How long do apple trees take to bear fruit? Shortest way?

[eclipseman]

All,
I have done minimal reading on apple trees (but am starting to do more now) but from the sounds of it an apple tree could take anywhere from 6-10 years to bear fruit. Is there anyway to speed this up? Maybe purchase trees which are already pretty old? Any ideas on approximate cost of trees like this? Also, which tree varieties should I look into for the North East which would drop fruit in October-November. Thanks!

 

[4wanderingeyes]

Depends on the rootstock, and apple you are trying to grow. I usually purchase 1 inch trees, that are about 6 feet tall, and it will take 1-3 years on most of them. I have gotten apples the first year after planting that spring, and I have some trees that havent fruited yet after 6 years. So it varies a quite a bit. Crabs are usually the quickest. Just look into the tree before you buy it, they should give you an approximate time to bear fruit.

 

[cavey]

Buy bigger caliper trees, large potted over bare root. If your not planting many this is the better option I feel - pay a little more to get a few extra years.

I still buy, but only when the price is right, different varieties that are already a few years old. It does give a jump over my grafted trees by a few years. Choosing dwarfing root stocks will also produce smaller trees that go to fruit years earlier than standard rooted trees. But there are trade offs in doing that. Trees do take time to grow and your going to have small yields at first - proportionately - for any tree you plant. It just takes time. It doesn't help you but that is why we are always saying the time to plant an apple tree is 10 years ago.

Large potted apple trees in the 1 plus inch caliper around here go for 60.00 plus. I can usually find 1/2-3/4" bare root trees for 20-40 bucks and the potted trees take over at 40 bucks and up. You can usually make a cash deal if your buying 3-4 trees plus - most guys will knock off 5 bucks or so. Its pretty rare to see anything bigger than an 1 1/2 - 2" potted fruit tree though. Maybe others have seen them but most places like to move their trees long before they get to that age.

When you get a larger tree those trees are often 3 plus years old and You'll often see an apple or two within the 2nd year you get them in the ground. Then gradually more and more each year later. The young trees, I often remove all but one or two of the apples if they are over bearing young just so the tree doesnt snap do to the added fruit weight at an early age anyways.

 

[eclipseman]

Buy bigger caliper trees, large potted over bare root. If your not planting many this is the better option I feel - pay a little more to get a few extra years.

I still buy, but only when the price is right, different varieties that are already a few years old. It does give a jump over my grafted trees by a few years. Choosing dwarfing root stocks will also produce smaller trees that go to fruit years earlier than standard rooted trees. But there are trade offs in doing that. Trees do take time to grow and your going to have small yields at first - proportionately - for any tree you plant. It just takes time. It doesn't help you but that is why we are always saying the time to plant an apple tree is 10 years ago.

Large potted apple trees in the 1 plus inch caliper around here go for 60.00 plus. I can usually find 1/2-3/4" bare root trees for 20-40 bucks and the potted trees take over at 40 bucks and up. You can usually make a cash deal if your buying 3-4 trees plus - most guys will knock off 5 bucks or so. Its pretty rare to see anything bigger than an 1 1/2 - 2" potted fruit tree though. Maybe others have seen them but most places like to move their trees long before they get to that age.

When you get a larger tree those trees are often 3 plus years old and You'll often see an apple or two within the 2nd year you get them in the ground. Then gradually more and more each year later. The young trees, I often remove all but one or two of the apples if they are over bearing young just so the tree doesnt snap do to the added fruit weight at an early age anyways.

Thanks for the info. I am just trying to get a little extra draw for deer hunting. I would likely start with 4-6 trees so paying even 80-100$ a tree would be fine if it gave a tree I wouldn't have to wait 3+ years for fruit. Any thoughts on types I should look into? I have very little competition as far as food draw (neighbors don't plant much and the closest ag fields are over a 2-3 miles away) so the local deer I see do not tend to roam that far).

 

[j-bird]

Rootstock will determine how big the tree gets as well as how soon it will mature and produce fruit. Proper site selection, proper protection and the proper rootstock and variety (ripening time and disease resistance) are all significant aspects of fruit tree and getting the most out of them. We have some very good resources here to help you with any and all of those details.... I have bought 3 gallon trees as well as bare root ones. Of the 3 gallon trees I have planted they where semi-dwarf size and produced in roughly 5 years of being in the ground and continue to produce better and better after that. Trees are a long term project but well worth the effort in my opinion. Just be prepared to spend as much on proper install and protection of the tree as you do the tree itself. Skimping or cutting corners here can bite you in the long run...my advice is to scale back your planting is budget is an issue and expand as needed but install and protect properly.

