bjkpharmd
New Member
Re: I need info on growing fruit trees for wildlif
Old Buck- Most of the university sites I have seen are geared for growing fruit but have little specifics for wildlife. You've probably already beenn there but, QDMA native habitat/forest management forum has some really smart folks, you can see many of their photos and experiences searching by terms like "pruning", "grafting" or the species of tree/fruit you are interested in planting. Hope this helps.
Old Buck- Most of the university sites I have seen are geared for growing fruit but have little specifics for wildlife. You've probably already beenn there but, QDMA native habitat/forest management forum has some really smart folks, you can see many of their photos and experiences searching by terms like "pruning", "grafting" or the species of tree/fruit you are interested in planting. Hope this helps.
Shredder
Life Member
Re: I need info on growing fruit trees for wildlif
Still new to the fruit trees here...I planted 13 apple trees a month ago with some good success in getting them to take to the new ground. If it is just planting trees you are looking for and info on trees, you can check with these folks...they seemed to know quite a bit Stark Bros
Still new to the fruit trees here...I planted 13 apple trees a month ago with some good success in getting them to take to the new ground. If it is just planting trees you are looking for and info on trees, you can check with these folks...they seemed to know quite a bit Stark Bros
JNRBRONC
Well-Known Member
I have started a hobby orchard at our farm. Miller Nurseries has a four disease resistant variety offer that I purchased. I can't remember all of the varieties off the top of my head, but two were Jonafree and Macfree. There website really stinks, so I would suggest calling. The trees seem a little high in price, but I think the disease resistance might be well worth it. You are most likely going to plant these trees out in the boonies, not wanting to spray them. Anything you can do to help them have a consistent crop (buying disease resistant varities) might be money well spent. Another variety that caught my eye is haralson . I have heard it sets heavy year after year, no matter how harsh the winter. It is known to break branches due to heavy fruit set, which would get the apples down within deer reach prior to fruit drop. This might make for a messy apple tree, but it isn't in your yard, who cares? Placing a woven fence basket around your young apple trees will be mandatory. I guess I focused on apples. Any other fruit trees you are thinking about?
dbltree
Super Moderator
I've purchased trees from both Miller and Stark. I really like Miller's stock. Here's another place in Iowa http://www.redfernfarm.com/tree03.htm
They have all types of fruit trees other then apples as well as chestnuts. I'm picking up some potted chestnuts from them in late summer for fall planting.
Cedar Rust is a big problem since we have so many cedars, so you need to select for resistant varieties. Apple trees aren't crazy about heavy clay, which is what I have, so I always amend the soil with a mix of sphagnum moss and good top soil.
I started out using Tree Pro shelters thinking they would make the tree grow faster and protect them from the deer. however mice got inside, made nests and girdled the trees and killed them. The bucks decided the shelters would make great places to test there horns and ripped them, the stake and then the tree to shreds...so stick with the fence to protect them and use herbicide to keep weeds and grass away...which keeps the mice away. I've had better luck with the plstic spiral protectors to keep rabbits from chewing the bark.
Fruit trees are a great addition to your habitat program but they do require a lot of effort.
They have all types of fruit trees other then apples as well as chestnuts. I'm picking up some potted chestnuts from them in late summer for fall planting.
Cedar Rust is a big problem since we have so many cedars, so you need to select for resistant varieties. Apple trees aren't crazy about heavy clay, which is what I have, so I always amend the soil with a mix of sphagnum moss and good top soil.
I started out using Tree Pro shelters thinking they would make the tree grow faster and protect them from the deer. however mice got inside, made nests and girdled the trees and killed them. The bucks decided the shelters would make great places to test there horns and ripped them, the stake and then the tree to shreds...so stick with the fence to protect them and use herbicide to keep weeds and grass away...which keeps the mice away. I've had better luck with the plstic spiral protectors to keep rabbits from chewing the bark.
Fruit trees are a great addition to your habitat program but they do require a lot of effort.
Daver
PMA Member
[ QUOTE ]
Apple trees aren't crazy about heavy clay, which is what I have, so I always amend the soil with a mix of sphagnum moss and good top soil.
