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Apple/Pear Trees

How or why u choose M116? I’m not really familiar with it. I’ve grafted some bud-118 & Emla-111. Works great - just have someone coach u along if first time or watch some vids to make sure u get it correct. Of course get supplies like tape & wax, etc Ya- really nice when u find a tree u really like- graft off of it & get same tree. Another place for grafting - If some one ever has tree where upper part dies but the rootstock sprouts & survives- can graft on a new Scion onto that.
 
took a wild guess, read a couple different web sites. theyre semi vigorous, look to have good disease resistance. Burnt Ridge out of WA state had some they'd ship to me by 3/15. Looks really easy so we'll see how it goes.

If I collect scions in mid feb. can i store them in the fridge for up to a month?
 
I think u could. I usually cut & graft within a short time. Make sure stay moist & look healthy & I bet be fine.
 
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What Asian Pears should I plant this spring?!? Thinking some Shinkos because they taste great. Thoughts on where to get them?


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I’ve done all of em..... the Olympic or giant Korean ripen the latest. I also have a good amount of Atago & Shinko . If u like Shinko- go for those. Long long story short.... watch em close 1st year & do not let bugs or diseases get em. Constant checks, ample water & spray as needed or whatever u want to do to take care of em. Asians r fussy the 1st year in my experience. Good after that but a pain to start. Good soil, well drained good black dirt & watch em close & care for em right. Otherwise - I’d go back to other varieties like kieffer, Harrow sweet, Seckel, Shenandoah, etc.
I’ve got some older big pear trees in my nursery. Likely have some extras. 4-5 year olds. But otherwise, plenty of reliable sources u can get em at. Happy to help if needed.
 
I just read all 27 pages of this tread and a few things come to mind.

1. I have always been told by a friend of mine who has a large apple orchard to NEVER alter the soil in the hole you dig when planting. He says long term when the roots start to reach out they will hit less desirable soil and turn back inward. Over time the tree's root system will stay close to the tree and it will be structurally weak. Right or wrong I don't know but in my mind it makes sense.

2. I have used all the fencing used in this thread. Over time I have found that concrete mesh works the best. By far the strongest at 10 gauge as opposed to 14 or 16 gauge. It easily stands on its own but I do put in 2 t posts to secure it. After 7 years you can just pull it off the tree and move it to the next one. Some of the stuff I have has been in production for 30 years and still in great shape. You can get 150 feet for about $98. I make my fences from 12 to 15 feet so the tree can grow with no problem. When I pull the Concrete mesh I make a tiny fence around the tree to protect the trunk. Yes rabbits can get though it but if you screen the tree it does not matter.

3. Pruning your tree. About midway in this thread I saw some were topping the tree or in other words cutting off the main lead. That is fine for orchards that what to be able to reach the apples but if production is what you want leave the lead grow and establish scaffold limbs. See attached link.

https://fruit.triforce.cals.wisc.ed.../36/2011/06/Growing-Apples-in-Wisconsin-2.pdf
 
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One last thought that I did not have time to address earlier. If you want to be successful at bringing deer to your mini orchard over a 4 month period you need to study the attached Apple ripening Chart. Your goal is to have deer coming from Aug to Nov if possible. Once you identify the apples that ripen in those time frames you must then look at the chart Skip posted in relation to Disease Resistances. Chose the strongest ones to plant. When putting apples in a location I do a chart so I can visually see what I am doing. The chart I attached is one I did last year in a 2 acre opening. Now this year I will add 10 more trees to cover the gaps I currently have in the 2nd and 3rd week of September and reinforce some other time frames.
 

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Agree 100% on ripening. If guys wanna make simple...
-few crabapples, such as dolgo, for help with pollination
-Arkansas black, Liberty, freedom, Williams pride, enterprise, , novamac, redfree, etc. pick 3-4 of these. Then just pick some based on above - ripening. are other good ones & if u like trees like GOLDRUSH like I do..... generic Rally 40 will take care of cedar rust.
Pears- I mentioned some favs earlier on. Love my kieffer, Seckel, shenandoah & few others.

Always plan on ordering trees 6-12 months before u plant em!!!