 

[cavey]

Just be prepared to spend as much on proper install and protection of the tree as you do the tree itself. Skimping or cutting corners here can bite you in the long run...my advice is to scale back your planting is budget is an issue and expand as needed but install and protect properly.

Very good sound advice right there.... and the absolute truth dont skimp or skip on protecting the tree - no such thing as over kill.

 

[g squared 23]

If you want to avoid the impatience associated with waiting for apple trees to produce, plant in full sun with great protection, and then proceed to go into a coma for 5-7 years, waking up about August. That should give you 6+ weeks time of extensive physical therapy so by October, you can use your walker to lift yourself up and pick the first apple from your new tree and take a bi.......ew. There are worms in this thing. Gross. And it looks like the coons ate most of them, little f***ers. Maybe you should wake up in April so you can establish a spraying routine and start picking off coons...


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[Jimmy G]

Just be prepared to spend as much on proper install and protection of the tree as you do the tree itself. Skimping or cutting corners here can bite you in the long run...my advice is to scale back your planting is budget is an issue and expand as needed but install and protect properly.

Very good sound advice right there.... and the absolute truth dont skimp or skip on protecting the tree - no such thing as over kill.

Don't wait to protect them either, deer will find them.

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[Charman03]

After growing some trees it’s easy to realize why they don’t grow apples right away or bear heavy crops. Your tiny tree would bust in half. The tree has to get big to support these big future loads of apples.

I was one who wanted quick fruit in the beginning, but now I realize it’s not worth it. I’m trying to grow my trees big for the time being.

 

[Tree Spud]

All,
I have done minimal reading on apple trees (but am starting to do more now) but from the sounds of it an apple tree could take anywhere from 6-10 years to bear fruit. Is there anyway to speed this up? Maybe purchase trees which are already pretty old? Any ideas on approximate cost of trees like this? Also, which tree varieties should I look into for the North East which would drop fruit in October-November. Thanks!

Yes ... go to an orchard and buy multiple bushels of already grown apples ... stand next to an apple tree you just planted and dump the apples you just bought ... do that for 6-10 years ... the deer won't know the difference ...

 

[Prof.Kent]

I've from Mid-Michigan. Late hanging apples I grow are Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Goldrush (don't ripen too well here), Rome, Sun Fuji, Jonagold, Golden Russett, Winesap, and Shizuka. They're all good eating apples, too.
Here's what they will look like in 15 years. Almost all are on M106 or MM111 rootstock in this orchard.

 

[greyphase]

In my experience crabapples will produce fruit quicker than regular apples and have fewer disease and insect problems. B118 rootstock has been a precocious rootstock for me with some varieties producing apples 2-3 years after grafting. The trouble with this is that a tree that age needs to be growing wood and roots not fruit. Letting a young tree carry too much fruit will stunt it's growth and never reach it's full potential. Growing apple trees is a long term investment that takes patience. And as several posters have mentioned expect to spend more on protection from mice, voles, rabbits, & deer than you spend on the actual tree. Also your planting site is critical, trees need lots of sun to grow strong and healthy.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Not sure where you are in NY, but I am across the border in norther Berkshire county in MA. My 2 cents...I began doing apples 17 years ago for the very reasons you are thinking about. 17 years later I wouldn't even consider buying another apple. Except for trying to save the remaining apples I have, I am done with them. Here's why. Obviously there are many guys here to have had nothing but success growing them. When young, they MUST BE protected from deer browse and from deer rubs. If you're successful at that crown rot and apple borers will become the bane of your existence. Surviving both of those you will face a myriad of blights and rusts that will blow through. Last fall some kind of a disease hit all of the apples in northern Western Mass....by August they all looked like they were dead? If you can manage to get a tree to survive all of that you'll have to then worry about black bears. Black bears will just destroy any tree with hanging apples. Young trees don't stand a chance even with a fence. They delimb them and climb them older ones. Even mature trees with DBH's of up to 8, 9 0r 10 inches they will climb and if the tree is not rooted well or had any knd of lean to it, the tree will come down under their weight. And if you have moose? Forget it. There's not a fence high enough that will protect young trees from moose.

Of the 50 or 60 or trees or so that I planted going back 17 years, only a dozen or so remain....despite my best efforts. If I had $600 to spend on habitat improvements, it would not be on apples. If you don't have moose or black bears it might be something to consider. Be prepared to spend a lot on fencing and chemicals and protection. Sorry for being an apple curmudgeon.

