A few habitat pics I thought you might enjoy

[Native Hunter]

Okay, I'm ready to quit talking about that blind and get back to the trees.:D:D

 

[Native Hunter]

This spring I also planted trees on the opposite side of the blind near the stream at the middle of the property. That's where the food plots are too.

Planted:

7 Chinese Chestnut
3 apples
2 crabapples
3 pears covering October, November and December
3 Grafted persimmons that drop through October
3 Grafted persimmons that drop through November

 

[scott44]

Thanks for the tour, it looks good! I also enjoy seeing other's work.

 

[Native Hunter]

In 2012 and 2013 I logged my mature woods. I was very particular about the trees that were taken and left many, many mature oaks. The logger didn't like it much but also seemed nervous about the hogleg I carried on my side.:D

Below are some pics during and after the logging. All of the mature oaks you see in the photos were left, plus many more like them - especially at the inside edges of the woods. But enough junk was taken out to get me some good thick growth coming on.






Good regeneration since 2012:

 

[Native Hunter]

Thanks for the tour, it looks good! I also enjoy seeing other's work.

Glad you like it. I think learning from each other is a great thing.

 

[strawhead]

Great tour. Wish we could grow fruit and nut trees like that in NW WI.

 

[greyphase]

Two words that you wrote "its home" sums it all up. Enjoying the pics. I have Black Limbertwig on my list of scionwood for next spring. Would like to know what apples are working out and what are not.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

You got it going on Native!!!! Your def a man with a plan! I already know your work is paying off by many of your trail cam pics;)! As stated above I hate to waste away time but can't wait till my trees start producing as many of your have! Keep posting I'm enjoying!

 

[Native Hunter]

Great tour. Wish we could grow fruit and nut trees like that in NW WI.

Thanks man. I have gained a great appreciation for my Northern Brothers via the forums. Your weather is brutal.

 

[Native Hunter]

Two words that you wrote "its home" sums it all up. Enjoying the pics. I have Black Limbertwig on my list of scionwood for next spring. Would like to know what apples are working out and what are not.

Thanks greyphase. I will get that apple list together and post in the next few days as I continue with this thread.

 

[Native Hunter]

You got it going on Native!!!! Your def a man with a plan! I already know your work is paying off by many of your trail cam pics;)! As stated above I hate to waste away time but can't wait till my trees start producing as many of your have! Keep posting I'm enjoying!

Thanks Jordan. Your trees will be producing for you much quicker than you think, and you are going to have a blast harvesting and eating them with your young'uns! There is something about children in a fruit orchard that is just magical.

I will keep posting as time allows. I have a few thousand more pics to go.:D

 

[Bill]

That tree planting in 08 has had some great growth. Some of those trees look much older than a 6 year planting.

How much maintainece did you do every year?

Love the look do the native grass and PP and I'm jealous of the whit pines. They wouldn't last a week at my place

 

[Native Hunter]

That tree planting in 08 has had some great growth. Some of those trees look much older than a 6 year planting.

How much maintainece did you do every year?

Love the look do the native grass and PP and I'm jealous of the whit pines. They wouldn't last a week at my place

Bill, the trees were actually planted in 2005. I did that project three years before we got rid of the cows. We ran a fence to separate the cows from the tree planting. But, even at that it is still pretty good growth. I've had to replant several and also added a few extras over the years, so some of the fruit and nut trees are still fairly young.

As for maintenance, I mowed the rows each year, and while trees were small I would walk along with a shovel and knock back briers and other competition (within the row) if I thought it could choke out a tree. However, that didn't last long - because once the oaks get their head above the briers, they are headed for the sky.

I'm at the point now that except for the three rows with fruit and nut trees, the maintenance is about over. I will have to continue to do a small amount of maintenance yearly in those three rows, but it will be minimal. I will just mow the rows once or twice a year and whack back anything that comes up next to them.

You can't get through with a tractor at most places beyond the first three rows now, and no competition can beat the oaks and poplars I set. I still have just a few rows next spring to take out the biggest sweet gums, and after that the maintenance for the big trees is over with.

I know what you mean about the pines. Now that I have deer living on the place, a young white pine would be devoured. These only survived because it was next to the road with no cover around at the time. Even at that, a bunch of them did get gnawed down, and I replaced a lot of them.

Thanks - Steve

 

[huntall]

Great work! I love seeing the growth on your trees. My trees are between 3 1/2 yrs and under. I hope to have the same kinda growth with my trees as you have so far.
Its exciting to see the work we do develop into a great place that we can have pride in!
Congrats on a great place with deep history that comes with it.

 

[Native Hunter]

I wanted to get back with the request concerning the apple cultivars that have worked well for me. One thing to keep in mind is that I am a lot further south than many people who use this forum. My results are based strictly on my observations at my location. I would recommend checking with the nursery selling any specific cultivar concerning cold hardiness, etc. before purchasing.

