• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
House of Hawthornes
  • DIY
  • Gardening
  • Budget Decor
  • Thrifting
  • Seasonal
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • DIY
  • Gardening
  • Decorating
  • Thrifting
  • Seasonal
  • 🛒 Our Amazon Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Gardening

    The Crabby Crabapple Owner

    Published by Pam Kessler | 247 words. · About 2 minutes to read this article. - 21 Comments

    When last we spoke, I was showing you my apple vignette on my kitchen table.

    All is not ap-peeling in the apple world though.

    My "job" every week is to pick up all the crabapples before my husband mows that part of the yard. I hate this "job".

    I use quotes because I've yet to see any "money" from this "job".

    Now, I don't want you to think I'm a crabapple hater. I mean, the blooms in the spring are drop dead GORGEOUS.

    Gorgeous crabapple blooms against a green chalkboard


    But the apples are gnarly. And small. And wormy.

    There's no way I'm going to be eating these.

    And there are a billion of them!

    Crabapples, the fruit from heck

    And even as I'm working my way around the tree, bent over at the waist, picking up the apples one by one, I can hear more apples hitting the ground.

    Thump. Thump. Thumpidy thump thump.

    Ugh.

    It's a never ending job, I tell you!

    Yesterday, it was all I could do to not walk over to the garage, fire up the chainsaw and take the sucker down.

    Crabapples, the fruit from heck

    I was so close.

    What stopped me?

    If I would have cut it down, I still would have had to pick up all the stupid apples. Plus the branches. And leaves.

    And there's the whole not being able to pull the starter rope on the chainsaw thing.

    OK, I guess I am a crabapple hater.

    Do you have crabapples trees? Or have you mastered pulling the starter rope and gotten rid of the demons?

    « A Fall Apple Vignette
    DIY No-Sew Shirt Pillow Tutorial »
    3.9K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. ThrifterSisters

      September 11, 2014 at 7:08 am

      No crabapple trees here, so it's hard for me to be a hater. But Cherry Blossom trees? So, so pretty but also such a pain. When the wind blows those pretty pink blooms off the trees, they stick to everything. Once, they even dyed the bottom of our boat pink in spots. I thought it was great! My husband? Not so much.

      ~Erica

      Reply
    2. Vickie @ Ranger 911

      September 11, 2014 at 8:58 am

      Your post gives us all insight as to why they're called CRAB apples, Pam! hehe At least you didn't get bonked on the head with one! If you have a neighbor with horses, they'd probably be happy to take those pails of apples off your hands. In fact, maybe they could just send the horses over for a snack and save you the trouble of picking the apples up.......but then again, you'd be picking up an entirely different kind of "apples". Hmmmm.

      Thanks for my morning laugh, Pam!

      Reply
      • Pam Kessler

        September 11, 2014 at 12:04 pm

        I never once thought about feeding horses with them. I guess they would like them. Good call about the other "apples". I would have traded one problem for another smellier one 🙂

        Reply
    3. Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces

      September 11, 2014 at 9:16 am

      Your so funny, Pam! Here it's full size apples...one of our trees drops them all. The squirrels love them, but so do the bees...making it a simply joyous time when we pick them up.

      Reply
    4. P.

      September 11, 2014 at 9:34 am

      What do you do with the picked up crab apples? If you knew a pig farmer, they might like the "feed." I think there are versions of crabs that just bloom but don't bear fruit. Maybe if you cut enough branches in the spring (awesome photo, btw), you can whittle that sucker down and replant with a non-bearing crab? Okay, none of this is probably helpful, but I feel your pain. My parents used to have butternut trees. My dad paid the grandkids a penny apiece to pick them up, and they did!

      Reply
      • Pam Kessler

        September 11, 2014 at 12:07 pm

        I suppose pigs would love them though, wouldn't they. Never thought of that. They just end up rotting and decomposing in the compost pile.

        Reply
    5. Joanne Noragon

      September 11, 2014 at 12:11 pm

      The deer eat our crab apples. Better than my roses.

      Reply
    6. Musings from Kim K.

      September 11, 2014 at 1:37 pm

      I'm smiling at this post. I can totally related. We have a messy crab apple tree in our yard and it drives me absolutely NUTS! I've slipped a zillion times on top of those blasted apples.

      Reply
    7. Chris K in Wisconsin

      September 11, 2014 at 3:01 pm

      I think I am crabbiest about our crab apple tree every Aug. and Sept. The apples begin to fall off the trees and the squirrels love to take one bite out of every single one. THEN the bees come to add even more fun. I love bees. We have many many flowers in the yard and a veg garden, so I welcome the bees..... However, every year myself and/or others in the family, when walking outside in sandal feet, step on one of those apples w/ an angry bee and get a nasty sting. The blossoms are beautiful in May, but they are such a mess in Aug. thru Oct.