[/ QUOTE ]
Hey Double... how much top soil and moss do you add to the soil for say one apple tree? How big and deep a hole do you make?
I did a similar thing last year when I planted my ill-fated persimmons, but I don't know if I dug a big enough hole to make a difference. My soil is the heavy clay you refer to too.
Apple trees aren't crazy about heavy clay, which is what I have, so I always amend the soil with a mix of sphagnum moss and good top soil.
[/ QUOTE ]
Hey Double... how much top soil and moss do you add to the soil for say one apple tree? How big and deep a hole do you make?
I did a similar thing last year when I planted my ill-fated persimmons, but I don't know if I dug a big enough hole to make a difference. My soil is the heavy clay you refer to too.
Fishbonker
Life Member
I may be comparing apples to oranges as my ground isn't heavy clay, but I mixed it about 50/50, store bought top soil to sphagnum moss. My rule of thumb was mix it until you can squeeze it into clumps that break up easy. I wish I could give you pound for pound or volume for volume, I just put what appeared to be equal amounts in the bed of my Rhino and mixed up thouroghly(?). I try and double the diameter of the pot the tree is in for the hole and 6-8 inches deeper, less for small trees. I fill the bottom of the hole with enough of the mix to get the top of the dirt in the pot just above the existing ground. I water the bottom to settle the mix and measure again to be sure it hasn't settled too much. Then I put the tree in the hole and back fill it with the mix watering as I go to help settle the mix. I fill it up to the level of the exisiting dirt and keep watering and filling until there is a gentle slope to the surrounding exisisting dirt. I use some of the soil to build a burm for water. I leave it sit for a short time and come back and fill the burm with water. Then I get out the lawn chair, pop a cold one and watch it grow. This is what I do if I only have a couple of trees to do at a time. Won't work well if you have lots of trees to plant.
This is what I do. dbltree and others may have better info, but this works for me.
The 'Bonker
This is what I do. dbltree and others may have better info, but this works for me.
The 'Bonker
dbltree
Super Moderator
[ QUOTE ]
Then I get out the lawn chair, pop a cold one and watch it grow.
The 'Bonker
[/ QUOTE ]
Man I knew I was forgetting something!
Bonkers advice is pretty much right IMO. They say to dig a hole twice as big as the root ball, which of course isn't all that big for bare root stock. It's a heckuva lot of work which is why I've been leaning more towards hybrid oaks. They do just fine in the heavy clay but I'll be the first to admit that fruit it was heck of an attractant!
Then I get out the lawn chair, pop a cold one and watch it grow.
The 'Bonker
[/ QUOTE ]
Man I knew I was forgetting something!
Bonkers advice is pretty much right IMO. They say to dig a hole twice as big as the root ball, which of course isn't all that big for bare root stock. It's a heckuva lot of work which is why I've been leaning more towards hybrid oaks. They do just fine in the heavy clay but I'll be the first to admit that fruit it was heck of an attractant!
ibohunt65
Professional food plotter
wildlife group has several fruit trees to choose from. Arkansas black and keiffer pears are supposed to be good and disease resistant. I'm trying both. I also purchased a few trees from tyty nursery. Make sure you protect from mice, rabbits, and deer as soon as you plant or they will be girdled immediately.
I pretty much used the Bonker method last year, minus the added soil/moss mix (soil is good where I planted). I planted Liberty apple trees I picked up from Earl May. Libery's are supposed to be one of the most disease resistant apples, especially to cedar rust, and are a fairly late maturing apple (according to the book). I also planted a couple others, either Red Delicious or Jonathon (dont remember) as polinators because I got them real cheap.
I mulched them, watered them, used 4" field tile to keep the rabbits off, and heavy fencing to keep the deer off. So far they are still alive and growing, but no fruit yet. According to the Earl May guru, the year after next should be the proper year to allow fruit to set, any fruit prior to that should be pinched off to allow for maximum tree growth.
Red Fuji was also suggested as a very late maturing apple (mid-late Oct). The guru said that they are fairly new to IA so disease resistance is fairly unknown at this point and that IA is on the northern edge of their range.
