Apple Tree's

[kribbz]

Looking for some advice here guys/gals. I'm thinking about throwing 2 or 3 apple tree's on the field edge to hopefully draw a few deer during the early season. I have been told that to get the tree to produce apples you need a cross pollinator. can anyone give me a crash course?

[loneranger]

You do need different varieties of trees to polinate eachother. There are only a couple that are self polinating. Most trees will polinate eachother, but you can get what specific kind polinates another online. Just check the internet under apple polination, you search and you will find charts. Very helpful. If you don't plan on giving them alot of care, like spraying for pests and diseases, get disease resistant varieties, like Liberty, and Enterprise. I have them and they resist scab and Cedar Rust real good. There are a few other kinds too. Your local nurseries generally have the same standard varieties every spring. To get more specific kinds turn to Internet and Catalog nurseries. Starks, Millers, and Okios, just to name a few.

[msbadger]

Starks ..always has good late winter sales....Millers is close to me and have good trees but pricey....my advantage is I can go to their wear house to choose my own....I have stark trees and usually get the semi dwarf ...they produce MUCH fast and are easier to handle as far as pruning ..spraying..and if you want to eat as well picking...more trees in a smaller area and well better views around them from a stand....going with a time line for the fruiting from early to late...this keeps the deer concentrated longer making it more a "home" range...especially when providing a good protein plot choice as well....use different fruits... peaches are great!...plums...mulberries ...high bush blue berries(but they need acidic soil)...ect...in a lrg(acres) plot space trees in the plot with equipment spacing.....If your not using a lot of round up...that is ...the trees will benefit and the plot as well with a little shade in very hot sunny summers....I have many plots(sm) planted around wild apples plums...oaks....brambles and dogwood bushes....

[kribbz]

msbadger,
I'm not familiar with Starks.  Is this an online nursery? 

[loneranger]

Yes, you can find STARKS, online. The online Nurseries sell bare rooted trees. Which do quite well if you get them in the ground fast, and keep the roots damp. Semi dwARFs are better than dwarf. Have deeper roots and live longer. Dwarfs sometimes need propping up.

[Bryan78]

ORIGINAL: kribbz

Looking for some advice here guys/gals. I'm thinking about throwing 2 or 3 apple tree's on the field edge to hopefully draw a few deer during the early season. I have been told that to get the tree to produce apples you need a cross pollinator. can anyone give me a crash course?

Make sure you plant Granny Smith apple trees.  Deer can see green apples unlike the red ones even though they can smell them.  Had a guy tell me a great story about his pet buck (which by the way is huge critter) and he done some experiments using both red and green apples and the Buck every time hit the green ones first because he could see them.

You can also plant pear trees since deer love them as well.

[ranwin33]

ORIGINAL: kribbz

Looking for some advice here guys/gals. I'm thinking about throwing 2 or 3 apple tree's on the field edge to hopefully draw a few deer during the early season. I have been told that to get the tree to produce apples you need a cross pollinator. can anyone give me a crash course?

Many types of crab apple trees will serve well as cross pollinators.  Here is a link: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/00-011.htm
 
 

[RedBud]

I have small green crab apples on my place from trees that came up wild. The deer love them. I am planting chestnut trees. I have two trees that are producing and the deer eat the nuts every night until they are gone.

[ranwin33]

How long did it take before your chestnut trees started to produce?

[cwanty03]

yes i wanted to do the same 4 this upcoming year. and omg i found so much information. do you want dwarf, semi dwarf, or non dwarf trees. to you want trees that have apples early midseason or late? etc etc. best advice is go 2 a local orchard and tell them your exact thoughts and let them guide you. there are so many tips out there. like apple trees like higher ground, sunlight, when planted should put top soil in the bottom of the hole, make the hole twice as big all around when you dig it, after plant trees cover area w/ mulch, make sure ph is good, like you said you need cross pollination, there is so much info. out there it is crazy!