[sch Co]

I have decided to try and improve the hunting on my parents place and also, add some decent human food as well.

I have done my homework and just ordered the following from Millers, Boyers and St. Lawrence.

1 Freedom-Ripens October
1 Liberty-Ripens September
1 Enterprise-Ripens Early October
1 GoldRush- Ripens Late September
2 Northern Spy-Ripens Late October through December
2 Winter Crab
1 Chestnut Crab

Peach
2 Finger Lake Peach Tree-Mid to late September

Pear Trees
1 Seckel Standard-Ripens early September
3 Keifer Semi Dwarf- Prob july/august.
2 Collete Everbearing Standard Pear- Produces new fruit from the end of August until first frost

and 6 Chestnut Trees. I do love roasted chestnuts.

I can;t wait till they are delivered in the Spring. So I guess in about 5-6 years I should have a nice orchard to hunt over.

Any tips to help them produce quicker?
Think I am missing apple specific trees? The Winter Crab are to hold apple well into the winter

 

[beechnuts farm]

Sounds real good. I strongly urge you to protect them from both rabbits and buck rubs. My area those bucks go after ever new tree I put in. sometimes not the 1st or 2nd G-season but they hit them and damage the trunk to the point the trees die.

 

[Shady]

and a partridge in a pear tree....

 

[Featherduster]

I know you already placed the order and it looks great BTW, but if you are thinking of planting more stuff later check out Morse Nursery. They specialize in plantings for wildlife. I've planted hundreds of things from them and they are all top notch.

 

[sch Co]

Protecting the trees is a definite must. I planted 4 chestnut trees last year and did not protect them. Well the deer ate every piece of green/new growth on them about a week ago.

All of them will now be caged and the white tree wraps around the trucks.

 

[Guest]

I use 5ft welded wire fencing. Works very well. 10-12 ft of it makes a very nice cage for the apple trees.

 

[Pa-Guy]

Your order looks good, but you didn't say what size trees you order, ie. semi dwarf, standand, etc.?
If you didn't order standard size, I would suggest you change the order. Still plenty of time to do that.
Standard size trees put out 10 times the amount of apples, plus the bear don't damage them as much when they climb them.
When planting, do as others have suggested to protect them from mice, rabbits and deer.
Here is a close up of some I planted this spring.
1. Use plastic tree wraps for mice.
2. Use very small wire to keep some mice out.
3. Spray roundup to keep the vegetation away, helps keep the mice away,
4. A little larger fence to keep rabbits out.
5. Final fence to keep the deer out, AND AWAY FROM NEW GROWTH FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS!
My fence is 9-10 feet in diameter, about 32 feet in circumference. This keeps the deer from browsing on the new limbs as they grow for the next couple of years.

 

[backwoodsgurl]

sounds like you are going to have a nice little orchard to hunt over.... should be great!!!

 

[Guest]

PA Guy, you sure do keep dem Chinese fence manufacturers in business.

 

[Pa-Guy]

Yep, the first year I planted apple trees... I didn't fence them until the day "after" I planted them.
TOO LATE!!!
They already ate off the tops of the trees.
Then I fenced them just enough so they couldn't reach the newly planted trees.
So... they just waited for a year or so and pruned all of them as they grew!
FINALLY.... this is what it takes if you want them to grow the best.
No sence in putting in all of the work in planting the trees, just to have the deer eat them the next day! LOL

 

[sch Co]

I have ordered all most all of them in standard. I think one or two are semi dwarf

 

[Pa-Guy]

I have ordered all most all of them in standard. I think one or two are semi dwarf

Good Deal!
Make sure you fence them the same day you plant them!
To save time, dig your holes ahead of time.
You can even put in your fence stakes ahead of time.

 

[bucky130]

PaGuy. Do you ever have any deer jump into your cages? I use 6ft diamter cages and have deer jump in sometimes.
SchCo
Some good varities there. from my knowledge goldrush doesnt rippen until the first week of november, its a very late apple. I wouldnt get two of the same peach trees, when mature you will be overloaded with peaches, could try to change it to one that rippens at a different time.

 

[KingRon]

If your in the northern part of the State, you also want to look at when the trees bloom. (some varieties are early and some are late) Try to pick ones that bloom late, so that they will still produce when you have a late frost, which is quite common up north. Also make sure that you wrap the bottom 6-8" of the apple trees to stop the mice from gnawing on them over the winter... Good Luck

 

[Pa-Guy]

PaGuy. Do you ever have any deer jump into your cages? I use 6ft diamter cages and have deer jump in sometimes.

Never had a deer jump in... that I'm aware of.
Too much other natural food around.
Now that I said that.... I'll look for tracks! LOL