silver_yummies
5 year old buck +
I am hoping some folks here can chime in and give me some advice on how I should go about planting a small orchard on a new piece of property I purchased recently.
Some quick info that might be helpful - I am in Zone 4B - West Central WI. The apples and pears will be for deer/wildlife as well as human consumption. I am ordering 50 total trees from Cummins Nursery - mostly on B118 rootstock based on what I have read. The field I am going to plant these in the spring of next year currently has soybeans in it currently if that matters. Below are the trees I will plant.
Variety Fruit Rootstock Qty
Ashmead's Kernel Apple B.118 2
Chestnut Crab Apple B.118 5
Crimson Topaz Apple B.118 2
Enterprise Apple B.118 4
Florina Querina Apple B.118 4
Galarina Apple B.118 6
Golden Russet Apple B.118 2
GoldRush Apple B.118 3
Honeycrisp Apple P.18 3
Liberty Apple M.111 3
Sundance Apple B.118 3
Wickson Crab Apple M.111 2
Winecrisp Apple P.18 3
Wolf River Apple B.118 3
Flemish Beauty Pear OHxF 87 1
Luscious Pear OHxF 87 1
Parker Pear OHxF 87 1
Summercrisp Pear OHxF 97 2
Does spacing of 16' in rows and 20' between rows sound about right for these trees?? I am attaching an image as well showing how I intend to place the rows of trees - North is the top of the picture - that open field is 2 acres in size. The land ever so slightly flows North to south as far as slope - minimal slope, but it is there. Blue arrows represent the rows of trees directions - at least the best way to plant them in my mind at the moment. Do you agree with that? So they would flow from SW to the NE.
Any thoughts on how I should plant the tree variety's? Do I group all of the same variety trees next to each other? Do I space them out evenly in the orchard to help cross pollinate? Any thoughts here?
I think the pear trees need to be placed next to each other so they can pollinate each other.
I have been browing this forum and QDMA (now closed) long enough to know I need to train the branches/spray program/protect trees from rodents and deer. I will be painting the trunks with the 50/50 latex paint and water. Applying window screens around the base as well. My thought is to buy the 5' tall remesh and have a 5' diamater with 1 T post stake in the ground holding it in place. No mulch or rocks - will Oust/roundup to keep weeds down. I have access to a water tank I can pull into the lot and water the trees if rain doesn't come. I will have 3-4 others for sure helping me on planting day to help get the trees in the ground ASAP.
What am I missing??
Thanks for your help on this endevour of mine!
Some quick info that might be helpful - I am in Zone 4B - West Central WI. The apples and pears will be for deer/wildlife as well as human consumption. I am ordering 50 total trees from Cummins Nursery - mostly on B118 rootstock based on what I have read. The field I am going to plant these in the spring of next year currently has soybeans in it currently if that matters. Below are the trees I will plant.
Variety Fruit Rootstock Qty
Ashmead's Kernel Apple B.118 2
Chestnut Crab Apple B.118 5
Crimson Topaz Apple B.118 2
Enterprise Apple B.118 4
Florina Querina Apple B.118 4
Galarina Apple B.118 6
Golden Russet Apple B.118 2
GoldRush Apple B.118 3
Honeycrisp Apple P.18 3
Liberty Apple M.111 3
Sundance Apple B.118 3
Wickson Crab Apple M.111 2
Winecrisp Apple P.18 3
Wolf River Apple B.118 3
Flemish Beauty Pear OHxF 87 1
Luscious Pear OHxF 87 1
Parker Pear OHxF 87 1
Summercrisp Pear OHxF 97 2
Does spacing of 16' in rows and 20' between rows sound about right for these trees?? I am attaching an image as well showing how I intend to place the rows of trees - North is the top of the picture - that open field is 2 acres in size. The land ever so slightly flows North to south as far as slope - minimal slope, but it is there. Blue arrows represent the rows of trees directions - at least the best way to plant them in my mind at the moment. Do you agree with that? So they would flow from SW to the NE.
Any thoughts on how I should plant the tree variety's? Do I group all of the same variety trees next to each other? Do I space them out evenly in the orchard to help cross pollinate? Any thoughts here?
I think the pear trees need to be placed next to each other so they can pollinate each other.
I have been browing this forum and QDMA (now closed) long enough to know I need to train the branches/spray program/protect trees from rodents and deer. I will be painting the trunks with the 50/50 latex paint and water. Applying window screens around the base as well. My thought is to buy the 5' tall remesh and have a 5' diamater with 1 T post stake in the ground holding it in place. No mulch or rocks - will Oust/roundup to keep weeds down. I have access to a water tank I can pull into the lot and water the trees if rain doesn't come. I will have 3-4 others for sure helping me on planting day to help get the trees in the ground ASAP.
What am I missing??
Thanks for your help on this endevour of mine!