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The PA Apple Tree

Buckmaster

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I'm now 6 months into my horticulture / agriculture career after spending 20 years in industrial fastening. I never envisioned such a move but when life provides lemons you make lemonade.

I've learned a couple tricks so far early in my 2nd career. One of them is cloning trees.

Looking back in time it seems I've always had a green thumb coupled with my love for the outdoors. I never discovered a means to make a lifetime income working outdoors otherwise I probably would have taken that path. As a result, since college I've always been a desk jockey always doing something in administration, management, sales, and marketing. My outdoor work is considered by many as a "weekend warrior" events mostly for recreation, stress relief, and exercise. It typically revolves around wood cutting, food plotting, gardening, landscaping, hunting, etc.

A few years back when I had used my Ohio buck tag I made it over to my buddy Scott's camp in PA for deer season to see if I could get a PA buck. I was amazed at the apple tree he had in the backyard of his camp still holding apples during gun season. I asked Scott about the apple tree. He said as Camp Legend goes.....Johnny Appleseed planted that apple tree. He didn't know what kind it was or how old it was. He said its been there since the beginning of Time. One single tree draws deer, bears, and critters from the area woods. The now Deer Camp, was a house, built in the 1880's. It officially became a Deer Camp around the Great Depression. The group bought 212 acres for $600 at the time. Many of the current PA Deer Camp members grandfather's were part of that original PA Deer Camp purchase back in the 1930's. My friend Scott is 3rd generation member. His son Kevin is a 4th generation member. Kevin's wife is now pregnant with a boy...soon to be the 5th generation Deer Camp member. Anyways, today that old apple tree is half dead and half alive. It holds apples into January and February during the good producing years. Since that first day of seeing that apple tree holding apples in mid December I wanted an apple tree or better yet apple grove just like that. Oh the visions that danced in my head of how I'd coordinate an apple grove like that into my personal southern Ohio Deer Camp. Oh Wow!

PA Deer Camp Depression Area
(the camp tradition was to hire a chef for the week)
 

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Buckmaster

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Since my Ohio hunting was heavily influenced by a Jefferson Co. EHD outbreak I took to PA once again this year for the bulk of my deer hunting.

This time I brought back a couple cuttings from that old apple tree.2.jpg
 
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Buckmaster

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I made up some homebrew of willow water which has natural rooting hormones.
I proceeded to reduce my cuttings down to 6"-7" and I soaked them in willow water for 8 hours.
 

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Buckmaster

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...then I ventured to Walmart for a 10 gallon aquarium which I converted to my mini-greenhouse.

I filled with a mixture of potting soil and sand. Now ready for planting.
 

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Buckmaster

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I placed the aquarium in my sunroom next to the forced air heat vent and watered about every 10 days with my willow water.
 

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Buckmaster

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Upon today's inspection I have 2 of 24 cuttings with the beginning of leaf sprouts.

I'm a little surprised by my results so far. Only time will tell which cuttings will take and which ones won't.

The ones that appear well by Spring I will move to my garden for the summer to continue rooting.

Perhaps my late drop apple grove is a plausible project. Only time will tell.
 

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Mike

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This is awesome and exciting! Have you thought about grafting to good root stock?
 

Buckmaster

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This is awesome and exciting! Have you thought about grafting to good root stock?

No need for grafting if these cuttings work out. I'll have future opportunity to grab root stock off the original tree if I need too. I didn't want to be too evasive around the original half dead apple tree (though it probably has 50 years left in it).
 

Buckmaster

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Then and now....

Check out how much this white oak grew from lets say 1940 to 2017.
 

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giles

Cull buck specialist
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I just talked to my dad about his moms Apple tree. How cool of a gift would this be for next year?! Everyone gets a clone apple tree from the one we all remember.
 

Mike

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I think seeds are unpredictable due to to cross pollination while cuttings will produce clones. Correct Ben?