Drought Resistant Late Dropping Wildlife Fruit Trees?

[SoSalty]

For a decade I've purchased 4, usually 2 persimmon and 2 crabapple trees to plant each winter. Not sure how many have survived, but guess about half are still alive as I've not water enough; sometimes with golf cart and buckets during droughts. 2 of the crabapple trees took off, produced after a few years and pull deer. I've never seen a persimmon though several, of 7 surviving, 8 yr old trees are approaching 20 ft, others are younger and 10 ft or so. Next year I'll use an rv pump and 50 ft hose, from our pond to water trees above and below. There're 3 apple trees that get water and do pretty good that the deer love in Sept.

I'm 70 and am spread thin upkeeping our place. Any there any late dropping fruit trees that'll survive with occasional bucket waterings? Also, what would be low maintenance for the 2 spots of 6 or so trees that I'll be able to water once a week? We get 50 to 55 in rain here in Norther Alabamie, but of course there're droughts.

 

[bigboreblr]

Better folks than me to talk about this. However, black arkansas and dolgo are two real tough ones. What will make the difference is the right rootstock for your soil. Im the complete opposite, I find a more flood resistant rootstock. Guessing dolgo rootstock would be pretty good. B118 in sandy soil would be pretty good for drought resistance.

Site prep can make or break it too. Amending the soil with manure is an easy way for the soil to retain moisture. Any kind of mulching helps alot. Eliminating weeds around the tree removes competition for water from the soil. Some weeds can root as deep as trees can.

Slow watering is preffered too. Take a bucket and drill a 1/8 in ch hole in it. It allows the water to go deeper. Even if you want to water the tree with 10 gallons, just putting half in a 5 gallon bucket with a hole makes a very noticeable difference. In 2023 I water some young trees with identical amounts of water. One got the bucket with the hole and the others just the hose. I stopped the experiemnt after about a month and a half. Could see the difference in growth that quickly.

Also, staking the trees helps. It keeps the roots from being stretched and damaged by the wind. Another I tried hald n half and saw the difference in a few months.

I cover the top of the cages with burlap on my freshly grafted trees. IT helps the tree get some hootest part of the day shade. Planting right next to a taller tree can help out in year one. After the hot season, cut the tree down. Planting the the southeast side might be about ideal. Gets sun during the morning, then gets some afternoon shade.

When planting, you can drive a few holes in the area with metal rod. Open it up a bit by swirling around. Then fille up the hole with dirt and pack it in a bit. Make a fast track for some roots to find water.

One member on here using a post hole digger to plant apple trees. Similar concept.

MY trees haven't seen a severe drought up in NY yet. However when a tree is lacking water, it is also lacking nutrients. I add a light dose of miracle grow when I water stressed trees. MAybe 1/3 or so of recommended. They have a scoop they recommned for the average watering can about 2 gallons. I put a level scoop in a 5 gallon water jug. Under real stress I would do even lighter maybe 2/3rds to 1/2 scoop.

Guys on here also have used water holding gels. I have used water gels on bareroot dogwood and pine trees. They did better than other trees I have planted. The local water and soil district sold me bareroots dipped. They get them from the state nursery. Which I have ordered from the state nursery. So, basically theyre the same trees.

Packing the soil helps too. Too loose and it evaporates quicker. I very finely break up a small amount of soil for a tree planting. That soil is used in the center part of the rootball. Get and voids filled up better. Rootbals are almost 2 dimentional wen you get them. They're all layed ontop of each other while they were spread out in their nursery spot. I try to recreate that, A little soil then a layer or root. Sometimes lanting to quickly can make the roots end up in clumps.

At camp I have sandy soil and its 4 hours away from home, so they rarely get watered. I bring up some heavier clay soil from home for soil retention. Sometimes you can source materials without getting them from the store. However, peat moss is a real good thing to add for several reasons including moisture retention.

