theDoorman
Active Member
Mulch is plenty good enough in my experience.
Apple/Pear Trees
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Orchard on hilltop. Sure is pretty.
Hardwood11
It is going to be a good fall!
Very nice !
theDoorman
Active Member
Beautiful. How many? What type of trees? Is there ever any food left in the spring ?
Hair&Scales
Member
I am sure it has been covered but what is the go to system for deer and rodent proofing trees?
I have a small orchard I am starting at my house and have fence posts with hardware cloth on bottom (for rodents/rabbits) and chicken wire on top(for deer), mulch around tree. But they are a pain to maintain due to weed growth around them, they are in my yard so i like to keep them looking respectable.
I would like to cage them good once this year and not have to touch cages again for a long time ideally.
I have a small orchard I am starting at my house and have fence posts with hardware cloth on bottom (for rodents/rabbits) and chicken wire on top(for deer), mulch around tree. But they are a pain to maintain due to weed growth around them, they are in my yard so i like to keep them looking respectable.
I would like to cage them good once this year and not have to touch cages again for a long time ideally.
letemgrow
PMA Member
whatever tags that are used:
make sure they're chew resistant from rodents
Snail3496
Well-Known Member
I have a strategic east/west running field edge that I plan to plant approximately 20 fruit trees down this coming spring. It is great soil and well drained. Personally I've had tremendous luck with pears vs apples. Apples (Liberty, enterprise, AR Black) have done OK for me, but the pears (Keiffers & Advent) I've planted over the years are all BEASTs comparatively. Plus seem to produce way more tonnage. That said, it'd be nice to have options for the deer and eating.
I only have 6 years of fruit tree planting under my belt so am looking for suggestions on different basic varieties you've all had success with. I have no interest in spraying or "babying" them outside of general weed control and caging/tubing. Are there any varieties any of you are big believers in? What about persimmons?
I only have 6 years of fruit tree planting under my belt so am looking for suggestions on different basic varieties you've all had success with. I have no interest in spraying or "babying" them outside of general weed control and caging/tubing. Are there any varieties any of you are big believers in? What about persimmons?
Persimmon & chestnut are both very close to spray free. Only case might be like bugs eating the leaves. Few minor things. Like any tree- just needs babying. U will lose some as both can be a bit finicky but just replace when happens.
I’m a big fan of pears as well!!! Kieffer, Shenandoah, moonglow, Seckel, etc.
Last- could add some crabapple, dwarf chinkapin or regular chinkapin. & plums. I’d try some of everything really.
Daver
PMA Member
Take my fruit tree advice with a grain of salt, I am nowhere near an expert. But I do have enough failures behind me now to throw some advice out there.
I have had much better success with fall plantings, not spring...and this is considering that I often fight significant summer drought. (No drought this year, thankfully, but that is a rarity it seems. 3 or 4 out 5 years anymore are very, very dry through the summer months.) But even with significant stress from drought last year (2023), I am happy to say that I have many survivors that I planted in Sept/Oct of 2022. In fact, there is fruit on those babies this year. Not a lot of course, but it is very encouraging to see something going right for me when it comes to fruit trees. Pears survived last years drought, at least one crab apple did not. I will look more closely this weekend.
Although we haven't needed such a thing this year at all, I now have a watering system about 3/4 installed to water my current, and future, fruit trees from my pond that is about 200-250 yards away. It can be activated remotely by us electronically too.
Snail3496
Well-Known Member
Nice - Have you tried other trees from WhitetailCrabs?
letemgrow
PMA Member
I have and they're doing okay...bouncing back from some herbicide over spray.
I'd recommend the joint. I've done a few different orders and they were great seedlings received each time.
Rous14
PMA Member
Rookie fruit tree planter here so go easy on me haha….
Headed down to the farm this weekend (west central IL) and among other projects was planning to put around 10 fruit trees in the ground. Have skid steer and auger. Most of the trees are small diameter potted trees, maybe 5-6’ tall. Planning to cage them.
Of the 10 like 6 of them are bartlett pears, couple ark black apple trees, and couple crabapples. Am I wasting my time? Are the pears a waste of time and going to die?
Headed down to the farm this weekend (west central IL) and among other projects was planning to put around 10 fruit trees in the ground. Have skid steer and auger. Most of the trees are small diameter potted trees, maybe 5-6’ tall. Planning to cage them.
Of the 10 like 6 of them are bartlett pears, couple ark black apple trees, and couple crabapples. Am I wasting my time? Are the pears a waste of time and going to die?
Rous14
PMA Member
The small ones (5’ anpprox) are in pots yes. I am also going to a big nursery Thursday morning and the owner there has crababpple and apple trees that he says are 36” root ball/older bigger trees that I’m going to barter from him.
But again, don’t have much/any knowledge of what I’m doing exactly so don’t be afraid to tell me I’m doing something way wrong haha
Rous14
PMA Member
Trying to post a pic of the bigger trees the guy has and it’s saying the file is too large.
Probably 10 years ago now I had Don Higgins out to my farm to plant some pines and apple trees. He said provided u don’t have a bunch of frost that now is the best time to plant them while they are dormant.
Probably 10 years ago now I had Don Higgins out to my farm to plant some pines and apple trees. He said provided u don’t have a bunch of frost that now is the best time to plant them while they are dormant.
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Idk about over there but about to be below zero in Iowa.Trying to post a pic of the bigger trees the guy has and it’s saying the file is too large.
Probably 10 years ago now I had Don Higgins out to my farm to plant some pines and apple trees. He said provided u don’t have a bunch of frost that now is the best time to plant them while they are dormant. 
Rous14
PMA Member
Looks great! Approx how many feet of fence does each tree have for the cage do you know? Looks like around 5’ diameter cage?
Rous14
PMA Member
Yea Thursday is high of 34 and Friday is 22 so with the skid steer and auger I’m hopeful we can get most of them in the ground and caged on Thursday but maybe that’s wishful thinking. It’s been really warm for the last couple weeks.
Just one of the many disadvantages to being 5 hours away from the farm in another state and trying to come up with a long work weekend that works for everyone in my hunting party. Not easy.