Many of the cultivars listed below will be familiar names to you, but some will be obscure. Lots of the obscure ones were purchased from a nursery in North Carolina that specializes in heritage varieties. As someone who loves different apples I got some of them just because I wanted to try different things.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you can’t tell how badly a tree will be affected by fireblight until it blooms in a year when FB is bad. FB enters via the blooms. If a tree doesn’t bloom it likely won’t have FB even though it may be prone to it.

Priscilla: This is by far the most Disease Resistant apple I have ever grown. It is a modern cultivar (PRI breeding program) and has an outstanding taste. Ripening time for me is around the end of August. It is the only tree I grow that I have never seen one limb with FB, and CAR doesn’t seem to touch it. Oldest Priscilla I have is 4th leaf and has produced small crops the last two years. Never sprayed, and the fruit look almost spotless.

Liberty: A great apple. Some limbs will get touches of FB but nothing serious. CAR is not a problem. This is a well-known apple, so you can research this one easily.

Black Limbertwig: Slight touches of FB about like Liberty. CAR is not a problem. My oldest is 6 or 7 leaf and has produced crops of about 30 apples the last two years. Wonderful taste and is early – mid fall ripening.

Bevan’s Favorite: My oldest tree (4th leaf) is set in a spot too shady. Yet, it produced a small crop last year. This is an early apple, and the best tasting early apple I have ever eaten. Even though trees around it had FB, this one showed no signs of FB. Very light CAR spotting but nothing serious. I bought another one last fall and set in a better spot.

Striped June (Margret): An apple that actually ripens in June here. It is too tart for my taste, but my FIL really likes these apples. Not a hint of FB or CAR. Small red apples that look better than they taste to me. But, a very DR apple.

Yates: This is known as a DR apple. Mine had a little more FB than I liked to see this year, but it is still producing a nice small crop of apples. It also had a nice little crop last year. Not much CAR spotting at all.

Betsey Deaton: This tree is 6th leaf and has produced nice crops of apples for me the last three years. The last two years it showed a lot of CAR, but still managed to produce a crop. This tree is borderline for me to recommend. Maybe a few more years of history will help me decide.

Terry Winter: No signs of any CAR. Light FB damage this year. This is 4th leaf and producing its first small crop. Apples look great with no spraying. Late drop, so I need to wait to taste.

Milam: Old Tree on FIL farm produces great every year. My young trees not old enough yet.

Below are other varieties I am growing but can’t give a recommendation on yet. I need more time Ask me about them in a year or two:

Myer’s Royal Limbertwig
Brushy Mountain Limbertwig
King David
Old Fashioned Winesap
Roxbury Russet
Caney Fork Limbertwig

Avoid the ones below for sure:

Mrs. Bryan
Stark (Robinson) (an Ohio Apple)
American Summer Pearmain
Autumn Rush

Outstanding DR Pears:

Ayers
Kieffer
Moonglow
Several from Wildlife Group that are good. Look at their web site for DR and drop times. Most of mine still young.

Thanks everyone, and I will do some more posting in this thread in a day or two. Also, if anyone knows of apples with strong FB and CAR resistance that would drop in November in my area, please let me know. That goes for crabapples too. Already growing Dolgo and very happy with it.

 

[OHIOShedder]

No enterprise trees? I am interested in anything that is CAR-proof and may have to look into a few of those varieties to see if they would work noth of you.

 

[Native Hunter]

Great work! I love seeing the growth on your trees. My trees are between 3 1/2 yrs and under. I hope to have the same kinda growth with my trees as you have so far.
Its exciting to see the work we do develop into a great place that we can have pride in!
Congrats on a great place with deep history that comes with it.

Thanks and I wish you the best of luck with your trees. They start slow but gain a lot of steam by year 4 or 5 if you can avoid droughts.

 

[Native Hunter]

No enterprise trees? I am interested in anything that is CAR-proof and may have to look into a few of those varieties to see if they would work noth of you.

Yep I know that enterprise is one I have heard a lot about. I need to check into it more. Good luck on picking your trees.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Wow! You've got a French restaurant going there, Native. That's a huge variety of grub for the critters and your family. Nice tower, too. If you're gonna build it - go big or go home! As far as apples go, I'd agree with OhioShedder on the Enterprise. Great apple for DR and it's a mid-October & later ripener in Pa. We have 3 planted at our camp with 2 more to come for next spring. ( along with more Liberty, Dolgo, Kerr ). Thanks for the tip on Black Limbertwig - gonna have to try it. Look up Goldrush apple. Very late dropper and a DR tree. ( We also have Goldrush at camp ). Thanks for the tour & aerial shot.

 

[greyphase]

Thanks for the feedback on the apple trees NH. That's just the kind of info that I was looking for. I have been grafting and planting some of the more obscure varities also and hope in a few years to have experiences to share about them.

Rick