​Further Research on Crab Apples

Further research to be undertaken by SWCWT Crab Apple Project:

• Location of trees in relation to transport routes past and present.
• Location of trees in relation to cow pasture and possible drover’s routes.
• The dates when the tree blossoms
• Characteristics of our natives
• The average length of the yearly stem growth
• The quantity, size and colour of fruit each tree produces
• The taste of the apples when just fallen, and after keeping
• Further uses for Crab Apples
• Best methods of propagation, questioning grafting methods, layering, cuttings etc

 It will also be interesting to learn more about the relationship between cows-and-apples:

• How many of the crab apple trees are in old cow-pastures?  
• Do the apple seeds germinate better in cowpats?
• Why do crab apples not germinate freely?
• Is apple wooded pasture (cattle-grazed open woodlands and scraggy parks) part of the story, an old Galloway legacy?

This data will be useful if, in the future, our domestic trees suffer disease, fungal infection or suffer effects of climate change. There may be genetic qualities that could prove beneficial to our domestic apple.