Late fall planting apple trees?

[g squared 23]

Bucked out? Let's hear it.

October 5th shot my target buck on my farm, my best by a long ways.

There was nothing at my place left to shoot, so I put some cell cams on my in-laws little 5 acre finger of timber and WOW

He was around once a week until about 11/6 when he started showing up more regularly, one day just after dark. So I went in midday 11/9 for a hang and hunt. When the wind died down, he got up and was looking for some doe action and I shot him.

So now I’ve killed my best two bucks ever all before gun season, so I’m looking into starting habitat improvements or planting my grafts versus leaving my property as a sanctuary. I have a couple good 3 year olds that I’d REALLY like to make it through. Quite the dilemma

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[Mortenson]

Holy crap man, you had the dream season! Unreal.... congrats!

 

[Mortenson]

Going to be an expensive taxidermy bill this year!

 

[b116757]

Nice bucks

 

[g squared 23]

Thank you! I’m still in disbelief. Just having those bucks around was enough of a privilege, but getting one or both is beyond my wildest dreams. The good Lord has blessed me far beyond what I deserve. And believe it or not I’m looking forward to habitat season just as much as deer season because I think I can make this property twice as good.


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[Derek Reese 29]

Got 10 crabs/apples in the ground this weekend along the top of my food plot....
(3) 30-06, (2) Crossbow, (2) Winter Gold, (1) Drop tine, (1) Wolf River, (1) 10 point.
All from Whitetail crabs (formerly Northern Whitetail crabs). Terry was awesome to work with and even helped me load the trees in a downpour when I picked them up.
All the trees were dormant and either had very few leaves or leaves that fell right off when touched.
Based on recommendations from Bowsnbucks and other members, I used widow screen around the bottom 18-30 inches of the trees and put limestone screening in about a 2' circle abut at least 3" deep around the base of the trees for rodent protection. Also put either 2X4" wire or 6X6" remesh cages around each tree. Lots of work but I hope this will give them a good start in the spring.
Also the brassicas in the plot are getting nailed right now. Hoping I can catch some feeding in the plot during rifle season that opens Saturday.
View up the fence row before trees

View up the fence row after trees (probably can't see all 10).

Couple of the PTTs that are now being chewed on.

 

[b116757]

Got 10 crabs/apples in the ground this weekend along the top of my food plot....
(3) 30-06, (2) Crossbow, (2) Winter Gold, (1) Drop tine, (1) Wolf River, (1) 10 point.
All from Whitetail crabs (formerly Northern Whitetail crabs). Terry was awesome to work with and even helped me load the trees in a downpour when I picked them up.
All the trees were dormant and either had very few leaves or leaves that fell right off when touched.
Based on recommendations from Bowsnbucks and other members, I used widow screen around the bottom 18-30 inches of the trees and put limestone screening in about a 2' circle abut at least 3" deep around the base of the trees for rodent protection. Also put either 2X4" wire or 6X6" remesh cages around each tree. Lots of work but I hope this will give them a good start in the spring.
Also the brassicas in the plot are getting nailed right now. Hoping I can catch some feeding in the plot during rifle season that opens Saturday.
View up the fence row before trees
View attachment 38699
View up the fence row after trees (probably can't see all 10).
View attachment 38700
Couple of the PTTs that are now being chewed on.
View attachment 38701
View attachment 38702

Sounds like a great project. I’ve considered ordering trees from them but for me the shipping was cost prohibitive. Idk if that was a function of my address or their shipping is always very high compared to other vendors. I understand that the size and quality of trees tends to be much better so it maybe worth it.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Sounds like a great project. I’ve considered ordering trees from them but for me the shipping was cost prohibitive. Idk if that was a function of my address or their shipping is always very high compared to other vendors. I understand that the size and quality of trees tends to be much better so it maybe worth it.

all of the trees that i got had huge rootballs that still had soil stuck on them....some were 6-7' tall as well and thick near the graft....I can't speak to the shipping as I picked them up

 

[chickenlittle]

I’ll take a break from hunting Saturday to plant some pears. I’ve got 4 in pots that will go. 4 more I could transplant from nursery beds but the might wait another week if the weather holds or wait until spring if it freezes up.

 

[White Oak]

Sounds like a great project. I’ve considered ordering trees from them but for me the shipping was cost prohibitive. Idk if that was a function of my address or their shipping is always very high compared to other vendors. I understand that the size and quality of trees tends to be much better so it maybe worth it.

Shipping isn't cheap , $51.39 from Whitetail crabs to my southern location in zone 7 . However it is a really big box and the trees I receieved in 2020 and 2021 were by far the largest trees I ever receieved from a nursery online with a large root system. I will add they are super fast growers too. My only concern is to see how the drop times pan out since they come from Pennsylvania and I'm in Virginia. It cost $12-$13 dollars now to ship a little priority mail box !. So My advice would be to buy 5-6 trees to try to see how they do in your area, before the shipping goes even higher.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Derek -

I hope that diagram I sent you helped in protecting your trees from mice and voles. That method has worked REALLY well for us. I learned it on here from Appleman and an orchard owner near our camp. The method isn't mine, so credit goes elsewhere!! Good luck with the new trees.

When did you plant your turnips?? They turned out pretty well.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Derek -

I hope that diagram I sent you helped in protecting your trees from mice and voles. That method has worked REALLY well for us. I learned it on here from Appleman and an orchard owner near our camp. The method isn't mine, so credit goes elsewhere!! Good luck with the new trees.

When did you plant your turnips?? They turned out pretty well.

