Pointers for the new hobby orchard.

[WTNUT]

I thought I would make a list of things I have learned the hard way when it comes to growing fruit trees the last 10 years or so. I hope it will help some who are just getting started, and as a way of saying thanks to those on this forum who have helped me.

1. Take the time to read every thread on these forums and pay attention. just glancing over the threads really doesn't work. You are likely to
do as I did and just say "you don't need to do all that".
2. Plant your trees in a good spot ( plenty of light, areas where the sun dries the dew off early in the morning, avoid wet ground, good well drained soil, etc.). The best bare root trees in the world will not grow in a bad spot. I planted my first trees in the woods with a heavy canopy.
Those did not work.
3. Dig a bigger hole than you think you would ever need. Loose dirt is a tiny root's best friend.
4. You can grow great trees in fertile mounds. This was a little controversial when I first tried it but it has been great. I had one field with
okay soil and I decided to make it better. I took a few bucket loads of rich top soil from another location and made a mound for each tree. It
worked great and kept their feet a little drier.
5. Learn to train your trees! It will make your life a lot easier.
6. Learn to prune your trees and remember you are growing apples not wood.
7. If your trees are for deer, try to have your first row of laterals at 6 feet off the ground. It makes it easier to mow around and helps keep the
deer off them.
8. Cage your trees. Stake them with a 10 piece of conduit or other support.
9. You can fertilize trees that are producing apples too much. As some on here have noted, it is a balance between fruit production and overall health of the tree.
10. Disease resistant trees are a lot easier and try to avoid trees that are more prone to fall prey to fireblight.
11. fire blight can happen to you1
12 Learn all you can about fireblight.
13. For the hobby orchard, spraying with Captan and immiden (spelling) will work just fine.
14. Spray herbicde (gly) to keep the weeds and grass killed around your tree. They rob a lot from young trees.
15. Make sure you put window screen or similar guards around your trees mice, rabbits or something will eventuallly get your trees.
16. Personally I would keep pears in a pear orchard and apples in an apple orchard.
17. Do not over prune your trees in the winter.

I will probably think of some other things slash mistakes I have made but this is a good start. You can find information on just about all of these somewhere on the forum.

 

[sandbur]

Plant crab apple trees.

I am still struggling with the idea of keeping the first limbs 6 feet off of the ground. I'm probably going back to trees with limbs closer to the ground on the south and southwest sides.

Give up on pears in the northland.

 

[WTNUT]

My limbs that are below 6 feet just get torn up by deer when apples are on and they are a pain to mow around.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Great list. After 10 or so years myself I would add two things that are kind of like your #'s 11 and 12. Apple borers can happen to you. Learn all you can about apple borers! I wish I knew 10 years ago what I know now about borers. Lost many nice trees to them before I wised up.

 

[WTNUT]

Researching Apple Borers right now!

 

[WTNUT]

Great list. After 10 or so years myself I would add two things that are kind of like your #'s 11 and 12. Apple borers can happen to you. Learn all you can about apple borers! I wish I knew 10 years ago what I know now about borers. Lost many nice trees to them before I wised up.

What do you do to manage for the rascals?

 

[chummer]

I would add paint your trees if you are in the cold. I also agree pears are no good, they put on great growth every year only to die back in the winter. I would also suggest planting one zone colder than you are. I am focusing on zone 3 crabs going forward.

 

[WTNUT]

Seems like a good thread for this link http://fruitgrowersnews.com/index.p...g-tree-trunks-protects-against-rodents-borers

I also recall a thread on QDMA discussing adding permethrin to the mix described in that link ^^^. I believe Ben (bnhpr) had begun doing that and had excellent results.

I seem to recall that as well but don't recall why the permethrin helped or what it added.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

What do you do to manage for the rascals?

I keep weeds down with landscape fabric and stone mulch around my young apples…about a 2' diameter around the tree. I paint the lower 18 inches or so of each tree with a wash of 50% water and 50% white latex paint. I do that every spring. Then, starting in mid May to the end of June or early July I literally check my apple trees every day…every other day at most. I carry a small piece of wire and my Leatherman multi-tool. If I find evidence of borers (brownish frass) I start digging and probing until I am confident I have killed the bastard. Sometimes once you start digging you realize the extent of the damage the borer has already done. I removed all the rotten bark and cambium material unit I see nice fresh green tissue and no more sign of borer damage.

