Fruit tree mistakes you made ?

[BobinCt]

I made a few by planting some trees in bad locations whether only one side got sun by being too close to wood line. I got very poor growth. What a huge difference in growth when you plant in full sun vs partial. What mistakes have others made?

 

[H20fwler]

Not thinning heavy fruit loads on young trees, causing branches to break.
Not trimming back branches to aviod the first mistake.^^^^

 

[NorthWI]

Using 19-19-19 to close to young trees. Also waisting time and money with tree tubes for fruit trees.

 

[Telemark]

Not caging every tree. Planting in areas with too little sun.

 

[silver_yummies]

I planted out my orchard varieties heavily with B118 rootstock. Some recent feedback on this forum is it doesn’t anchor well and trees lean bad. Time will tell on that one.

I tried 10 ‘cold hardy’ pear trees but they didn’t survive zone 4B.

 

[gunfun13]

Buying trees from Morse

 

[Charles Clear]

Tree tubes for my apple trees. Using 4 foot cages after that instead of 5 foot cages.

 

[Mortenson]

Not removing limbs to at least 5' fast enough. Especially on fast growing trees like the ones from Northern Whitetail Crabs and pear trees.

 

[Tree Spud]

Too hot of fertilizer ... 19-19-19

Not put mouse screens on base of tree before winter

 

[Ruffdude]

Regarding full sun...pay attention to soil types, I've placed trees in too much sun in dry sandy soils that would have been better off in partial shade.
I try to put trees in the NW corner of openings now to give them early morning and midday sun but not that late day scorching heat.
Greatest mistake was using tubes instead screen or mesh wraps, that cost me a few nicely established apple trees due to girdling. Mouse or vole moved in for the Winter and ate its way up the trunk.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

planting too close to a black walnut and not having a good plan for what/where I wanted to plant..also planting fruit trees too close to a road

 

[PatinPA]

My biggest mistake was just haphazardly throwing trees in areas, when I should've had a plan for where exactly I wanted them.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

On our "first attempt" apple trees years ago - putting black, corrugated drain pipe around the trunks for protection. They turned into mouse & vole hotels, and they girdled every tree. Lost 'em all. Went with aluminum window screen starting in 2013 - no signs of girdling the second time around. Learned that trick on this forum - can't remember who posted the pics and advice - but I'm very grateful for it!!!

 

[PrairieShadow]

Tree tubes for my apple trees. Using 4 foot cages after that instead of 5 foot cages.

You're not a fan of tree tubes? I've been using them with a cage on every tree. Am I missing out on something?

 

[PrairieShadow]

My biggest mistake is willy nilly planting trees with no real long term plan. Then my plan(or lack of) changes 2-3-5 years down the road.

 

[rocksnstumps]

Planting trees in too small of an opening after logging was completed. They look ok for several yrs but eventually the surrounding bigger trees just grow faster and close up the canopy. After 5 or 10 yrs you have nothing from initial planting. This woods is in forestry program for tax reasons so cutting trees willy nilly to open up more is not allowed. WI taxes on woods are horrendous and the resulting tax savings are worth sticking in the program and following the rules.

 

[bigboreblr]

I'm new, but lack of a plan is one thing. Also, as you entertain spending the time and money on feeding deer with these trees, you start to want to have apple trees for yourself too.

I put my trees 25ft apart in rows 20ft apart. This is my home, so where they are it's only about 15 trees.

Also, biting off more than you can chew. Got about 15 4-5ft trees, about 20 seedlings for grafting, and 30 seedling spruce and pine trees coming. Been prepping spots already.

Also, HUGE MISTAKE! Hemming n hawing where I am staying at my home or selling it, could of had 4 years of growth here already. Plant a few when in doubt......

 

[The Fishman]

You're not a fan of tree tubes? I've been using them with a cage on every tree. Am I missing out on something?

I cannot speak for Charles Clear, but I do not tube apple trees. I planted and tubed crabapple seedlings a few years ago. Everything was fine until the following year when the seedling grew out of the tube. The strongest three trees grew out of the top and wound up with broken trunks because of the abundant top growth above the tube,. The trunks were not able to handle the wind pressure and wound up snapping before I realized what was happening. It hurts when you cut a nice 7-foot tree back to a 3-foot twig. I use tubes, but not on apples.

 

[TreeDaddy]

I wish the OP had started this thread 10 years ago , because i have made pretty much every f***in' mistake posted here

bill

 

[R.E. Gould]

planting too close to a black walnut and not having a good plan for what/where I wanted to plant..also planting fruit trees too close to a road

I planted an apple tree 80 feet away from a black walnut. The next year it started dying back from the top. I dug it up the following spring and found black walnut roots. The tree recovered in a new location.