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caring for apple trees?

muddy

muddy

Well-Known Member
I got a call from my dad. Seems he got access to some new land and there is an old farmstead where he's going to hunt. On this old farmstead is an old apple tree that produces a ton but is pretty boxed in with over story growth and many of the branches are dead. Any tips on getting this deer magnet back into prime production?

I've heard that apple trees like it rough, meaning that come winter go in and aggressively trim the dead branches. Would clearing some of the surrounding trees to let more sunlight in help as well? I figure it can't hurt?
 
When the sap is out of the tree, late Jan. or Feb., that is the time to prune them. I think I remember from my apple pruning days that you do not want to remove more than 1/3 of the branches in a given year too. But the old timers rule of thumb was to prune the branches so starkly that a bluejay could fly through the tree and never hit his wings on a branch. In other words, you can grow branches and leaves OR apples.

If this tree is still producing after years of neglect, then some well timed pruning could produce a bumper crop in future years. Don't limit your pruning to just dead branches, take out ALL of the vertical "suckers" or "shoots" and a bunch of the rest too. A good producing apple tree is no bargain to look at when there are no leaves on the tree. Try to encourage horizontal or semi-vertical branches and get rid of the straight up ones.

I would also open up the area too by the sounds of it. I have a couple of pruning books that you are welcome to borrow, as long as I get them back.
 
I'd be putting 1 pound of 13-13-13 around the drip-line per inch of tree diameter. I'd be putting equal amount of pelletized lime as well. Doing this when dormant of course. Obviously you could think of some things to kill the weeds around it so the weeds don't eat up all the fertilizer. You could spade super deep around drip line to get fertilizer and lime down in ground.

I'd prune like above stated. Many articles and directions online for pruning.

I'd also take 5 minutes to go out there about every 2-3 weeks during growing season to spray it with fruit spray. Lots of people get lazy with this part BUT if you want more & good/healthy apples, it's crazy not to make it out there about 5-7 times a year for 5 minutes to spray with general fruit spray which should cost next to nothing.

Lastly, if there's lots of trees competing with the apple tree, unless they are something amazing- I'd do some clearing as apples like full sun, shouldn't take much & shouldn't take much for any activity that's needed. You have an awesome "problem" or chore ahead of you!!!! LUCKY!
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sligh1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'd also take 5 minutes to go out there about every 2-3 weeks during growing season to spray it with fruit spray. Lots of people get lazy with this part BUT if you want more & good/healthy apples, it's crazy not to make it out there about 5-7 times a year for 5 minutes to spray with general fruit spray which should cost next to nothing. </div></div>

Not the first time I've been called lazy and crazy in the same paragraph
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, but I don't plan on using the apples for anything except deer fodder and the deer could care less if the apples are buggy. I can't see spraying pesticides indiscriminately on something I’m not gonna eat. I don’t think, in my case, the potential harm to non target bugs and critters is worth it.

The 'Bonker
 
Thanks for the advice guys, we'll work the trees over after season closes.

And Bonker, I think we're on the same track, buggy apples are good enough for deer and even better on my wallet.
 
"Buggy Apples" are just fine for deer, I still think it's well worth the $5 you'll spend in a year on ONE apple tree (a $15 container will last you several years) & 1 hour total a year for a few sprayings because you'll have far MORE APPLES, the bugs won't destroy tons of them, you'll aid against disease & fungus. Bottom line though, far more apples for deer for about $5 a year.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sligh1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">"Buggy Apples" are just fine for deer, I still think it's well worth the $5 you'll spend in a year on ONE apple tree (a $15 container will last you several years) & 1 hour total a year for a few sprayings because you'll have far MORE APPLES, the bugs won't destroy tons of them, you'll aid against disease & fungus. Bottom line though, far more apples for deer for about $5 a year. </div></div>

Point taken, but potential non target harm needs to be considered too. Remember DDT?

Is it the pesticde or the fertilizer that helps produce more apples? I have used fruit tree, evergreen and "shade tree" fertilizer. I have used spikes and granular and I have had apples coming out my a$$ without spraying for bugs. I used to spay for bugs, frog eye spot, whatever, and when I quit spraying and fertilized only there wasn't a drop off in production. Sure the apples didn't look as nice but the deer still ate them. I do wonder though what potential harm I am doing with the fertilizer though. Always bad with the good.

The 'Bonker
 
Fertilizer will produce more apples compared with helping apples out with spray. Both will increase production. There are huge benefits to both.
Why wouldn't you do both???!!!??? Both are SUPER CHEAP & SUPER EASY!!!! I guess IF you think that fruit tree spray MIGHT have ill-effects on health, environment, etc.- DON'T USE IT. I do personally feel the research is in on stuff like captan and other chemicals BUT if you feel it's any way possible it could be like DDT- don't use it. It's not an issue for ME, so I concentrate on easy things to increase production and keep my apple trees in good shape. 2 sides to everything so do your homework (I know what I'll be doing though!) /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
We kept bees when we first started our orchard, so I did not spray the fruit trees. Last thing I wanted to do was kill bees or have them take the spray back to the hive. Supposedly if you spray before 7am or after 7pm, you are alright. I chose/choose not to spray.

I've never fertilized, either. This year, we have limbs breaking due to heavy fruit set. I would hate to see what would have happened if I had fertilized. There is a spray one can use to thin the crop so you get fewer but bigger apples, but that is more work and money.

To each his own on how they would like to manage things. I'd rather plant a few extra trees to compensate for any possible production loss than spend time and money managing them.
 
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