      Reply
    8. Anne's Attic - Design

      September 11, 2014 at 3:46 pm

      Pam you are to funny, you say what I feel about menial tasks. One thing about them they are here to stay. Jo XX

      Reply
    9. rush

      September 11, 2014 at 4:09 pm

      What to do, what to do... It's something like putting up with the thorns to enjoy the roses.

      Reply
    10. TARYTERRE

      September 11, 2014 at 9:07 pm

      In my younger days when I could pull the chainsaw I cut down what I didn't like. These days everything stays. I do not like crabapples either. Good luck.

      Reply
    11. Ida

      September 12, 2014 at 4:10 pm

      Oh my this made me laugh big time. I mean the part about your "job" and not seeing any actual "money" for your hard work...how true is that. I think I have many such jobs. It has to be annoying not being able to do much with the apples although this year we picked up apples that fell off our neighbors apple tree that they just let rot and fall to the ground and we made apple pies with them. - I'd say though that those blooms would be worth keeping the tree around as they really were gorgeous.

      Reply
    12. The Old Parsonage

      September 14, 2014 at 6:25 pm

      We had one for years, then the hurricaine last year toppled it over. Can't say I was sad to see it go. we used a rake to pull them into a pile then a shovel to scoop them up.

      I do miss the blooms for cutting though.

      Leann

      Reply
    13. Marci

      September 15, 2014 at 10:09 pm

      We dont have crap apple trees but we do have hedge apples. They are great to make a fall display with but the dang things are everywhere and if one lands on your head it will knock you out (they are big and heavy!)

      Reply
    14. Minnie's Milestones

      September 17, 2014 at 11:57 am

      LOL, I don't have one in my yard, but my sister did and your right they are a mess.

      Reply
    15. Anonymous

      September 26, 2014 at 10:46 pm

      Try putting a tarp under your tree and shaking the apples out of the tree. Its easy to bundle up the tarp and either pick through the apples or dispose of them.

      Reply
    16. Tricia

      August 11, 2017 at 7:28 pm

      I have a crabapple tree in my driveway. The apples are constantly falling in the summer and fall! I had been picking them up by hand, then taking them into a pile and picking them up with a snow shovel; I just recently found an apple broom on Amazon. It is a wire basket with a gaps and a long handle. Roll the basket over the apples and they are contained in the basket; then open up a gap a little wider and shake the apples out. ITs $59 but worth every penny for me!

      Reply
    17. Cheryl D

      October 09, 2017 at 10:13 am

      I have found a helpful answer to my 2 crabapple trees. My husband says to just leave them on the ground. I can't, I hate to mow and walk all over them, they also bring a lot of flies around this time of year. Raking (good exercise mind you) is what I wanted to try to avoid. I tried my shop-vac (takes too long), tried some deer fencing material (too weak, weight of crab apples tore the net). This year I had success. I used a sturdier netting with small enough holes (Tenax hardware fence, 3X15 roll and tied them together every couple of ft with twist ties, I didn't have zip ties handy at the time) around my tree on the ground. I mowed down short first, then played fencing down right before crab apples started to fall. Worked beautifully. Rolled my pieces up and they are ready for next year. Should be less labor intensive since most my rolls are pieced together (Tenax didn't make larger rolls in the weight I needed). Hope this helps ease the battle of the crab apples! 🙂

      Reply
      • Pam

        October 10, 2017 at 8:31 pm

        That is genius! I'm definitely doing that next year! I had to laugh at your shop-vac idea though. Tried that. Thought my husband was going to have a stroke when he saw me using it on the apples 🙂

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Learn how to create a budget friendly home you'll love using repurposed thrift store finds, easy DIY & craft projects and seasonal gardening tips.

    Trending Content:

    • DIY Industrial Pipe Shelves
    • How To Grow Peonies - A Complete Guide
    • How To Paint A Front Door Without Removing It
    • Homemade Squirrel Repellent Recipe
    • DIY Earring Holder
    • How to Make A Penny Bowling Ball
    • Top 10 Thrift Store Shopping Tips
    • Blueberry Crostata Recipe
    • How To Make Winter Porch Pots
    • How To Grow Hydrangea In Pots

    About Me

    Pam Kessler | Author of House Of Hawthornes

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Web Stories
    • Blog

    Let's Connect

    • Subscribe
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Facebook

    Shop

    • Amazon Favorites
    • Shop The Look

    Please use appropriate safety precautions when attempting projects. All projects are attempted at the reader's own risk.

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 House Of Hawthornes, LLC

    🍪 We use cookies to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    I Accept Read Privacy Notice
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled

    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

    Non Necessary

    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.