Hey Bows..thanks again for that diagram! I used your/Appleman's system on all of the trees but had to substitute some 2x4" 5' tall wire cages for the remesh on 3 of the trees (hated to do it but almost doubled up the 2x4 fencing as someone gave it to me for free pre-cut in like 13 foot sections and I couldn't justify the cost of remesh). For some of the trees that are farther out in the plot, I had to rip out some brassicas/clover/grains to get the weed fabric to settle down on the ground correctly. I also got it figured out that one 5 gallon bucket of the limestone screening will work per tree. The place I get them (penncoff) sells 5 gallon buckets for 3$, which is great for what I needed. I found that filling in around the graft union with the natural dirt, then putting down the black paper, then adding the window screen around the trunk and finally filling in with the limestone screening worked the best for me to get it as secure as possible. When all of the stuff was nearby, I could get a tree in the ground and secure in ~15 minutes! As of yesterday, all of the trees look great and no rutty bucks had knocked any cages over and the deer could care less that the trees are now taking up some space in the field. I even got video of some walking between the cages!
As for the turnips, they were planted the first week in august along with 3 kinds of clover. The grains (WR and WW) I planted later (mid to late August). I think it was the urea spread in early September, along with the 9" of rain in September that really helped that plot along (also we didnt get a frost till early Nobember). It is getting hit pretty hard right now, but mostly at night. I think late season might be really good if they leave it alone enough to make it till then, as even right now it is the only nutritious green food around for 3/4 of a mile. Thanks again for the help and advice!

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Shipping isn't cheap , $51.39 from Whitetail crabs to my southern location in zone 7 . However it is a really big box and the trees I receieved in 2020 and 2021 were by far the largest trees I ever receieved from a nursery online with a large root system. I will add they are super fast growers too. My only concern is to see how the drop times pan out since they come from Pennsylvania and I'm in Virginia. It cost $12-$13 dollars now to ship a little priority mail box !. So My advice would be to buy 5-6 trees to try to see how they do in your area, before the shipping goes even higher.

yeah im really fortunate to live close by and have the ability to go pick them up...i can drive to whitetail crabs and blue hill! gotta love living in North Central PA

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Good stuff going on at your place, Derek!! Glad to pass along any info that may be of help. I learned a TON from guys on here myself. Saved me a lot of grief.

I think next summer we need to get our turnips & radishes in earlier like you did. We got ours in earlier 2 years ago - 2nd week of August - and they got bigger than this year's plot. This year we planted them around the 12th of September, and they didn't get as big as we'd have liked before the deer started hammering them. Lesson learned !!!

Like you, Blue Hill Nursery is only 1/2 mile off my route to camp. Can't get much luckier !!!

 

[BuckSnort]

Just thought I would provide an update on my experience planting apple trees last November. Everything I read said to use caution in colder climates like mine. Timing was definitely tricky because I was trying to wait until trees went completely dormant but it got so late I ended up just digging in early November anyway while some still had leaves on. After checking things out today, most trees look really good. I lost a few, this was my own fault, I ran out of posts and the fences tipped over so they got eaten right down to nothing. All trees protected well are alive and growing. Spring just doesn’t work well with my job so I am glad to know fall planting is a viable option. I even had to pick some fruit off a few trees.

 

[b116757]

Really fall planting is perhaps a better time to plant, ground temps are still warm and they put on root growth. I wouldn’t be to hung up about the trees being completely dormant when I planted them in the fall either.

 

[White Oak]

yeah im really fortunate to live close by and have the ability to go pick them up...i can drive to whitetail crabs and blue hill! gotta love living in North Central PA

I know this is a old post , Just wondering what's been your top growers from whitetail crabs and blue hill .

 

[4wanderingeyes]

View attachment 43585
Just thought I would provide an update on my experience planting apple trees last November. Everything I read said to use caution in colder climates like mine. Timing was definitely tricky because I was trying to wait until trees went completely dormant but it got so late I ended up just digging in early November anyway while some still had leaves on. After checking things out today, most trees look really good. I lost a few, this was my own fault, I ran out of posts and the fences tipped over so they got eaten right down to nothing. All trees protected well are alive and growing. Spring just doesn’t work well with my job so I am glad to know fall planting is a viable option. I even had to pick some fruit off a few trees.

I am just north of you, and your trees are a lot further ahead then mine.

 

[Diesel5610]

I know this is a old post , Just wondering what's been your top growers from whitetail crabs and blue hill .

My top growers from Bluehill have been his Primetime crab and October crab. Only been in the ground for 2 years but the couple I planted are easily outpacing the other trees planted at the same time. I have a couple trees of each variety so it isn’t just a fluke. I bought Grahm’s Gift, Big Dog and Kerr from him also. Those are all growing well but the Primetime trees have really taken off. I grafted a few more this spring and even the grafts are growing faster than my other grafts. I am not getting too excited until I see what the fruit and fruiting habits of the tree rally are.

All my Whitetail crabs are grafts from scion I got from guys here. I have 30-06, Droptine and a Ghost apple. Honestly all of those are growing very well and I couldn’t pick one over the other. These have also only been in the ground 2 years.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

For me, the best grower by far is the drop tine...I got a small 3ft tall whip last year and planted it in early April 2021 and it is now 8' tall with leaves all over.
Surprisingly another good grower was the winter gold, which I planted last November and it is now very bushy and over 6' tall and I had to knock about 100 flowers off it this year.
This was a bit strange as this is listed as a slow grower on their website.
The 30-06 and crossbow all have tons of leaves this year but the vertical growth hasn't taken off quite yet for trees that I planted last November.
Also, to note, the wickson is a close second to the droptine in terms of added growth.
Wickson 1 year after planting

30-06 5 months after planting

Droptine 5 months after planting