Good stuff above!!! & agree- prune for central leader!!!! Protect those babies like crazy!
 
Rainy day catch up!!!! One year old apple trees pruned and shaped. A start at least. In nursery to be moved at 4-5 years old.

2-3 year olds.....
 
Pruned a few fruit trees today. Not sure I’m doing it perfect but it seems to be helping doing this each year

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I’ve got three pear trees in my yard and they do not grow the same as the apples. Much more aggressive and straight up growth. I wanted to keep them from getting super tall but I don’t know that I’m going to be able to do that. I’m letting this one grow taller another year. Last year I lopped the leader off and it shot up a handful of leaders that all grew 3-4’

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Anyone looking for some high quality fruit trees in western IA or NE check out turkey creek nursery on Facebook! These all cams from him and have been in the ground three years. They came are bare root 4-5’ whips with a couple small scaffolding branches started. Super fast grow in them

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I think I need to take this one below down to one leader, I just didn’t have a big enough pruners to do it today

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Really good. At a minimum u thinned em so they can good air flow & sun. It appears like u have good crotch angles on most the branches too. Really good. Can make some more adjustments next year (heck, I think I do mine yearly at least clipping broken stuff & things growing wrong areas or angles). I always burn the stuff I clip too - fyi for anyone. Those trees look fantastic & way better than a tree folks often let go. Looks great!!!
 
Thanks skip! I began training cloth angles last year. But only on the trees in my yard, just didn’t get time to do the trees at the farm. Always seemed the training brackets were falling out when the wind blew and I didn’t make it to the farm enough to keep them in the those trees.

For the pear trees, I could NOT get them to grow good crotch angles. I’d put a brave in and they’d grow outwards for a few more inches and then just grow straight up again. They were just a bear to work with so I figured I’d just let them go? Any suggestions on Pear trees? I assumed the same logic for pruning and training their growth as apple trees?


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LoessHillsArcher said:
Thanks skip! I began training cloth angles last year. But only on the trees in my yard, just didn’t get time to do the trees at the farm. Always seemed the training brackets were falling out when the wind blew and I didn’t make it to the farm enough to keep them in the those trees.

For the pear trees, I could NOT get them to grow good crotch angles. I’d put a brave in and they’d grow outwards for a few more inches and then just grow straight up again. They were just a bear to work with so I figured I’d just let them go? Any suggestions on Pear trees? I assumed the same logic for pruning and training their growth as apple trees?


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My pear trees do the same exact thing!
I would love an answer to that question.

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what are you applying for fertilizer to your apple and pear trees some say straight nitrogen and some recommend a 13 13 13 fertilizer thanks
 
olafoggy said:
what are you applying for fertilizer to your apple and pear trees some say straight nitrogen and some recommend a 13 13 13 fertilizer thanks
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For Apples:

year 1 (3 weeks after planting): 1/2 pound 19-19-19
year 2: 1# 19-19-19 mid march & 1# urea 40-0-0 late May
year 3+: 1# urea 40-0-0 late March & 1# urea 40-0-0 late May

get treated urea if you can. If you cant get that work it into soil or water it in.
 
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I’ll snap some pics of pear trees. They sure don’t need a ton of fertilizer for pears. If u want to do it “properly” - I’d do more p&k as opposed to N. If in good soil- u sure could bag fertilizer but I’d try and limit it to p&k. Apple trees can take lil more N.
Pear trees are super vigorous when they get going. They just grow rapidly. That’s why u see branches going up. They just grow fast & get “out of Control” quick. I’ll take a lil video of pear trees next time I’m out & post on here. Pears are a bit of different animal than apples.
I have had luck training mine & pruning yearly. Just need to stay on them so u don’t find a mess with multiple trunks and massive amounts of big branches with tight crop angles. (What u find on a 5-6 year old tree that never got touched). Keep as many tight angles out as possible & just baby them each year. They love to send out tons of new growth yearly so just plan on hitting them every year for a few minutes on each tree in dormant season with pruners & branch spreaders. Ya- I’ve had em fall out too- just gotta go back and keep on em.
 
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