Apple Tree experts in the UP

UP Powers

5 year old buck +
I would love to "pay" an expert to come to my property and show me what and the heck I am doing wrong and draw up a plan. Is there anyone in the UP around the Powers area that anyone knows is an EXPERT?? I am about ready to snap. I want to learn from someone on what I am doing wrong and give me some field guidance.

PM me..
 
UP, one of the best University apple programs in the US is at MSU. Talk to them, they will help.......... http://apples.msu.edu/
 
What do you have going on and/or wrong up there UP?
 
I have a private tour set up for this Monday at Shultz orchard and he is going to come over to my property and help me establish a plan. I have surrendered and I have pretty much said... I can't do this. I know my limits and I need more help to figure out what I am doing wrong. Plus, if he is selling trees I am going to buy his trees. It's a wonderful thing to have local help. thank you James Bipps. you too are a man among boys.

I wish I could slow time right now, but if not. I am gonna just say I need an expert and I need expert advice.
 
Getting advice from experts is wise and will save you a ton of time.

I notice from the Schultz site (http://www.schultzfruitridgefarm.com) that he grows 'people apples' rather than 'deer apples'. I'm sure the expert will get you on the right track, but don't be afraid to mix in some Liberty/Enterprise/crabapples into your orchards with the planting/care techniques he provides.

And do post pictures so that the rest of us can benefit!
 
Good luck UP!
 
The Schultz farm mentioned above is not the same as the one UP Powers is talking about. I do know that the one he is talking about grows Paula Reds, Red Imperial, Redmaxx, Honeygold, Reagent, and Harrolsons.

I know Honeygold is a good apple for a deer orchard. Does anyone else know if any of the other varieties are?
 
Ohh, UP is the guy that has like some what older trees and they never produce fruit. Thought it was odd he demanded and expert but never explained the problem. Now I remember!
 
Never explained the problem. Correct. Highlights. Vole damage, girdling, tent worms, crappy looking trees, leaves look terrible, some going on 5th leaf never produced an apple, I have no clue what I am doing, bad pruning, etc. I have called in the big guns. I have reached the point of I am not putting in any more TIME AND MONEY into something I am continually failing. I surrender..the apple trees have beaten me.
 
Thanks stu.. Thanks. . Tell me my tax bracket is going up too. And the bucks I have been watching all summer just got smoked by a car too.. Haha
 
Had a really nice day touring an orchard and talking with Frank. Frank then came to my place and told me what to do. Frank has about 800 apple trees on his property.

1. One thing i noticed immediately at Franks place, the floor was very clean in the orchard. Frank uses gly and sizamine. (sp?) to keep the grasses down.

2. The spraying program is the key. You MUST spray an effective fungicide, insecticide, and must be sprayed at the 14 day intervals. The sign of the mouse ear on the leaves is the first spray. If you are not spraying, you are wasting your time growing apple trees. That would be me.

3. Pruning. On mature trees. A bird must be able to fly in and keep flapping it's wings and fly out. If it is too branchy and tight in the middle it will die, eventually. Sunlight is key. The air must move in the tree. Clean the pruners after every tree with a bleach solution and do your pruning in the winter. ON a young tree, train and keep the branches and leaves green. The photosynthesis of the tree in the first 5 years by keeping it healthy will provide the next 50 years of enjoyment.

4. Branches die. There is nothing wrong with a branch dying. There is nothing you can do.

5. You can't kill a tree by pruning it. You will only help it. Don't go crazy and make it a 3 year project by shaping, but the best thing you can do is spray..spray..spray.

6. Frank uses Captec 3qts, Imidan 2lbs, plus a fungicide Flint, Indar, Rubigan. about 8-12oz all in a 125 gallon sprayer.

7. Frank uses wasp and hornet spray for the tent worms. Even the eggs. But, he does not get many with a good spray program.

Frank came to my place. I have fungus! And it's leaf spot, brown spot.. etc. I need to rake every leaf out of my orchard and burn them in the fall. Spray...spray...spray.. next spring. I have too much grass in my orchard. I need the knock it all down. I have to put wraps on all my trees for rabbits and voles. I need to focus on training my branches by hanging some water bottles on the branches.

We went to some remote trees I have on my property that I have planted around some 7 foot wire cages. Frank said my cages are perfect, but again. kill the grass, clean the floor, wrap the trunks, spray the trees. Frank said he is shocked I didn't lose one tree in the past two years due to the cold. I told him in a smirk, maybe it was my lack of a spray program. We both laughed. Great guy. I made a good friend.
 
Looks like you got a ton of good advise.
 
Did he make any comments regarding crab apples being a better choice, or perhaps needing less maintenance?
 
Not a peep about the crab apples. It was about spraying , pruning, timing, and using the right stuff.
 
If you are planting for deer, (and maybe for jelly and applesauce), plant some crab apples.

My mature dolgo has a good crop after a severe winter. This old chestnut crab has a decent crop.

IMG_8864.JPG



None of these trees have had any spray, just some tree spikes, pel lime, and a bit of pruning. Not near enough pruning, as stu will tell you.

I would try a whitney crab, a dolgo crab, a chestnut crab, and a late bearing rootstock crab if I were you. I can send you some scion from the last one. I think it is a Colombia crab.

Maybe throw in a morse bunches red. Some of his hold apples late and some do not. Not all are winter hardy for me. Lots of variation.
 
...or disease resistant apples.
 
...or disease resistant apples.
I tried a Liberty, an Enterprise, and a Nova Easy Gro this year. I somewhat worry about their hardiness.
UP what zone are you in?
 
I am in 4b. Wild crabs. I would say that is a yes. I have at least. (counting) 9 trees that are wild growing at my place. I have another question to the group. And I swear on my life this is a true story!!!

I would say about 30 yards from a very good stand that I have sat in numerous times there is a apple tree that was discovered two weeks ago! The tree was so engulfed in other trees it was almost gone. I spent the past sunday releasing it. The tallest apple tree I have ever seen. And I swear on my life I was with my nephews 26 and 23 and they have never ever seen it there either. Anyways, this apple tree has ONE trunk and there are TWO distinct apples on this tree!!!! One is a very large green and the other is a smaller red one. I have a picture of the tree. I don't have a close up of the apples. Is this possible???? I swear on my mothers eyes. The apples on this tree are different and I will guarantee this is a wild type of tree. How I have missed this for 5 years is beyond me. apple.jpg
 
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