what can you do with horse apples

What do you do with a horse apple?

• A Good Source of Firewood Because of its deep, strong roots and vivid orange bark, the hedge tree is not your ordinary tree. Bulldozer operators have stated that it is more difficult to knock down a hedge tree than an oak. ...
• Used as Food for Squirrels and Chipmunks ...
• Useful for repelling insects. ...
• Used in the manufacture of dye ...
• Makes Wood Products ...
• Utilized in Traditional Medicine ...

Full Answer

Do horses like eating apples and why?

Most horses enjoy eating apples and probably don’t even realize they are eating a healthy treat. Apples range in flavor from super sweet to tart and horses often prefer one flavor over another if given a choice.

How many apples should a horse eat a day?

When it comes to feeding horses apples as a treat, although they are safe for horses to eat this doesn’t mean that you should give them too many. Remember that treats should only make up a tiny part of your horses' diet. Equine nutritionists and veterinarians recommend giving your horse a maximum of two apples a day.

Are apples good for or harmful to horses?

While apples are generally safe for horses, there are potential issues to keep in mind. Firstly, avoid giving your horse too many apples, as this can cause colic and other painful stomach issues for your horse. One or two apples a day at most is ideal, although one every other day is best.

What are horse apples good for?

What do you do with a horse apple?

• A Good Source of Firewood. Because of its deep, strong roots and vivid orange bark, the hedge tree is not your ordinary tree. ...
• Used as Food for Squirrels and Chipmunks. ...
• Useful for repelling insects. ...
• Used in the manufacture of dye. ...
• Makes Wood Products. ...
• Utilized in Traditional Medicine. ...

History of the Horse Apple Tree

The first mention of the horse apple ( Maclura pomifera) was in 1804 by Scottish explorer, William Dunbar, who encountered it during a journey from Catherine’s Landing on the Mississippi to Ouachita River.

Common Uses For Horse Apples

Horse apples are generally considered inedible by humans (and most animals, including horses). The size of the fruit has caused livestock fatalities from choking.

Health Benefits of Horse Apples

When studied, extracts of the fruit have shown significant anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative properties but it’s not a recommended fruit to add to your diet.

Where To Buy Horse Apples

Farmers markets and nurseries sometimes sell these, marketing them as natural insect repellents. In reality, the amount of compounds in a fruit is too small to be an effective repellent (has to be concentrated).

Can You Grow the Horse Apple at Home?

Technically, yes, you can. But you might not want to unless you have a very specific purpose in mind, such as needing a hedge to keep out livestock (or the neighbor’s dog).

Growing the Horse Apple Tree

You can grow a horse apple from the seeds of the fruit or plant a shrub.

When to Harvest Horse Apples

If fruit develops, it ripens and falls to the ground in September of October. If you’re using it for decorative purposes, pick it from the shrub or tree during those months. Use pruning shears and wear gloves to protect your skin from the sap.

Insect Repellant

Many people rely on the hedge apple as a home remedy to repel insects. Some people place green hedge apples outside their basement windows to discourage insects such as crickets and cockroaches. Others use the fruit to deter mice from taking over the house. Some people use hedge apples to discourage spiders from moving into their homes.

Squirrel Attractants

If you want to attract squirrels to your yard, plant a female hedge apple tree. Squirrels find the small seeds in the inside of the hedge apple a highly desired food. Lots of work is involved for squirrels, but that doesn’t stop them. First, they need to pull apart the tough, stringy fruit to reach the hundreds of small seeds in the center.

Wildlife Resource

Hedge apple trees provide a valuable habitat resource for wildlife. Birds and small mammals use the thick-growing trees as shelter, particularly in the winter. In the spring and summer, a variety of birds use the branches for safe nesting areas thanks to the dense growth and thorny branches.

Crafts

Dried hedge apples make interesting flower arrangements when the fruit is cut in half and dried in an oven for a few days. Some people use the ash from the Hedge Apple tree to make an orangish-red glaze for pottery.

Windbreaks and Screens

Hedge apple trees make a great windbreak or privacy screen. The trees used to be used along fence lines to keep livestock from escaping the area. Now, the trees offer a great source of fence posts since the wood is so dense that neither disease nor insects bother it.

Questions

Ask a Question Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community or ask a new question.

14 Solutions

Share on ThriftyFun This page contains the following solutions. Have something to add? Please share your solution!

Archives

ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.