Apple Trees

I’ve planted thousands of trees of almost all shapes, sizes, ages, on both our hunting land and near our homestead…except apple trees.

The wife seems to think we need apple trees along our hay field adjacent to the house. Although I like the idea of it, I’m not exactly sure what it all entails and how I’ll find time to care for them on top of everything else…but what momma wants, she generally gets. Questions below for the IDO Apple Tree Experts:

-What varieties of apple trees grow decent and produce in MN? (hardniess, ease of growth, resistance to the damage/pests)

-Is there any reason to NOT plant some yet this fall in the next week or two? I’ve actually had MORE success with other types of trees planted in late September than during MN’s unpredictable Springs.

-I am armed and experienced with wrapping, fencing, shooting animals away from other trees, but what other considerations need to be taken to protect young apple trees?

-Are there any places you’ve purchased them South/SE of the Metro with success? (Ideally Hastings/Red Wing/Lake City area, but will venture further if needed)

Make sure and find ones that bloom around the same time so you have pollination. Plant a few crabapples they pollinate everything and bloom along time. Dont know where you are but make sure and check zone hardiness.

Bucky two springs ago I planted two apple trees from Runnings in Red Wing, so this is the 3rd summer I’ve had them in the ground. I wish I could remember the names but I know one of them was like “Freedom” or something. They were about $75 each at Runnings. The second summer one of them produced apples and this year both did, and they look pretty good.

If deer are a possibility at all I would recommend plenty of buffer room with fencing. As mine have grown the ends get nibble off by deer, and during the real rough winter two years ago deer almost mangled one of my fences because there was so much snow and very little else to get at.

I realize I’m very little help…but we just grabbed two different apple trees and they seem to be doing OK. When we bought our place 5 years ago there were 3-4 mature apple trees already and I wanted to start a new “generation” so there’s no gap when the ones we do have don’t produce anymore.

Not sure how many you plan on planting, but be warned.

If you have alot of fall chores currently, add picking apples to the list. It can be quite time consuming…

I’d put in a variety of crab apples also, in the spring when they bloom there ain’t nothing that’s looks that beautiful and the fragrance is heavenly.
I have Bartlet Pair trees and the fruit is spectacular.

I have a zestar, honey crisp and fireside in my yard (along with some ornamental crab apples), galesville WI, by far the honeycrisp has been the most temperamental, i thought it was a goner twice now but bounces back the next spring. The zestar has grown like crazy in comparison, they were both planted (6-7′ tall potted trees) in 2019, this was the first year the honey crisp had a bloom and year 3 of the zestar producing apples. Fireside was planted last spring and did have a bloom this spring. Protect the bases from rabbits, there were two apple trees in the backyard when we bought the place, both got girdled by rabbits the winter before we purchased and it killed them. As mentioned make sure to get multiple varieties that are compatible pollinators unless there are plenty of other apple trees nearby that will work.

If you hunt the land – they can by a DYNAMITE addition to a food plot. Deer will be all over those things if they let them mature.

I have 15 apple trees planted for deer. They start dropping apples in early Sept and continue until late October. They require watering for several years until established. They require fencing when young too. If a leaf sticks out through the fence, it gets eaten by deer. I had two apple trees that came with my land, twice a bear climbed them, clawed them up, broke branches and ate all the apples.

I have 30 dwarf trees for me inside a fence. They are growing on wires. You get apples sooner than full sized trees, more fruit but they require more work training and pruning. I grow zestar, honey crisp and snow sweet. If you are in the southern part of the state , you have more choices on types, than in the north. You want 1 pollinator tree per 5 trees if you want apples. My trees are 1 mile or more from other apple trees so I don’t have pests or need to spray for insects. Bare root trees are planted in the spring. Irrigation is a must.

I believe you are in Wisconsin so this may not apply but I get them through the MN deer hunters association for $15. They come as 6 foot bare root stock.

Whatever you get, don’t go cheap on the cages. I first tried netting and the deer and bears made quick work of them.
DT

If you come down to the orchards in Gays Mills WI you can pick up bare root trees cheap 10-15 bucks all kinds of varieties, usually have ads on FB. I didn’t want the expense of a fence so I hung cheap soap bars on them and does a good job keeping the bucks from rubbing, ya may have a few deer nip the ends off but I look at it as pruning. Depending on weather they need watering the first year. One other thing I would look at getting disease resistant trees too. Good luck

Pretty much all apples are ready right now unlike most years where some aren’t ready until October. I’d suggest taking the wife to an orchard that let’s you try the apples. There are so many varieties and some people like different characteristics than other people. If you are planting a lot you can get early, mid, and late season varieties to extend the picking for months. You also need to decide the size you want to plant for spacing. Dwarf, semi dwarf, or full size. I’ve gotten a lot of trees from Reuvers’ Nursery outside of Hager City. The size of tree you get for the price you pay there is much better than going to Menards or somewhere like that. The only problem with buying in the fall is you might not find what you are looking for. Trees get delivered in the spring so you will be looking at what’s left over. I have 30 apple trees and a mix of 25 more peach, pear, plum, and cherry trees. I put a 6 foot wide and 4 inch thick layer of mulch around them to keep the grass from growing. It robs moisture and nutrients that the tree needs. Decide if you are OK with regular chemical sprays or if you are going to try the organic route. It’s easier spraying to prevent problems than it is to fix problems.

Tons of great information – keep it coming.

