Apples/Pears VS Annual plots (except corn/beans)

[4wanderingeyes]

I was just out a couple days ago trimming trees. I have deer beds throughout my orchard. Beds aren’t more then a week old, because we got a bunch of snow not long ago. There is also a bunch of beds within 20 yards of the orchard as well.

I have more pictures, but I couldn’t get them to post.

 

[SwampCat]

Big difference between those in the north and us in the south. Pic at one of my hog feeders - wheat is actively growing right now.

 

[williams111]

Once September hits my property doesn’t get much pressure, but being so small and low compared to neighboring properties they can see down into mine. I believe I need to create screens and decrease visibility and create thermal bedding. Combined with good draw in the fall from plots/fruit I’m hoping to encourage the deer to move onto my property instead of my neighbors until after shooting hours. There is a big property that butts up to mine that doesn’t get any pressure and most of the deer come from that direction. Thank you all for your input. I think I will move forward planting my remaining apple trees in strips along the plots.

 

[williams111]

I’m personally moving away from annual food plots to deer orchards. There will be several transition years.

http://www.afoa.org/PDF/CI1101f.pdf

I just remembered I forgot to finish reading this. I found this part interesting, plant multiple trees 18-24” apart to produce a multi variety tree?



Has anyone done this? Would this be better/worse then a frankentree?

 

[b116757]

Worse in my opinion this is kind of robing Peter to pay Paul, Franken tree would be better I think. I just space them out 20’ and plant three or more apple trees in groups that way they have room to grow properly.

 

[chickenlittle]

I’ve seen it suggested to plant 2 or 3 trees in the same hole. Usually for people with small backyard. I’ve seen mature trees that are multitrunked, either from 2 seedlings or from the same roots. If you don’t graft, it’s obviously easier than a Frankentree and easier to maintain. You can buy multi-grafted trees but they are expensive and need thoughtful care.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

I spaced individual trees out 20 feet, but then put another row of less vigorous or more slowly growing trees in a row about 12-15 feet downhill from the first row (the field faces due south, so I wanted the smaller, slower trees to get some sun too). That way I can get the most bang for my buck and space. These are also at the top of a clover food plot. I just planted these in November and I have already seen deer poking around checking these trees (maybe not for apples/crabs yet), but probably to see if they could get a bite of apple/crab branch or tree. At the end of the end of this spring, I will have 15 apples and crabs planted in this way. Also, the stand is 15 yards from the farthest right tree.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I have a smallish orchard of about 3/4 acre. I have my trees spaced 15 feet apart, and rows at 20 feet. my trees are less then 10 years old, but seem to have plenty of room so far. I did 15 feet, because when I go to commercial orchards, they have the trees at like 8 feet, and the branches are all touching. I figured if they can do it to cram as many trees as possible in the area, and keep a increase of apples, so can I. I think with your normal spacing of 20 feet, will give you maximum amount of apples per tree, but not necessarily per square foot of land. At least that was what I was told from a worker at a commercial orchard.

I could see the benefit to doing 3 trees in one small area, if you didnt have the room to separate them. You wouldnt get anywhere near the same amount of apples you would if you planted them apart, but if you didnt have the room, and wanted 3 different kind of apples, it would work, you would just get less apples of each kind.