This mouse thing has me a little nervous. Anybody had them take up residence in field tile and kill your trees? Would I be better off pulling the tile and wrapping them instead?
I mulched them, watered them, used 4" field tile to keep the rabbits off, and heavy fencing to keep the deer off. So far they are still alive and growing, but no fruit yet. According to the Earl May guru, the year after next should be the proper year to allow fruit to set, any fruit prior to that should be pinched off to allow for maximum tree growth.
Red Fuji was also suggested as a very late maturing apple (mid-late Oct). The guru said that they are fairly new to IA so disease resistance is fairly unknown at this point and that IA is on the northern edge of their range.
This mouse thing has me a little nervous. Anybody had them take up residence in field tile and kill your trees? Would I be better off pulling the tile and wrapping them instead?
dbltree
Super Moderator
[ QUOTE ]
This mouse thing has me a little nervous. Anybody had them take up residence in field tile and kill your trees? Would I be better off pulling the tile and wrapping them instead?
[/ QUOTE ]
I don't know TP...I've used tile beofre also, but kept it short. The tree shelters I used were 4' tall so the mice were nice and safe inside!
When I used the black plastic field tile I kept it pretty short and split it to allow for tree growth. I like the white spiral ones better because they hug the tree and mice can't get inside them. If your using mulch and have no weeds you might be safe...or maybe try the spiral protectors and leave the tile on also...wouldn't hurt anything!
The tile keeps the mulch away from the bark because it can cause the bark to rot at the bottom.
Liberty is what Red Fern Nursery sells also, for the same reason. I seem to spend a lot more time at Earl May though.....
They most likely have these at Earl May... http://www.greenwaydirect.com/
This mouse thing has me a little nervous. Anybody had them take up residence in field tile and kill your trees? Would I be better off pulling the tile and wrapping them instead?
[/ QUOTE ]
I don't know TP...I've used tile beofre also, but kept it short. The tree shelters I used were 4' tall so the mice were nice and safe inside!
When I used the black plastic field tile I kept it pretty short and split it to allow for tree growth. I like the white spiral ones better because they hug the tree and mice can't get inside them. If your using mulch and have no weeds you might be safe...or maybe try the spiral protectors and leave the tile on also...wouldn't hurt anything!
The tile keeps the mulch away from the bark because it can cause the bark to rot at the bottom.
Liberty is what Red Fern Nursery sells also, for the same reason. I seem to spend a lot more time at Earl May though.....
They most likely have these at Earl May... http://www.greenwaydirect.com/
JNRBRONC
Well-Known Member
Re: I need info on growing fruit trees for wildlif
My Earl May story
I went in to Earl May about 8 years ago, late in spring, nosing into summer. They had their apple trees on sale. It was the left over stock and looked it. They had about 11 trees, most of them yellow delicious. I offered the manager half of the sale price, telling him I'd take all the trees. Now my orchard is really heavy towards yellow delicious.
So I guess the moral of the story is patience might be rewarded if you wait and watch the local nurseries. They definitely do not want to hold inventory over.
My Earl May story
I went in to Earl May about 8 years ago, late in spring, nosing into summer. They had their apple trees on sale. It was the left over stock and looked it. They had about 11 trees, most of them yellow delicious. I offered the manager half of the sale price, telling him I'd take all the trees. Now my orchard is really heavy towards yellow delicious.
Old Buck
Life Member
Re: I need info on growing fruit trees for wildlif
Thanks for the great info guys! My basic plan is to plant a wide variety of fruiting trees to attract wildlife and to chomp on while I'm walking around the farm. I plan on addind new trees each year. Also, the older I get the better fishbonkers advice sounds.
Thanks for the great info guys! My basic plan is to plant a wide variety of fruiting trees to attract wildlife and to chomp on while I'm walking around the farm. I plan on addind new trees each year. Also, the older I get the better fishbonkers advice sounds.
