Anybody happy with their fruit tree population?

[SwampCat]

I am done with mine - gonna replace a few as they die and maybe a few that seem to be overly diseased. Fruit trees are so labor intensive for me with basically no reward. I am now watering once a week because of hot dry weather. Probably have to keep that up for another month and a half. That takes all day. Have to spray everything here. Fruit strictly for myself if we ever got any and the deer could have any extra - if there was any

 

[cavey]

Very labor intensive, if your doing it right,... I tend not to do it 100% right - seems that way or at least somewhere in between especially when I look at the number of trees I have put out. Pruning gets way behind and I have not had time to spray. Im lucky to have heavy ground and have had enough water. I tend to like to make my trees struggle a bit for water in the long run they seem to come out stronger, maybe they have deeper root systems that way.

The rewards come years later with the apple drops, around here an apple tree, a good one, is worth its wait in gold as far as pulling in deer - I concede that I have more than they will every need and having so many may be an issue as far as a specific area to target as they can be spread out. But my over all goal was a food and water source for the deer 24/7/365 on my property. I've dug a pond, opened up the springs and created a better wetland that now flows year round, have tons of fruit trees, started to focus more on shrubs and the future is better food plots. So its all coming together - just takes time, wish I was twenty and doing this.

 

[bigboreblr]

native,

most places says willaims pride is either immune or resistant. I forgot who said it was susceptible. Not a drop of rust on mine.

I forgot who mentioned converting franklin cider to pristine. Would like to hear why. Noticed my 2nd year on my tree really took off. PRistine on the other hand suffers very badly from cedar apple rust. Got one from stark and one from I think mehrabyan nursery on M111. So, no accidental mixup. They're both rusty. Not sure what I will do with that one. Droptine gets rust bad. At home tree with be topworked, maybe keep a brnach or two for scionwood sources for other.

Home I am done 45ish trees on 8 acres. My foodplot is at risk of the oldest kid buildiing a house there. There's about 10trees infront of the plot too. IF they all go, not a huge loss. MAny are repeats or were scion source material trees for more at camp. I have 20 3 gallon root pruning pots and 6 5 gallon ones. I might, just might buy 10 anty or dolgo roostocks for up north next year and then done.

 

[Native Hunter]

native,

most places says willaims pride is either immune or resistant. I forgot who said it was susceptible. Not a drop of rust on mine.

I forgot who mentioned converting franklin cider to pristine. Would like to hear why. Noticed my 2nd year on my tree really took off. PRistine on the other hand suffers very badly from cedar apple rust. Got one from stark and one from I think mehrabyan nursery on M111. So, no accidental mixup. They're both rusty. Not sure what I will do with that one. Droptine gets rust bad. At home tree with be topworked, maybe keep a brnach or two for scionwood sources for other.

Home I am done 45ish trees on 8 acres. My foodplot is at risk of the oldest kid buildiing a house there. There's about 10trees infront of the plot too. IF they all go, not a huge loss. MAny are repeats or were scion source material trees for more at camp. I have 20 3 gallon root pruning pots and 6 5 gallon ones. I might, just might buy 10 anty or dolgo roostocks for up north next year and then done.

I don't understand why you would keep a "branch or two for scionwood" on such a horrible tree. When I topwork a dud, I never want to see it grow again. Good luck.

 

[bigboreblr]

I don't understand why you would keep a "branch or two for scionwood" on such a horrible tree. When I topwork a dud, I never want to see it grow again. Good luck.

Up north there may be a red cedar somewhere. I have not seen one in my 12 years there. IF I do keep a branch or two, it will be for 2 or 3 years and thats it. There's fewer offerings that can survive -35 degree nights well. That is one of them. USDA redid it as zone 4, but polar vortexes and lake effect snows still beat that place up from time to time. I am leaning towards st lawrences varietieis like All winter hangover, winter ildlife, violi and common ones like kerr trailman and dolgo.

 

[b116757]

I replaced a couple hundred oaks this spring that had died in last years drought that was about it for me planting this year. I’ll likely replace trees that die in my plantings and I may add some more trees in some areas when I get around to it I think I’ve got a couple hundred extra 60” tree tubes in the garage. Some of my replacement trees this spring where Concordia’s I haven’t checked on mine but a buddy also planted some and he said his are doing great on his site.

 

[TenPoint]

I am in maintenance mode at our river bottom place with ~30 trees and getting there in the hills with ~50 trees. I’ve got 4 coming next year. Really need to do some maintenance on all of them next spring. Didn’t have time to do anything this year. No spraying, pruning, or planting.

 

[blueKYstream]

I'm in maintenance mode. I likely won't add much more other than to graft persimmon rootstock and a couple pears where the graft appears to have failed at some point and the rootstock taken over. I planted mine in numerous locations. It makes maintaining them harder. Who knows, I may change my mind tomorrow though. I'm a little discouraged that the apples/pears that are growing well and producing get picked clean months before ripening while the others are slower growing than I had hoped.

 

[bigboreblr]

I replaced a couple hundred oaks this spring that had died in last years drought that was about it for me planting this year. I’ll likely replace trees that die in my plantings and I may add some more trees in some areas when I get around to it I think I’ve got a couple hundred extra 60” tree tubes in the garage. Some of my replacement trees this spring where Concordia’s I haven’t checked on mine but a buddy also planted some and he said his are doing great on his site.

You just reminded me about my other tree project. Need to collect mulberry seeds for next spring. Would really like to see some up at camp someday. Would like to do some more small game hunting in september. Be nice waiting near one of those with a 22 forsnowshoe hare and grouse.

 

[b116757]

I planted an Illinois everbearing mulberry on both farms and one at the house. The house tree died and was replaced with a flowering crab maybe for the best anyway my patio likely would have been stained blue from the birds. I’m looking forward to those other two trees producing in a year or two.