MDHA Apple Tree Order - Start of Orchard # 2

[Smokey Hills Bandit]

Another year of apple trees made it in the ground. Ordered from MDHA after DE pointed me in that direction and could not be happier. The 5 trees I ordered were from 6 - 9FT tall.
I amended the soil for the first time with this planting using 2 bags a top soil per hole and mulch over the top. Went with my standard 8' x 15' concrete wire mesh for the cage. Tree tubes to keep the rabbits and mice at bay. Cost came in about $50 bucks per tree when all said and done.
5 more apple trees to plant this year and I am hanging it up for a while. We will have 34 apple trees planted between our 2 orchards and it has been fun but challenging in Zone 3.

[HD]

Cool 

[deadeye]

Very nice.  It takes a bit more effort and cost to plant them this way but it's well worth it.

[savage270]

I also ordered 5 apple trees for MDHA this year and was very pleased with the quality.  I am excited to get back out to my property in a few weeks to see how they are doing.

For those of you with experience, how many years do I actually need to protect them from the deer before I can take down the fencing and let them fend for themselves?

[deadeye]

The fencing is more to prevent the deer from rubbing the bark off and killing the tree. The sleeve is to protect the lower bark from rabbits and mice. I have not removed any and don't plan to.  I may replace the sleeves with larger ones as some are now being partially exposed.  The fencing will stay until someone else removes it.   

[Smokey Hills Bandit]

Well, it's official - We have a 'apple orchard'. Have not been able to water the apple trees since a couple weeks after planting and I cannot believe they are still doing well. Were up last weekend, but the entire river is dry and could not even pull a bucket of water.



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[deadeye]

Nothing like starting an apple orchard.  Hope they make it with the little rain we get.

[Smokey Hills Bandit]

I was expecting them to be dead when we arrived up north last weekend, but the new plantings were doing great without much indication of drought..
Thinking that the mulch and hay were enough to keep the soil cool around the roots.

The tree with the apple is a MDHA first year planted tree. Amazing.

[Outdoors Junkie]

Looking good!

[snow1]

Congrats Bandit,my apple tree's are pretty much void of apples this year after the booming crop last fall,but that's usually the case,after one good harvest following season will be down but the lack of moisture doesn't help either.my log pole pine trees are having a tough go of it,hope they make it.

[Smokey Hills Bandit]

Congrats Bandit,my apple tree's are pretty much void of apples this year after the booming crop last fall,but that's usually the case,after one good harvest following season will be down but the lack of moisture doesn't help either.my log pole pine trees are having a tough go of it,hope they make it.

It was a long road to one apple, and I look forward to booming years like your own. Good luck with your pine trees and you can hang your head high not being my neighbor. He planted 9000 trees this spring.