Location for trees

[Mattyq2402]

Hi all, I'm trying to get an idea of where I should plant pear, crabapple, and chesnutt. Property is in hills. I have a 1 acre plot in the middle of the property. Buck bedding is about 300 yards away to the east of the eastern field edge and I also get bucks coming from the clear cut to south and from the ridge Nw of the field. Do u guys reccomend placing trees away from bedding and near a main food source? I have 4 apple trees that aren't producing yet in the eastern corner of the field already.

I'm open to making some cuts to clear canopy if needed. I've never put in fruit b4 so looking for some advice.

Access is pretty trick. I usually ride a mt bike to get where I need to be as quick as possible

 

[Mattyq2402]

Another pic. I'm in SE Ohio btw

 

[Mattyq2402]

Orange dot is where the 4 existing apple trees are

 

[Native Hunter]

Avoid planting them near the edge of a woods where they will get lots of shade from other trees and where roots from other trees are competing with them. This is a big mistake that lots of people make.

Also, if you plant fruit trees near bedding, it won't be bedding for much longer, because you will be constantly going to the trees and disturbing the deer. They will soon move their bedding to another spot. A distance of 300 yards away is probably okay but 100 yards away is pushing it, unless the cover is very thick.

If you plant near "another food source" such as a food plot, place the trees so they won't be in the way of tractors and other implements when mowing and maintaining.

One final thought. Many strains of Chinese Chestnuts eventually make a massive sized tree. I've seen some over 80 feet tall and 60 feet wide. Don't plant your apples and pears where the chestnuts will eventually shade them out.

 

[Tap]

I cut and pasted this from my answer to you over on the Saddle Hunter forum....

There's a couple different aspects to this. IMO, tree health and production should be the #1 concern when deciding where to plant. For instance...pears don't like wet feet so soggy areas should be avoided. I'd also stay away from frost pockets if you can identify them.
Ive read that Eastern exposures are best for fruit tree sites because they will get the early morning sun sooner and burn off dew faster. Damp trees tend to develop issues more so than a dry tree that's exposed to good airflow and sun.

Spacing is another consideration. I've made the mistake way too many times of trying to plant trees too close to each other and also too close to surrounding brush. One issue with that has been grapevines that climb nearby trees and then "jump" over and begin to attach to my planted trees. Keep spacing so you can get in with tractors for maintenance. You'll be surprised at how much space a mature pear tree needs when bearing fruit. Branches bend horizontally from the tremendous weight of the pears. It gets impossible to get equipment in and around the low branches.

Hunting is the other aspect. I spread my pears and crabs in little pockets throughout my acreage. I did not want them all in one spot. I wanted different locations to keep doe groups separated into different spots. One or two dominant does can monopolize a tiny orchard. I want different doe groups which will force bucks to travel around MY PROPERTY in order to monitor them. Trees in one location allow bucks to quickly scent check for does and then move on to the neighbors and certain death. If bucks are busy running around checking various does groups on my place, their odds of surviving are better.

Variety is one more thing to think about. I like a variety of pears that start dropping from Aug thru November.
And bud time is important, too. A lot of apple and pear varieties need cross pollinated by another variety. If my crabs bloom is done before the nearby apple blooms, then I won't get cross pollination.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I scattered our apples and crabs around our property for the very same reasons as Tap mentioned above.

Sunny, higher-ground locations are better for fewer disease problems & avoiding frost pockets. Good air flow and sun are big positives. Also choose disease resistant varieties to minimize problems.

Native Hunter and Tap hit on some very good points above. ^^^

 

[Mattyq2402]

Good deal. I am pretty sure I will be using the one acre field and just adding the fruit to each side if the already plays ted apples, it will be about a 1/4 acre and I have trees there for south and north winds. As far as the chestnut go I believe I can put them on the western end of the fruit, any ideas how far away they should be from the apple and pear