 

[sandbur]

I've from Mid-Michigan. Late hanging apples I grow are Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Goldrush (don't ripen too well here), Rome, Sun Fuji, Jonagold, Golden Russett, Winesap, and Shizuka. They're all good eating apples, too.
Here's what they will look like in 15 years. Almost all are on M106 or MM111 rootstock in this orchard.

I have the same trouble with trees where I can not thin apples higher up. The central leader gets bent and I guess it is what it is.

I use ten foot conduit to support the leader to a point.


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[sandbur]

I've from Mid-Michigan. Late hanging apples I grow are Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Goldrush (don't ripen too well here), Rome, Sun Fuji, Jonagold, Golden Russett, Winesap, and Shizuka. They're all good eating apples, too.
Here's what they will look like in 15 years. Almost all are on M106 or MM111 rootstock in this orchard.

In northern climates where sunscauld/ winter burn is an issue, either leave a lower limb on the SW side of the tree or paint the trunks white.


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[sandbur]

In my experience crabapples will produce fruit quicker than regular apples and have fewer disease and insect problems. B118 rootstock has been a precocious rootstock for me with some varieties producing apples 2-3 years after grafting. The trouble with this is that a tree that age needs to be growing wood and roots not fruit. Letting a young tree carry too much fruit will stunt it's growth and never reach it's full potential. Growing apple trees is a long term investment that takes patience. And as several posters have mentioned expect to spend more on protection from mice, voles, rabbits, & deer than you spend on the actual tree. Also your planting site is critical, trees need lots of sun to grow strong and healthy.

All good tips and I always favor crab apples.

It depends on rootstock as to when they fruit, but centennial, dolgo, and Trailman were early to fruit.
I have quite a few chestnut crabs and have not paid attention to how young they fruit.

Plant CRABS.


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[roymunson]

Not sure where you are in NY, but I am across the border in norther Berkshire county in MA. My 2 cents...I began doing apples 17 years ago for the very reasons you are thinking about. 17 years later I wouldn't even consider buying another apple. Except for trying to save the remaining apples I have, I am done with them. Here's why. Obviously there are many guys here to have had nothing but success growing them. When young, they MUST BE protected from deer browse and from deer rubs. If you're successful at that crown rot and apple borers will become the bane of your existence. Surviving both of those you will face a myriad of blights and rusts that will blow through. Last fall some kind of a disease hit all of the apples in northern Western Mass....by August they all looked like they were dead? If you can manage to get a tree to survive all of that you'll have to then worry about black bears. Black bears will just destroy any tree with hanging apples. Young trees don't stand a chance even with a fence. They delimb them and climb them older ones. Even mature trees with DBH's of up to 8, 9 0r 10 inches they will climb and if the tree is not rooted well or had any knd of lean to it, the tree will come down under their weight. And if you have moose? Forget it. There's not a fence high enough that will protect young trees from moose.

Of the 50 or 60 or trees or so that I planted going back 17 years, only a dozen or so remain....despite my best efforts. If I had $600 to spend on habitat improvements, it would not be on apples. If you don't have moose or black bears it might be something to consider. Be prepared to spend a lot on fencing and chemicals and protection. Sorry for being an apple curmudgeon.

I feel similarly down deep. All the money spent on food and plots, and trees, if I'm just looking to put meat in the freezer, I'd be better off buying a chainsaw and using the rest of the money on corn piles. Stay off the land from June to when the season opens.

but I love the chase. I love the process. It's why i think chestnut trees are so cool. I like to see them grow.

I totally see your perspective tho

 

[Mortenson]

Slightly off topic - how do you guys get those 10' conduit pieces in the ground?

This year I've noticed many of my 1st & 2nd year Apple trees, and my nursery trees, are still holding leaves in mid Dec.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

As Natty pointed out, some areas it's just very tough to grow apple trees. We have bears and will undoubtedly lose a few trees to them. That's why we planted over 70 newer trees in the last 5 years or so - to grow some big enough to outlast bear damage until they have enough wood to survive. We're fortunate to have oaks / acorns all around for miles and they keep bears busy most years, so they pay less attention to apple trees.

As Greyphase and Sandbur said above, crab apples are less hassle on the disease and bug fronts. They just seem to chug along without much problem - but you still have to protect them from deer and rodents. We have a lot of crabs growing at camp and a good selection of crab varieties is a good bet for deer and other wildlife. We love crabs.

Natty's moose are a whole other scary subject when growing things !!!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Mortenson - You posted right before me. I drive them ( conduit ) into the ground with a sledge hammer at planting time. I've only used a few in our plantings though.