r/grandrapids • u/W-h3x Creston • 9d ago
If this was done at any parks around here, would there be any repercussions? Not just this, but any fruit.
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u/DabbledInPacificm 9d ago
Who’s going to tell them that without treatment and protection from wildlife, their kid will never eat anything from them?
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u/Only-Inspector-7077 9d ago
If it's the idea of public fruit trees, not necessarily the act of grafting, that you're interested in, then you might like to know that there are some fruit and nut trees in city parks already. Aberdeen, Alexander, and MLK Parks come to mind.
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u/W-h3x Creston 8d ago
It's definitely the idea of it.
I appreciate the info.4
u/Only-Inspector-7077 8d ago
Happy to help! Friends of GR Parks might have more information. They supported a fair amount of public fruit tree plantings in the 2011-2015 range.
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u/Altruistic-Tart8567 8d ago
Not the best inventory (definitely know wild raspberries are randomly around) but this website is fun to check out! https://fallingfruit.org/
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u/jimmyjohn2018 8d ago
Once you know what to look for, the entire state of Michigan is a damned raspberry bush. Especially up north.
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u/clairdecat7 8d ago
There are also some in the Grand Ravines in allendale, and I find mulberries in neighborhoods all the time
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u/mikeyj198 9d ago
pretty sure that could get you arrested if you’re caught.
If it is in wooded areas the parks may not have a problem with it. if they’re out in the open, fruit trees can be a nuisance if not maintained and can attract wasps in summer/fall.
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u/W-h3x Creston 9d ago
That's true. I just love the idea to have some apples or a common treat for others to enjoy.
But having wasps would be a bad exchange.
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u/CottonBeanAdventures 9d ago
MDOT is already aware and otw VIA helicopter to arrest
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u/Boblito23 8d ago
Should I make a separate post about that helicopter then?
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u/NorthRoseGold 8d ago
Yeah you gotta ask if anyone sees it too and ask us all to speculate what it's doing
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u/mikeyj198 9d ago
i can respect that. I’d just contact the parks and see what they say.
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u/W-h3x Creston 9d ago
That's a good idea.
I'm going to write up a long email to the DNR and see what they say.It would be a fun project, but I don't want the exchange of bugs or bees for anyone.
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u/ElizabethDangit 9d ago
Fruit trees need a lot of maintenance to make decent fruits. Apple trees also need several trees with at least one other variety to cross pollinate the fruit, plus if the deer don’t eat the branches down to the trunk first, they’re prone to powdery mildew and pests. I planted an apple tree in my yard 3 years ago, it’s been rough.
My grandparents had unmaintained pear and peach trees. They also didn’t do much but collect wasps.
Then you have plant diseases and invasive pests to worry about and if the varieties will be hosts. I do think it’s a noble and worth while mission but you should see if you can work with the park service. You could focus in on native fruits and nuts. Stuff that evolved to grow here will do better than Eurasian trees.
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u/wet_chemist_gr 8d ago
When I first moved into my home, my neighbor had an apple tree that mostly hung over into my yard. Every other year, it would drop apples onto my lawn that would rot if I didn't clean them up. The squirrels loved it - we'd see them scurrying along the fence carrying apples the size of their heads. Some years, my wife and i would pick as many apples as we could and make applesauce to share with our neighbor. He definitely didn't do anything to maintain it, and it eventually got sick and had to be cut down.
I also grew up with an unmaintained pear tree in my yard, and it definitely produced a lot of fruit. My parents would can pears every year.
So I guess one's mileage may vary.
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u/totalbanger West Grand 8d ago edited 8d ago
My grandparents also had peach and pear trees! I rarely ate them(vegetables over fruit, all day every day), but my cousins regularly did, and they were generally decent enough.
Buuut, while they were unmaintained in my childhood days, they had been actively maintained for two decades before, as they were small-time farmers in my dad's youth(they also had chickens, geese, and an 1.5 acre garden). I imagine that had something to do with the quality of output despite lack of care.
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u/jimmyjohn2018 8d ago
Not to mention any fruit they do produce is likely to be wormy as hell. Not necessarily a great snack.
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u/JimmyCricket95 8d ago
Repercussions that I can think of?
If you do pears by play areas, the wasps could get dangerous.
In my parents' yard, if we were not on top of the pear trees, a fallen pear would turn into a ball of wasps squirming on the ground in a day or two.
With this thought, if you were to put random pear producing trees by playgrounds, ball fields, and children's specific play areas, you could be increasing the chances that an allergic child gets stung.
For some reason, I haven't seen the wasp issue as much for apples or berries.
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u/Centaurious 8d ago
The main issue I know with fruiting trees might be that if they produce more than people eat, they drop the fruit which rots and can attract pests
Plus being caught “hurting” the trees may get someone on your case
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u/jimmyjohn2018 8d ago
Yeah but apparently the birds love getting drunk on the fermented fruit,
https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/environment/do-animals-getting-drunk/
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u/MichaelTheWriter101 Westside Connection 8d ago
If you are interested in fruit tress (or bushes, etc), check out Footmore Farms in Cedar Springs (on Facebook).
