

  • @lemagreengreen
    @lemagreengreen 8 месяцев назад +4

    Wow the Pink Lemonade... I want that tree!

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад +3

      It is pretty nifty. I think we can do better in the long run, but it's a fun and tasty apple. I think I have quite a few scions this year. Shouldn't be too expensive or anything.

  • @newfoundlandrules
    @newfoundlandrules 8 месяцев назад +3

    Super detailed apple breeding project video AND cat footage? What more can we ask for?

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад +1

      Panda bears :)

  • @saltriverorchards4190
    @saltriverorchards4190 8 месяцев назад +4

    Thanks for letting us know about pink lemonade being susceptible to sunburn. That’s very helpful because now I will set the trees up to allow more smaller branches above the scaffolds to hopefully provide some shade on the fruit. I usually open my trees up to maximize sunlight. I will treat these a little differently.

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад +2

      It may not be a problem in some areas. Here it is a big problem.

  • @steveford9294
    @steveford9294 7 месяцев назад

    This is great dedicated work, a treat for apple lovers. He is the kind of apple breeders we need , open source and in the public domain. Very good video that sparks curiosity and passion.. keep it up ,

  • @matthewmiller4209
    @matthewmiller4209 8 месяцев назад +1

    Applepunk Gandalf!

  • @aussiehardwood6196
    @aussiehardwood6196 8 месяцев назад +2

    Imagine being able to gift a friend or family member a big box of tasty fresh apples. That would be cool.

  • @keepersnurserykarim9343
    @keepersnurserykarim9343 8 месяцев назад +1

    Great video and good luck with the breeding Stephen, as a Brit I have no taste reference for the majority of the apples you bred with in the first place😅 and now it seems I'm several generations behind your latest seedlings

  • @stephenluna7932
    @stephenluna7932 6 месяцев назад

    Glad your energy levels were better, the cat co-star appearances was fun. Fun to nerd out about the apple varieties from your apple breeding.

  • @adam24817
    @adam24817 8 месяцев назад +2

    I'm a cider people!!! Love that you said you will serve our a bunch of cider varieties

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад +1

      I'm thinking of collecting half a dozen or more of those up, giving them goofy names and providing them as an experimental bundle. We'll see. I'm at least trying to keep track of them this year so that would be possible.

    • @adam24817
      @adam24817 8 месяцев назад +1

      @@SkillCult sounds good to me, everything I got from you last season is doing great!

  • @derekclawson4236
    @derekclawson4236 8 месяцев назад +4

    It's just totally awesome the work your doing. Nice special cactus too!

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад +3

      A lot of those cactus are grafted to my seedling King Tubby, which as a result should be available next year.

    • @derekclawson4236
      @derekclawson4236 8 месяцев назад

      I used to have a grand thricho collection but didn't move them one winter and killed a bunch. Still have some but no longer a ton of great clones. I'll possibly grab a cutting of yours someday. Where would you make them available whenever they are ready?

  • @FlomatonFamous
    @FlomatonFamous 7 месяцев назад

    Enjoyed the video, thanks for taking us along.

  • @wingama
    @wingama 7 месяцев назад

    Awesome as always!

  • @DeeSixHomestead
    @DeeSixHomestead 8 месяцев назад

    My chestnut crab has the red veins in the flesh! Such a good apple! ❤

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад +1

      Interesting, never seen that.

  • @TXVETJEB
    @TXVETJEB 8 месяцев назад

    I watched the whole thing, so I'll wear my "Apple Nerd" label with price.
    Glad you had such a good year. It's been the worst year for apples here in North Texas. The near 110 degree temps day after day cooked them on the tree and almost all rotted before they ripened. There's always next year. Thanks for the video.

  • @DevaJones03
    @DevaJones03 8 месяцев назад

    the over scratching didnt work at all LMAO that cat was loving that LOL yall are adorable together

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад +1

      Yeah, failed strategy! Insatiable I guess.

  • @Embassy_of_Jupiter
    @Embassy_of_Jupiter 8 месяцев назад

    27:20 It's so funny watching you debate the merits of each apple for hours, then biting into that one and immediately being offended and marking it for culling 😂

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад

      Ha, yeah That one for sure I have tasted many times. More like I was just confirming it.