FarmlandQDM
New Member
Old Buck ... I like native persimmon and american plum. A variety is great but sometimes it is easier to grow what grows here naturally. Your farm is on the northern edge of the persimmon range but I know of at least one farm north of yours they are growing well on.
As far as how to get them established ... with the deer popluation in your area ... I'd either plant lots of seedlings and hope some survive or plant a few saplings and cage them for the deer and put tree tubes or wrap on the stems so the rabbits won't chew ... the second is a lot of effort but it is probably what is needed to grow a persimmon tree. The plums are more of a shrub that will continue to sprout from the root system and eventually outcompete the browse pressure.
As far as how to get them established ... with the deer popluation in your area ... I'd either plant lots of seedlings and hope some survive or plant a few saplings and cage them for the deer and put tree tubes or wrap on the stems so the rabbits won't chew ... the second is a lot of effort but it is probably what is needed to grow a persimmon tree. The plums are more of a shrub that will continue to sprout from the root system and eventually outcompete the browse pressure.
Last year we planted a dozen blueberry plants around the outer edge of the barnyard and the deer sure found them. It was not intended for that purpose but it sure sparked a thought about putting a bunch more out in strategic locations. They also require specail soil circumstances though. When we planted them we were told to bury alot of pine needles in with the roots and to use pine needles for mulch around them. I would assume that they must like acidic soil then. Just more ideas for ya.
dbltree
Super Moderator
Re: I need info on growing fruit trees for wildlif
[ QUOTE ]
My Earl May story
I went in to Earl May about 8 years ago, late in spring, nosing into summer. They had their apple trees on sale. It was the left over stock and looked it. They had about 11 trees, most of them yellow delicious. I offered the manager half of the sale price, telling him I'd take all the trees. Now my orchard is really heavy towards yellow delicious.
So I guess the moral of the story is patience might be rewarded if you wait and watch the local nurseries. They definitely do not want to hold inventory over.
[/ QUOTE ]
I noticed that several places have remaining fruit trees on sale...places like Wal-Mart don't keep inventory around, so they mark them way down!
As dry as it it is I wouldn't plant them in the back 40 though
You can plant them...pot and all in your back yard or garden, buy a few bags of mulch to cover the area around them and keep them well watered thru the summer.
You can either move them this fall or early spring. Just remember when you do plant them to dig a big hole and add some soil amendments, a spiral tree protector or rodent proof tree tube and fence it to keep those hormone charged bucks away this fall!
[ QUOTE ]
My Earl May story
I went in to Earl May about 8 years ago, late in spring, nosing into summer. They had their apple trees on sale. It was the left over stock and looked it. They had about 11 trees, most of them yellow delicious. I offered the manager half of the sale price, telling him I'd take all the trees. Now my orchard is really heavy towards yellow delicious.
[/ QUOTE ]
I noticed that several places have remaining fruit trees on sale...places like Wal-Mart don't keep inventory around, so they mark them way down!
As dry as it it is I wouldn't plant them in the back 40 though
You can either move them this fall or early spring. Just remember when you do plant them to dig a big hole and add some soil amendments, a spiral tree protector or rodent proof tree tube and fence it to keep those hormone charged bucks away this fall!
Re: I need info on growing fruit trees for wildlif
I actuall ordered and planted 150 apple trees in the last six years. I get a CRP grade apple tree for about 3.00 a piece from a nuresery in montanna. This is my first actual year they are producing fruit.
What i did for mine was to use some of the black plastic lease line to protect the trunks, and then in areas that were very hard hit by the deer I actually fenced them individually. The majority of them are still alive and I have done nothing else special to them at all. I am assuming going forward I may have to spray them for disease are add some type of fertilizer but for now they are on there own.
I actuall ordered and planted 150 apple trees in the last six years. I get a CRP grade apple tree for about 3.00 a piece from a nuresery in montanna. This is my first actual year they are producing fruit.
What i did for mine was to use some of the black plastic lease line to protect the trunks, and then in areas that were very hard hit by the deer I actually fenced them individually. The majority of them are still alive and I have done nothing else special to them at all. I am assuming going forward I may have to spray them for disease are add some type of fertilizer but for now they are on there own.