Apple Orchard

[wcc]

Well not exactly. I would like to plant a few apple trees in the back yard but I have no idea of what I'm doing. I was thinking the Red Delicious and the Golden Apples so they can pollinate each other. I have a few questions and feel free to add comments.....

How many trees would work? I was thinking 3, two red and one Golden.

I have mostly clay for a yard so will this work or am I wasting my time?

I don't have a green thumb. Am I getting in over my head?

Any tips, tricks, or anything else that would contribute to success?

[ckissick]

I don't know much, except that you should watch out for that little guy in your avatar.

I had an apple tree going for about 5 years. I planted it in a buried wire basket to keep out the gophers. One day, I saw it leaning against the anti-dear fence, leaves wilted. The roots were gone.

[slodave]

Here you go

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Appleseed

[Joeaksa]

You know that they do bud trees so that you get 4-5 different apples from one tree I assume? Its done by grafting a early red on one part, early yellow elsewhere, middle red, late red, late yellow and so on.

These trees are more expensive due to the labor needed for the grafting but for people with space limitations are nice to have. I used to graft them as a kid.

[Tobra]

Go to a reputable nursery in your area, ask the oldest guy who works there about it.

You want to choose something that will work in your climate zone, first off, then it is bare root vs something in a container. I believe the consensus would be bare root, if you spoke to knowledgeable people about it.

When I was picking out peach trees, I got an early and a late one, same as the nectarine. This will give me fruit for a longer time in the summer, so I can brag about it to my family and friends in Texas, Nebraska and points harsher, maybe even overnight them some so they can really appreciate why it is not just the humidity that makes Californy the place you ought to be in the summer.

You can do the same thing with apples, some are self fruitful, some need pollinators, you can get green ones, stripey ones, what sort of apples do you prefer? I like white nectarines, but they don't travel well, so I have one out back. I swear I have been thinking about putting a couple trees in the back instead of a lawn. A few bucks up front and some copper spray a few times a year to keep the curls and blights from wreaking too much havoc and you get fresh fruit for life. That copper stuff keeps the black spots off your rose bushes too.

I have seen those multiple graft trees not work out very well for a few people, on cherry trees and apple. That may have been user dependant failure though, not surprising considering the individuals raising the trees.

[aigel]

Golden Delicious and Granny Smith in my yard. Both produce well, even though they are still young and small. The Smith is for pies and apple sauce. I agree that you should go to the local nursery and pick their brains.

George

[wcc]

Thanks guys. I'll get in touch with a nursery for sure. I have a few months before I need to make any decisions. Are these a fairly fast growing tree so if I get one 2-3ft will it have fruit in a couple of years or should I just get some that are pretty tall that are close to or already bearing fruit?

[p911dad]

There are several good dwarf varieties available, and they have the advantage of low hanging fruit. Buy the oldest trees, but the nursery trees are likely all the same age. Bare root is a good idea. Make sure you give them room. Oh, and I hope you like apples, because in a few years 3 trees will produce bushels and bushels of fruit. Which is good for cider, if you know a guy with a cider press(I imagine MI is a little like upstate NY in that way). If apples will grown in our crappy soil, they will grow anywhere. One little hint is to spray early spring with an fruit tree oil available at Lowes and elsewhere, (not a pesticide, a light oil that suffocates the little aphids and scale critters that will ruin your trees eventually). Then lots of blossoms and fruit. Every few winters, trim the suckers for more blossoms. It makes the trees more vigorous. I would go out the tool shed and check the can for the name, but I am sitting on our lanai in Waianae right now Glenn

[Tobra]

Many fruit trees will not produce much, if at all for the first few years. My cherry tree did not get anything on it for the first few years.

It is VERY important that young trees be pruned appropriately the first few years to make them healthy and bear more fruit. This, and the technique you use in planting the tree will have a profound impact on long term production.

Your local nursery men can give you the info on local pests and pretty much everything else you need to know. The season for planting bare root trees in California is right now, you plant when they are dormant. Is your ground frozen still?

[kach22i]

Did someone say apples?



We had a tree when I was growing up - very organic if you know what I mean.

[wcc]

This is all good stuff. I didn't know there was a oil coating that could be applied. What about fertilization? My yard is mostly clay so will they grow ok in that stuff?

We do have a lot of deer that run through the backyard so I'm a little concerned with that. Any ideas to keep them away from the trees?

I have a couple months probably before planting but that'll be one of my questions when I go to the nursery. Right now the ground is frozen with about a foot of snow and ice on top.

[Tobra]

Go around your yard and urinate, mark your territory. Deer don't care for people being around mostly, unless they are eating your watermelons or something. Having dogs around will discourage deer, but a buck will kill any dog quicker than you can say Jackie Robinson. You can also buy fox or wolf urine at hunting, which sounds odd, but my Dad used Red Fox urine to stop his squirrel problem in his fruit trees.

There are audio setups you can get, loop of some predator they don't like, but I would think that deer are much more influenced by scent. Fence is no good for deer because it has to be too TALL.

I have a Washington Navel and a Mandarin, now I need to get a valencia orange so I can have them year round.