  • @seandwyer2020
    @seandwyer2020 8 месяцев назад

    Informative, but dense. Will need to watch a couple more times. I'm sorry about standing health issues Steven. Best to you.

  • @gitgud6310
    @gitgud6310 7 месяцев назад

    Amazing!

  • @dlbuffmovie
    @dlbuffmovie 8 месяцев назад

    YES CIDER APPLE TESTS PLEASE.... :-) I only found one wild graft I wanted to try this year. Nothing else I tried this year made me go back for a cutting. I've found two for juice quantity and now looking for the flavor apples. Willing to test more, but I am in the NE.

  • @aussiehardwood6196
    @aussiehardwood6196 8 месяцев назад +1

    Your apples look beautiful, like true little miracles. I'm gonna check out your site and maybe get some seed.

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад +2

      seeds will be available this winter sometime. Subbing to my blog is a good way to find out when they are ready.

  • @travisbrock5024
    @travisbrock5024 8 месяцев назад

    There is a Champagne apple already. Originally from a random tree in New Mexico. It now resides at Dixon’s Apple Orchard in Wisconsin.

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад +1

      thanks, I looked it up already too. Been bouncing around names for TAPKAIP :)

  • @MrChickadee
    @MrChickadee 8 месяцев назад

    for the NERDS!!!!

  • @nateb8245
    @nateb8245 8 месяцев назад

    I’m an apple nerd. Perfect video.

  • @BRIANLIMBARO
    @BRIANLIMBARO 4 месяца назад

    Nice

  • @alancole1394
    @alancole1394 8 месяцев назад +3

    Someone get Steven an assistant.....STAT. 😜

  • @KYRonDonTongLongSchlong
    @KYRonDonTongLongSchlong 8 месяцев назад +1

    Now this is that premium content. It's like being at femboy Hooters and they have fresh scalloped potatoes. Truly divine.
    I miss my wife....

  • @MaluseedGrowers
    @MaluseedGrowers 8 месяцев назад

    Ice princess looks nice.

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад

      it was probably the most compelling apple that day as far as something I wanted to keep tasting and eating. Very nice porcelain like smooth skin and complexion, aside from the scab.

    • @MaluseedGrowers
      @MaluseedGrowers 8 месяцев назад

      @@SkillCult Nice, one thing I started to notice when growing apples tree, you start to be begin to notice each varieties has its own unique leaves. Especially, Williams Pride & Liberty.

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад +1

      Some do really stand out as different. the trait of high variability seems to reach into almost every aspect of the trees. @@MaluseedGrowers

  • @tylerenloe7523
    @tylerenloe7523 8 месяцев назад

    What state can you grow cactus and apple trees outside? I’d love to know your stuff looks amazing

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад

      Northern California and mid elevation. I'm in a zone where we get a bit of snow, hard freezes, but not too hard. Enough chill for almost all apples and stone fruits and just squeeze by with some cactus. Olives are fine too.

  • @bregbert4313
    @bregbert4313 8 месяцев назад

    I got a sweet 16 from you, grafted in March 2023. It produced 1 apple I ate oct 10 awesome apple.

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад

      Glad to hear. It can be amazing. Here it has been so all over the place quality wise that I'm sort of giving up on it to grow for eating. I get a good year only every 4 or 5 years. I hope it is more consistent for you.

    • @bregbert4313
      @bregbert4313 8 месяцев назад +1

      I m in central utah. It had water core. Tasted like fresh squeezed apple juice.

  • @averagejoetr3373
    @averagejoetr3373 8 месяцев назад +1

    My cherry crush did extremely well after being grafted on an older tree and then died the first winter. I have no idea why. The rest of the tree looks great. Zone 5b, Denver CO

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад

      Bummer. it looks pretty healthy and vigorous here.

    • @saltriverorchards4190
      @saltriverorchards4190 8 месяцев назад +1

      Bummer. I hope mine doesn’t die. I grafted my cherry crush onto a 6 year old mm111 this spring. It grew like crazy. Looks great right now.