I don't spray. And I don't use any kind of physical barrier around the trunk of the tree. I would hate to cover up the trunk of each tree with window screen and not be able to see the trunk and look for borer sign.

Hope this helps. Not sure if borers are quite the problem across the U.S. that they seem to be here in my neck of the woods in the Northeast?

 

[sandbur]

I don't think fruit trees (especially crabs) get as tall here as they do in more temperate climates...especially on sandy soil.

If you take the bottom 6 feet of limbs off of most of my trees, you have about 4 feet of tree left.

I also fear the prairie winds can damage these trees to a larger extent if they are top heavy.

This week the wind broke the top out of a sick pear tree. Now I have two reasons to get rid of it. I have not had a ripe pear yet. Apple trees planted at the same time are now producing fruit. The plums have all ready died back to the roots and were planted at the same time. I did get a few ripe plums, but now have lots of plum rootstock for a thicket.

I feel that removing the lower 6 feet of limbs is exposing our trees to the winter sun and sunscauld. Paint helps a lot, but so does some extra limbs and weeds on the south and SW side of the trees. Perhaps I should not have removed as many of these lower limbs in the last few years. Leave some of these limbs inside the cage to protect the trunk, even after removal of the cage they help with browsing.

 

[Spiider]

Good thread, keep 'em coming.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

Great advise!
This is similar to what's been stated above but my rookie advise is this. If your on the fence between ordering 6 or 12 trees, order 6 an take better care of them. Then order the other 6 next season! I got 20 trees at the house now that I didnt have time to plant this spring. Hope they do ok fall planting them.. When you get bit by the fruit tree bug it's easy to go over board haha

 

[Spiider]

Great advise!
This is similar to what's been stated above but my rookie advise is this. If your on the fence between ordering 6 or 12 trees, order 6 an take better care of them. Then order the other 6 next season! I got 20 trees at the house now that I didnt have time to plant this spring. Hope they do ok fall planting them.. When you get bit by the fruit tree bug it's easy to go over board haha

+1 on that great piece of advice!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

This fruit tree hobby ( not for long ) becomes addicting very easily. The idea of different varieties and comparing them for taste and suitability for your climate / soil gets to wear on you. 6 becomes 12, becomes 25, becomes 40 ....... or more !! Our initial 6 or 8 is now up to 48 at camp !! Just be prepared. See Jordan's post #16 above !!

I blame my own disease / addiction on Stu, Maya, Turkey Creek, Aero, Bur ( crabapple guy ), bnhpr ( old forum ), NH Mtns., and Jordan. These are the primary culprits.:D :cool:

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Yep Stu - it's fun alright !! Learning .... absolutely. That's part of the fun. The other part is seeing them grow & produce - plus time spent with buddies planting / caring for them. ALL GOOD !!!:) That being said ........ it doesn't absolve you guys from blame !!!!:D:p I forgot to mention Greyphase in the blame crowd !!!

 

[Rally1148]

1. Get yourself a pair of felco's and a silky.
2. Don't skimp on the upfront costs (weed block, fencing, quality trees, etc...), because they will pay off in the long term.
3. Learn to accept less than perfect apples. It makes your job a LOT easier.
4. Don't be afraid to ask questions, even to local orchardists. I've found that "apple guys" are some of the nicest and most willing to help out a home orchardist, as long as your not asking for "trade secrets" (cider blends etc...) Even if it's just for what type of apples grow best in the area.
5. Read (books or online), continue to learn, and don't be afraid to experiment. The basics are the basics (tree protection, training, etc...) but apples have a lot of history, and a lot of uses. I've read 2 cider books, and I've just gotten a book that focuses on the history of apples. Also, don't limit yourself to only store bought varieties. Learn to graft, and you can have a "new" tree every 5 years if you want.
6. The most important one IMO. Have fun, and don't stress it. It's an investment, and you don't want your trees to die and you waste your time, but you also don't want to spend the money just to stress about it.