The Apple Tree Debacle

This is a prime example of how things sometimes just don't go very well around here.

When we moved here eight years ago, there was a small orchard of apple trees out back.  They were overgrown and didn't look very healthy and bore little to no fruit.  In spite of our attempts to prune them back, there was no progress, so we chopped them down and planted new trees.

Seven.  Seven one-year-old apple trees (a.k.a. sticks) of various kinds.  We were looking forward to one day being able to use our own apples to make applesauce since we make and eat so much of it.

Fast forward 5 or 6 years and you know what we've discovered (we're obviously a little slow on the up-take when it comes to apple trees)?  At least five of the seven are beautiful, healthy CRAB APPLE TREES!

Whaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh! 

What's worse is that we weren't very good at saving receipts back then, so even though they were labeled as the fruit trees we ordered (we did make a little map showing where each variety was planted), we don't have our receipt to prove the purchase or even remember WHERE we purchased them from!

A local gardening center confirmed (via pictures Jamey took) that they are indeed crab apples and that we actually got a good deal because crab apples are twice as expensive as real fruit trees.

Yeah.  As if that's going to make us feel better.

So, what to do?  Since they are really nice, healthy trees, we might try to transplant a couple around the property- but that will take a lot of digging.  If you're local and are in the market for a nice crab apple tree (and would like to dig it up yourself), please let us know.  The ONE bright spot in all of this is that since planting those trees, we've heard that some folks have had success growing our favorite applesauce apple (Cortlands) in our area (which we did not think was the case originally).  So.  We're thinking of replanting the orchard with Cortlands this fall.

Between this, the fact that our beautiful huge Mimosa tree seems to be dying, a beautiful (large) flowering cherry we bought last fall for the front yard is dead, and the fact that our one hive of bees appears to be swarming it's hiney off (more on that later), we're a bit Crabby these days.

Pun most certainly intended.

Have any gardening or homesteading blunders to share?  It's therapeutic (albeit a little embarrassing) to put it all out there:-). Pin It