  • @charlesward8196
    @charlesward8196 8 месяцев назад

    Where can I find out more about apple crossing? What do the number mean after the cross names?

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад +1

      I have a lot of content on apple breeding on a small scale, but I have changed the way I pollinate a lot over the years, so it isn't really current. I hope to update the stuff about making pollinations this spring. There are various levels of care you can take to insure different levels of certaintly regarding controlling the pollinations over random pollination by insects. Pretty much what I do now is pull off any opened blossoms, put a mesh bag over the branch, then as the flowers open, open the bag once a day to apply pollen from the pollen parent. You can see stuff on collecting pollen in other videos of mine. Here is the apple breeding playlist. ruclips.net/p/PL60FnyEY-eJAMOPvU-yyF4JfuW5ocJvC4 The numbers are year 11 = 2011 and the second number is a random number in order to tell them apart. So grenadine x gold rush 11/2 is #2 of that cross, of however many. The convention is that seed parent is listed first and pollen parent second.

  • @user-hi4sz9km1y
    @user-hi4sz9km1y 8 месяцев назад

    Golden rush 1110 ...super healthy...😊❤❤❤like

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад +1

      It does look very healthy and vigorous. I didn't mention it, but the apples look blemish free, so it probably inherited gold rush's scab resistance too. It has some of the edgy, tannic and other flaws of grenadine to some degree, but it still may have its uses and potential for breeding improved, hopefully scab free red fleshed apples.

  • @jonf2086
    @jonf2086 8 месяцев назад

    @42:52 😂

  • @furyxan
    @furyxan 8 месяцев назад

    Why are you moving? You have such a wonderful homestead there.

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад +1

      My ex moved back and won't sell out to me. Not enough room for everyone and space to expand projects.

  • @thartwig
    @thartwig 7 месяцев назад

    Doctors must hate this man.

  • @orichalcumaes8404
    @orichalcumaes8404 8 месяцев назад +1

    How about spritzer as the name for the formerly ice princess.

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад

      Damn, that's a good one! I'll put it in the short list.

  • @mdl17576
    @mdl17576 8 месяцев назад

    I'd be interested in trying out Grenadine x goldrush 11/5. I make cider and the description you gave sold m. Plus that yellow skin with neon pink flesh, wow 0_0
    I would also be on board for an experimental cider mix. It seems like your use of Grenadine has created a lot of good cider candidates.
    On that note, I just sqeezed a Sugarwood onto my refractometer - 16 brix. It's been a damp summer here in NY so not surprised it is coming in low. Not much acid or tannin but definitely picking up the savory character under the sweet. Highest brix for me so far was Hewes Crab at 18. 14 seeds from a Hewes x Sugarwood cross :)
    Finally, earlier this season I tasted a Pristine and if I hadn't watched your videos wouldn't have had the right words to describe it - musky was 100% accurate. Had never run across it before but wow, it's real.
    Thanks for the detailed vid!
    Oh wait. Triceratops. Two years ago it sounded awesome. One year ago, not so much. What's the verdict this year??

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад +2

      I have never seen GRUsh x GREN 11/5 with that much pin flesh. Almost like I mislabelled something. I think 11/10 and Vanilla pink might be more interesting, redder, more pink, more berry flavors, more tannin, more acidic probably too.
      The tannin in Grenadine really comes through, often higher even.
      Sugarwood hangs late and is far from ripe here. You might let it hang or ripen off the tree a while and test again. My sugar levels here are insanely high, so you can't compare to my numbers in new york in any year., let alone with extra water.
      I had probably tasted that musky thing before and not had a name for it. Once I got this really musky apple, I had to figure it out and name it and now I'm tasting it more often. That apple by the way we'll get to in the next round and it is still very musky and promising. It has to be a new apple classification!
      Triceratops is probably not ripe. I'll hit it in the next round and see.