 

[SoSalty]

That's a lot of suggestions that I hadn't thought of. Dolgo crabapples and Blk Arkansas apples. Thank you. I've a good place to plant near the other Granny Smith, Gala, and Golden Delicious 'apple' trees. The crabapple location is SE near a hardwood tree line for shade. Sounds as it's time do a lot more prep. I use a 2.5in auger and stout drill to bust up soil. Quote: "therefore making Malus Doglo rootstock very drought tolerant" from Blue Hill Nursery.

To sum up and adapt: Bust up soil and mix in peat moss. There ought to be enough dirt left to build a slight bowl around trees. Use 5 gal buckets with small hole in bottom near trunk. [Take 3ft of 4in PVC, sink 1ft in ground, fill with 1in diameter rock to soil level. Fill pvc with water so can soak in at 1ft depth?] The present sites have stakes to be reused. Also drill holes a short distance out as rain may fill.

Is it possible that the grafted tops of my Asian Persimmons died and the lower trunk grew up in place from root stock (which doesn't produce fruit)?

 

[SwampCat]

I live in SW AR. I have a 12 yr old AR black that makes it through drought with regular watering - 25 gal per week. I did have two four year old AR black die a year ago and it wasnt even that dry. I wouldnt call dolgo late dropping at all. I had one of four three year old dolgos die in the drought this year - with weekly watering - 25 gal per week. I do not plant trees out of reach of running water. I dont think it is realistically possible to haul enough water at my place

Southern US droughts are much different than central and northern US droughts.

 

[SoSalty]

SwampCat, I agree. Bucket watering is a loser. I moved from the California desert to Alabamie and I thought with 50+ in rain, there would be little need to water. I've learned otherwise. So in what way are the droughts here "much different?"

Maybe 'bigboreblr' is referring to using dolgo rootstock with Bla AR Apple tree? Or does he mean dolgo crabapple?

 

[SwampCat]

SwampCat, I agree. Bucket watering is a loser. I moved from the California desert to Alabamie and I thought with 50+ in rain, there would be little need to water. I've learned otherwise. So in what way are the droughts here "much different?"

Maybe 'bigboreblr' is referring to using dolgo rootstock with Bla AR Apple tree? Or does he mean dolgo crabapple?

I believe

SwampCat, I agree. Bucket watering is a loser. I moved from the California desert to Alabamie and I thought with 50+ in rain, there would be little need to water. I've learned otherwise. So in what way are the droughts here "much different?"

Maybe 'bigboreblr' is referring to using dolgo rootstock with Bla AR Apple tree? Or does he mean dolgo crabapple?

the length of our summers and average summer temps. Folks up north think 95 degrees is hot. That is near average for us during summer - but it still has the evaporative effect even when we are not above average summer temps. Then add in a number of 100 degree temps which are also fairly common - at least here in SW AR.

I have not had a single tree i have planted - out of 100’s - survive that I could not reach with a hose. I have run 1” black plastic pipe well over a quarter mile to my fruit trees.

 

[TWalter91]

I planted 10 apple/crabs from bluehill this past spring. I have sandy soil and never watered once this past summer. I use a thick dewitt weed mat and moisture crystals. I also do stone a foot or two out and woodchips to cover the rest of the weed mat. We had decent rain this summer but it shut off from End of August to middle October. Trees look great still!

 

[bigboreblr]

Both. Dolgo as a rootstock and dolgo itself as an earlier season tree. Dolgo has alot of varieties in itself. Even common apples like mcintosh, youll find differences in scion material from one place to another. Dolgo as the tree itself is very drought resistant, as well as the rootstock.

You can water a bunch to make a tree thrive, or you can water is enough to not die. First few years are very important. Yes, you get alot worse droughts down south. However, even meager amounts of water to a tree is quite noticeable.

Yates is another good southern apple. Century farms in north carolina specializes in southern varieties.

Look back a page or two in the fruit tree section. There's been some good recent topics about this.