Onthewater, is there any reason a guy couldn’t put a couple layers of the premeable landscape fabric around them to help with that plus mulch on top?

Like everyone it seems, she likes “Honeycrisp” but I’ve also read both above and online other places that they aren’t always the easiest to grow and are some of the first to have issues. I know we want middle of the road, not too sweet, not too tart apples that are good to be just eaten or used however.

Onthewater wrote:

Decide if you are OK with regular chemical sprays or if you are going to try the organic route. It’s easier spraying to prevent problems than it is to fix problems.

A couple questions for you on the spray.
1. Do you spray the tree with anything in the fall? What?
2. When in the spring do you spray and with what. Are repeat sprayings necessary thru the growing season?

I planted 8 apple trees of different variety 3 years ago. This year just like everything else i tried to grow got way to wet. Few trees were struggling with all the moisture but the honeycrisp and honeygold handled it the best.

abster71 wrote:

expense of a fence so I hung cheap soap bars on them and does a good job keeping the bucks from rubbing, ya may have a few deer nip the ends off but I look at it as pruning

If by pruning you mean turning a tree with a 4 foot canopy into a stick then by all means no fence. If you have alot of deer you have no choice but to fence.

JEREMY wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>abster71 wrote:</div>
expense of a fence so I hung cheap soap bars on them and does a good job keeping the bucks from rubbing, ya may have a few deer nip the ends off but I look at it as pruning

If by pruning you mean turning a tree with a 4 foot canopy into a stick then by all means no fence. If you have alot of deer you have no choice but to fence.

Fence + Shoot is the plan here.

The “Take all you want, CWD Hunt” was great for managing ag damage without going through the process of ag tags down this way along the river

My problem with the shootem theory is they ones they eat all year are at home in town. The ones in the country they only seem to bother in the spring.

I have planted over 30 at my place just up the road from you. I get most at Menards in all honesty but sometimes Fleet Farm has some blazing good deals. Actually just had 6′ peach trees delivered through the mail from Home Depot.

How I did it I purchased multiple of each apple tree (self pollinating) that drop at different times (early to late droppers). It makes a BIG difference. Zestars, Honey Crisp, Delicious, Whitneys to have a few.

I keep trunk covers on for a few years, and then use 6′ chicken wire about 4′ diameter and put around holding in place with tent stakes.

I also recommend every fall and spring for at least a few years to pound in those fertilizer stakes per direction. Makes a big difference. Then mulch around also to keep moisture in during dry times and weeds down to a minimum

Apple trees can get rust from Cedars or junipers, something to be aware of when planting apple trees.

buckybadger wrote:

Tons of great information – keep it coming.

Onthewater, is there any reason a guy couldn’t put a couple layers of the premeable landscape fabric around them to help with that plus mulch on top?

Like everyone it seems, she likes “Honeycrisp” but I’ve also read both above and online other places that they aren’t always the easiest to grow and are some of the first to have issues. I know we want middle of the road, not too sweet, not too tart apples that are good to be just eaten or used however.

I despise the cloth because it eventually gets to filled up with tiny dirt particles and doesn’t let water through like it should, and removing it later really sucks. I’ve found with a thick layer of 4-6 inches is good for 2 years. Then I need to put more on top. I have it brought in with a dump truck and bring it around with the loader on my tractor. Much cheaper and easier than the bags

Jimmy Jones wrote:

A couple questions for you on the spray.
1. Do you spray the tree with anything in the fall? What?
2. When in the spring do you spray and with what. Are repeat sprayings necessary thru the growing season?

I haven’t had much for bugs so I haven’t sprayed for them. I do have issues with sooty blotch and scab which are controlled with fungicides. Captan and Immunox are what I use together. This is a good site with pictures of the stages when you spray. After fruiting I usually spray once a month. Stop a month or so before they are ripe. I don’t spray in the fall. If you have the time cleaning up all the leaves and old apples will do more for them than spraying now.

https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/spray-schedule-home-apple-trees

If you want Nce full apple trees, plant where they get sun all day. I’ve planted a couple hundred along fence/wood lines. They grow, but don’t produce crap. The struggle to get sunlight makes them twisted leaning crap trees.

The trees I planted for our use are in open areas and nice full shaped trees that produce well

Another option is to plant an espalier apple orchard.
You may have to CTRL + Click to get this link to work.

The Many Apple Trees at My Farm

I can’t get the espalier link to load but when I said I’m growing mine on wires, that’s how I’m growing mine. It takes a lot of work to prune them.

We have 2 Red Haralds and a Honey Crisp. The Red Haralds, I spray the trucks before they leaf and the whole tree 3 times over a 6 week period after they are done blooming and we have a bumper crop of beautiful apple every other year. The Honey Crisp I have tried several types of spraying and pruning techniques recommended by orchards the county horticultural society and the county extension office and I’m lucky if we get one decent crop of apples every 6 years. Most apple trees are on a 2 year cycle where you have a good crop 1 year and a much smaller crop the following year.

pruning, spraying and fertilizer is the key for good apples every year.
pruning every year in march is best. This years new branches grows next years apples. When you spray you should spray the trunk and the branches. You should start spraying just before the buds start forming and every two to three weeks and after a heavy rain.
I fertilize in the spring by putting a hole in the ground at the edge of the canopy of the tree. I have tried tree spikes but I didn’t like how they dissolved. I just use a cup of tree and garden fertilizer.