    • @mdl17576
      @mdl17576 8 месяцев назад +1

      @SkillCult GRush x Gren 11/10 and Vanilla Pink both sound very promising, my only concern about those is that they may not ripen before the season here ends. I'd say anything later than Nov 1st is not going to finish some years. GRushXGren 11/5 and Maypole x Chestnut may be better bets from the climate angle. That said, if you're still offering them in a year or two I'll try them, but better to let the people with a bit longer season try first.
      I was probably over optimistic in trying Sugarwood, but this year at least, I think its got at least another week to ripen. I harvested a few early because they were controlled pollinations with an unidentified red Fleshed crab of high flavor I found growing in the neighborhood. The apples fell off and were hanging in the organza bag (thanks for recommending those) so it was time. Half a dozen left hanging if the darn birds will leave them alone. Got some seed from crosses with sugarwood this year x Williams Pride, x Hewes, xEnterprise as well. Hoping for earlier ripening with the xWP and xHewes crosses.

  • @AceFace50001
    @AceFace50001 8 месяцев назад

    What song is that at 43:19? Sounds vaguely familiar.

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад +2

      Fuck Up's, Get Out, FU '82 EP A sleeper of early bay area punk.

  • @justin1730
    @justin1730 8 месяцев назад

    I had some brown spots in my apples this year that I attribute to both heat and bugs that got into them. We were hit with 90+ weather early this year, so I did not bag them as usual. Lost most of the crop, but I did not lose 3 hours bagging apples. My apples tend to sunburn worse in bags than out.
    Are you sure the browning around the core is not from coddling moth?
    P.S. The video is totally watchable at 1.5 speed. I pause and rewind for interesting details.

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад

      Mine sunburn worse in the organza bags, but not white paper. but they also don't ripen well in paper. We get days at or over 100 every year and many mid to high 90's. I would not be surprised if it is heat related but I'm not seeing it in other apples.

  • @soronos8586
    @soronos8586 8 месяцев назад

    Where do you sell your trees?

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад

      At this point, I sell seeds, pollen and cuttings for grafting, so no actual trees. They will be available eventually through me or other nurseries. In the meantime, you have to graft them, or I may make bench grafted trees available at some point too. Grafting is relatively easy to learn. You just need any apple tree or apple rootstock to graft onto. If you have a tree already, you can graft onto it. most cuttings are sold on my webstore www.skillcult.com/store and the ones I have very few of, or new stuff usually auctioned on www.figbid.com that happens late winter

  • @marklam8548
    @marklam8548 Месяц назад

    Your 90 variety test tree may not be a very precocious root stock... So I'm wondering what rootstock is that.? And the obvious rule for a test tree is get one that is quite precocious.😮😅

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  День назад

      I don't know, it was already here. it is at least a semi dwarf like M111 size, but probalby standard. could be clone, could be seedling, probably a malling clone.

  • @Jay-tk7ib
    @Jay-tk7ib 8 месяцев назад

    What do you use Saffron for?

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад +1

      In rice, soups, curries, fish, chicken, kind of wherever it seems to fit I guess. Good in chicken soup, but alway measured. It is easy to over do it, or under do it too.

    • @Jay-tk7ib
      @Jay-tk7ib 8 месяцев назад

      @@SkillCult Thanks.

  • @saltriverorchards4190
    @saltriverorchards4190 8 месяцев назад

    Do you happen to have the parentage of cherry crush? I don’t have it in my notes.

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад +1

      It has to be Cherry Cox x Grenadine, or vice versa.

    • @saltriverorchards4190
      @saltriverorchards4190 8 месяцев назад

      @@SkillCult thank you

  • @KiltPatrick
    @KiltPatrick 6 месяцев назад

    Is there a reason you're keeping the "mot exciting" ones? That just says to me "more work, more effort, more mental notes for no pay-off", and I'd cull it.

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  6 месяцев назад +1

      Because it takes a while for them to come into bearing the best fruit they are going to. I"ve almost culled stuff that later got named and propagated, so just being cautious. Also the conditions are bad in there. As I thin them out and tidy up, they might produce much better fruit. If I knew for sure that they are very mediocre I would be more likely to cut them out.

  • @remip6539
    @remip6539 8 месяцев назад

    2:40 : bitter-pit ?

