Planting Trees. Secrets?

[Native Hunter]

I wish I could grow pears. Clients from 60-70 miles south of me have given me some that taste great but they just don’t seem to do well where I am a bit colder. Some of the Alaskan/Russian varieties might be worth a try. However I know I can grow crabs and some apples.

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Yes, I recall some of your apple and crabapple pictures, and they look great. I do think some of those Russian pear varieties might be work a try for you.

Last year someone from New York sent me some apple scions from wild trees that are very productive up there. I used them for topworking some of my trees here. It will be interesting to see how his trees do this far south....

 

[Mortenson]

Sandbur, have you seen these pear trees? The border would probably be an issue. Claim they can grow in 3a and worth trying in 2.

http://www.hardyfruittrees.ca/catalog/pear-tree

 

[Northbound]

So no apple trees from cuttings?

I wouldn't waste my time trying. It's possible but low success rate. Start from seed if you'd like to be thrifty. Best route is buy wild apple or rootstock of your choosing and then graft on whichever cuttings (scions) it is that you'd like to have

 

[Telemark]

Gosh darn it!

 

[buckdeer1]

Tubes for hardwoods and cages for fruit trees,do a few right VS alot wrong.Make sure your spacing is where you want them.You can usually rent a tree planter and or a fabric layer from state forestry or NRCS.I like to disc area for tree planting as deep as possible in fall and plant wheat.Then in spring I spray with gly a day or 2 before planting trees.You can plant alot in 1 day with a pull behind planter.Then tube each tree or they will get rubbed and survival rate will fall.Whats the deal with the problem posting.It has been happening last several days,you have to back up and repost

 

[KDdid]

Has anyone in the group successfully started tulip poplar from stem cuttings? I have a large one in my yard that could be used as a brood mare.


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[yoderjac]

So no apple trees from cuttings?

You can get a full size apple tree on its own roots by simply planting it with the graft below the soil line. It is easy to graft apples to rootstock and rootstock is pretty inexpensive. Selection of rootstock can govern tree size an how soon they will produce. A full size tree can take longer to produce verses grafting to dwarfing rootstock. Most rootstock grown for apples is chosen for disease resistance among other traits like size. I'm experimenting with grafting seedling rather than using clonal rootstock, but I'm also grafting some on M111 which is suited to my soils.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[j-bird]

The ONLY large scale tree plantings I have ever seen in my general area be successful have been an all out assault as far as effort was concerned. I know of two where large former crop fields have been converter to "woods". In both cases an actual tree planter was used where tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of trees where planted. No protection was provided beyond that and no additional weed control was done. This tactic simply overwhelms the deer. I am sure they lost a large percentage still, but it can be done. These trees where purchased as plugs and planted with a machine very similar to how vegetable are planted on a mass scale. Fruit trees and nut orchards and the like are different in that you simply protect every tree to increase survival rates....and even then they sometimes don't work. I have a chestnut that was 6 feet tall or more that a deer pulled the cage off of and then the deer collectively reduced to a 2 foot stick!

 

[Telemark]

Ok, so where Do you fellas recommend I buy some rootstock? And which types?

I assume I will want some Bud 118.

Is 25 a reasonable number to start with?

 

[Mortenson]

Cummins says they still have 1800 Bud118 in stock. Mine are coming from them.

https://shop.cumminsnursery.com/shop/rootstocks

 

[Bill]

Has anyone in the group successfully started tulip poplar from stem cuttings? I have a large one in my yard that could be used as a brood mare.


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I have been told no but I don't believe it. It's been on my list of experiments to try but I just haven't yet.
Most things that grow from cuttings have a spongy middle in last years growth. Tulip poplar fits that bill. I just think it would work. Take some now and plant them in the house to see if you get any sprouts. Then report back.

 

[sandbur]

Sandbur, have you seen these pear trees? The border would probably be an issue. Claim they can grow in 3a and worth trying in 2.

http://www.hardyfruittrees.ca/catalog/pear-tree

Thanks for the link. One of my buddies is trying some of those varieties and he is slightly warmer than my location.




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[chickenlittle]

So no apple trees from cuttings?

Generally no. Apples are normally propagated by grafting, seeds, or digging up root cuttings/suckers (including layering/stooling rootstocks). Some apples and crabapples can be propagated from hardwood cuttings while others will be very difficult. Even for ones that can be, finding the right procedure could take a while. Even with variable success, there is no harm in trying. Soaking in rooting hormone is usually helpful. Some species grow easily from cuttings but apple isn't one of them. Micropropagation works with apple too but that process is typically too complicated for the amateur to do.

 

[bwoods11]

My best advice after planting 1000s of trees in the past 25 years, is if you plant anything other than spruce/cedar/pine...you better protect the tree, or it is pointless. Second, plant oaks--oaks take longer to grow, but will help your farm for wildlife in the long run, and is the most important tree for re-sale value of a farm.

 

[Catscratch]

There are no secrets. Just do the basics, and do them well. Don't skimp on protection or site prep.

 

[OakSeeds]

My best advice after planting 1000s of trees in the past 25 years, is if you plant anything ...you better protect the tree, or it is pointless. Second, plant oaks--oaks take longer to grow, but will help your farm for wildlife in the long run, and is the most important tree for re-sale value of a farm.

Summarized it just a little; perhaps one of the better, if not the best, post on this thread ... 2 of the most important aspects to consider. Well done!

 

[trampledbyturtles]

TTT

I would like to start a discussion on tree planting depth, and some of the various info that pertains to it.

For years I was under the belief that you should plant the tree so the graft union is 1-2 above the soil line after the tree has set in place.

Reading through the SLN webpage, I have found that they recommend planting the tree so the graft line is 1-2 inches below the soil surface after the tree has set.

So what's the deal, I was under the impression that planting on rootstock like antonovka. You wanted the roots to retain dominance of the tree an thus planted with the graft above the soil line. Where as if you planted with the graft below the soil line you would encourage the scion to root thus changing the dynamics of the tree itself to one with different characteristics.

Hope over the past few years of planting fruit trees I haven't made to big of a mistake, they all have been planted with the graft 1-2in above the soil line.

Also there are few other things stated that fly contrary to the process that I follow like
Don't use rock for mulch - as it conducts excessive cold to young trees
When finished planting there sould be a slight dish impression to draw water to the tree. I have been hilling the ground to slope away so not to allow excessive ponding.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Maybe in the really coldest areas stone / gravel mulch would conduct too much cold to the root systems. In our area, it's not been any problem. In fact, it's worked VERY well to keep mice/voles away from our trees. They can't tunnel in the limestone gravel we use. If we used wood/bark chips, straw, grass clippings, etc. - we'd have tunnels and nests everywhere.

I planted all our trees with the graft union 2" above soil line. So far - so good. I read to stay above soil line, so that's what I did. The printed explanation said you want to retain the growth characteristics of the rootstock.

EDIT: I just read the Penn State guide for fruit production for home gardeners. It says to plant fruit trees with the graft union 2" above the finished soil line. It also says don't leave a depression around the base of the tree. It's a comprehensive book of about 180 pages on growing all kinds of fruit trees, bushes, vines. $12.