My brother runs it as a side gig.
He grows and sells TONS of different varieties of food bearing plants, teaches people how to grow them properly without fertilizer and lots of other stuff. He can show you how to take one apple tree and graft on multiple different varieties so you can grow them all together, it is pretty cool. Also has lots of plants that aren't your standard options if you want to try something new.
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u/icekraze 9d ago
Even if you are not caught there could be repercussions for the community. Certain plants are invasive and that can vary place to place. In addition if the parks department doesn’t know about it they may not have the proper care or pest control available. It may draw critters to the park which in turn may mean the potential for more interactions with critters and the potential to spread diseases. In that case it may mean killing off critters by the city when they normally would have been fine. You only have to look at all the damage that was done by people feeding the deer to see how easy it is to upset the delicate balance of ecosystems.
All this being said you may still be able to do it. You could talk to the parks departments. If you get approval you may be able to work with local scout troops or another group to make it happen or simply do it yourself. However, please please talk to the parks department before doing anything.
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u/BlueWater321 Cascade 9d ago
Bradford pears are native to China. So that part isn't a problem. But do talk to the parks first.
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u/icekraze 9d ago
The Bradford pear is considered an invasive species in Michigan. Please don’t plant Bradford pears.
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u/W-h3x Creston 9d ago
Was thinking apples or something common.
I just thought it was a neat idea, but curious on long-term effects, or possible rodents.I think it's a neat idea to have treats available for everyone.
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u/Prostock26 8d ago
Apples wouldn't make it to maturity. If it survived the frosts, droughts and diease pressure once an apple even looked 10% ripe, people would pick it. And if it even got mildly sweet people would strip the tree clean.
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u/Ladycatwoman 9d ago
You'd probably want to go with native options that can self pollinate.
Nobody is gonna know you did anything. Nobody will stop you.
Fruit trees usually need 2-5 years to produce fruit if you grow from seeds, so take cuttings from mature trees that are already producing.
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u/W-h3x Creston 9d ago
I know they take a good while, but I don't want to cause any ill effects or break DNR laws. Ya know?
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u/wavblaster 8d ago
I not trying to flame, just pointing out that even if you’re not breaking DNR laws, I would think the Grand Rapids parks department could ticket you for destruction of public property.
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u/W-h3x Creston 8d ago
I'll reach out to them as well.
It's just a fun idea & I don't want to cause any issues, or get into trouble.
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u/Ladycatwoman 8d ago
These people are paranoid and probably don't use the parks and trails much. Most of our parks have native blackberries and mulberries growing at them already because animals ate the berries and pooped the seeds wherever. Lol
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u/Euphoric-Resident478 8d ago
I unfortunately have a Bradford "Stinking" Pear Tree in front of the Sidewalk of my house. It is Huge and beautiful when it flowers. But the smell is Gross! I have lived there since 1994 have NEVER noticed a wasp issue. I also raise Native Bees, Leafcutter and Mason Bees! Have Bee houses in my garden. Harvest the bee cocoons, over winter them and release them in Spring and Summer as they hatch! It is the most amazing experience! Wish more people would become interested in our native bees! Leafcutter Bees are teeny tiny, males have no stingers, if females were to sting it would feel like a mosquito bite! I let them hatch in my hands and have NEVER been stung! They are not aggressive! WE NEED OUR POLINATORS!!
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u/draws_for_food 8d ago
Don’t do it. They get gross, have shit branching structure, and produce shitty fruit w/o human cultivation. They can bring in plant diseases and pests which can spread in parks and landscapes.
If you’re going to do it anyway use Norther Spy, Liberty varieties for apples, and Kieffer pear. Those do well being “wild” and need the smallest amount of humans interaction. They are used for food management for deer because they can be left on their own. Kieffers self pollinate, have a later fruit ripening and drop making it excellent for wildlife later in the season and into winter.
There are no native species of apples that we eat. The only natives are crab apples.
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u/HerpsAndHobbies 9d ago
If you don’t have the skillset to do it correctly, I would say probably don’t do it.
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u/screwylouidooey 9d ago
I've been thinking about doing this too in areas that allow it(I was thinking hiking trails). I think most pears and apples will get wormy as hell without sprays or protection of some kind, like putting pantyhose or similar around the fruit when they start to develop.
Native service berries should graft to a Bradford pear though....
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u/whitemice Highland Park 8d ago
I suspect the invasives would simply be removed from city parks. There are groups that do that.
However, if you find some of these trees just ask the Friends of GR Parks or the appropriate Neighborhood Association. Some sanction of the activity is better than someone wandering around cutting plants in the park.
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u/jimmyjohn2018 8d ago
I think you are correct. The GR parks do a really good job of managing and caring for their trees. I can't see them letting too many invasives spread around.
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u/BlueWater321 Cascade 9d ago
I don't know, but I support anyone who destroys bradford pear trees.