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад +1

      No, bitter pit is small deep spots. This is more of a general browning effect. Strange. Very probably physiological since it is showing on more than one tree. It doesn;t seem to affect eating quality or flavor much.

  • @abcabc39
    @abcabc39 8 месяцев назад

    Browning inside is a calcium issue

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад

      whatever it is, that apple has an issue on at least three different trees.

  • @matievski1
    @matievski1 8 месяцев назад

    Seedlings take 15-20 years before they start to fruit. Those looks like are grafted young trees.

    • @primoculturefarms
      @primoculturefarms 8 месяцев назад

      Up here in the north I find it's about 7 years to fruit on their own roots. But nowhere near 15 to 20. And his are grafted over to dwarf rootstock.

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад

      I have not grown many on their own roots, but I would also think that is a bit on the long side. The ones I have fruited under very stressful conditions have fruited in 12 years or less, but not all have either. These are all on dwarfs, bud 9, M9, Padjam and one of the geneva in that size range. I have fruit from about 4 years at the very earliest to 10 years, average maybe 6 or 7 ish.

  • @rossmcguinn2256
    @rossmcguinn2256 8 месяцев назад

    Do you ever use any sprays? I planted some fruit trees 3 years ago, and they're beginning to produce some fruit, but I get lots of brown spots and bad fruit. It doesn't bother me, but everyone on the internet says you have to use sprays. I'm pretty firm against that as I can only assume there are unavoidable health risks in spraying, but I'm completely ignorant on the subject. I'd rather eat spotty apples than die of cancer, but I'm too early in this thing to really see what the impact of not spraying will be on yields, most of my trees haven't produced fruit yet.

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад +1

      You may not have to use chemical sprays. there are lots of less dangerous alternatives for many problems. I don't spray at all, but my climate is very low disease and pest pressure. that is one of the reasons the apple areas of washington are so good, is it is a dry desert like climate.

    • @projectmalus
      @projectmalus 8 месяцев назад

      If you live in a commercial apple growing area it might be required for you to spray, I've heard. The spraying itself is hazardous since it might be windy or the applicator isn't trained, doesn't have protective gear, or the groundwater gets polluted. I don't spray and it wouldn't work to grow apples commercially in the east as no spray, so I'm trying pears which also can be picked green to avoid the bears :) and taste better than apples arguably, more like peaches. Less disease with pears.

    • @projectmalus
      @projectmalus 8 месяцев назад +1

      Also cleaning up under the trees will go a long way to avoid nasties.

  • @user-hi4sz9km1y
    @user-hi4sz9km1y 8 месяцев назад +1

    I liке on 7.30 sek...Rubio× king david 145 ..❤❤

  • @jeffreydustin5303
    @jeffreydustin5303 8 месяцев назад

    Kill not graft?

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад

      Can't keep them all. the good ones get grafted for replication.

  • @owendavies8227
    @owendavies8227 8 месяцев назад

    Those brown spots look like a boron deficiency or excess. Get your soil tested.

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад

      I do have a trace mineral soil test from when I first moved here. Pretty sure it was low in boron, but it has been a long time. I've made some adjustments. Whatever it is, it seems specific to this variety. So maybve a bit low and this is especially susceptible. someone else said calcium.

    • @owendavies8227
      @owendavies8227 8 месяцев назад

      @@SkillCult It's possible calcium might be an issue as well, but ALL of your apple trees show signs of boron and iron deficiency in the leaf pattern even if they don't show up on the fruit themselves. Fixing the deficiencies will greatly improve quality and productivity.

  • @user-hi4sz9km1y
    @user-hi4sz9km1y 8 месяцев назад +1

    I like King david×rubiат..on 39.23 sec.It's very..black❤❤❤..suреr... дякую

    • @SkillCult
      @SkillCult  8 месяцев назад +1

      it's a real looker for sure. I think it might be cider material rather than dessert material, but we'll see. I made a bunch of that cross last spring.

    • @user-hi4sz9km1y
      @user-hi4sz9km1y 8 месяцев назад +1

      @@SkillCult It's baeutiful..black..