Apple trees

[corny13]

Have any of you planted Apple trees as  a long term food plot enhancment?  If so what varitety of apple or did you use crab apple?

[Swany]

Yep, I have planted a couple different groups of apple trees. I went with crab apple in one group and Brauburns in the others. The crab apples have been better thus far.

[deadeye]

Several years ago I planted a row (25) crab apple trees along the south edge of a wood line.  I mow around them in the fall and put wire cages (chicken wire) around them for protection.  They are now about chin to head high and I will have to add another 2 feet of wire this year.  I don't know what effect they will have down the road but you never will know if you don't plant them now.  My dad always said, "the best time to plant a tree was yesterday".  We also have about a dozen other normal apple trees but none have borne fruit yet.   

[Big E]

We plant some every yr. Mostly Honeycrisp, Liberty and State fair. We also planted 11 more this yr that were grafted from late hanging apple trees that were growing wild. Some of the parent trees hold their apples into late december. With those we're not looking to hunt over them as much but to feed deer into the winter months. You need to protect them. We now have around 30 apple trees and only had one die and that was from ants.
 We just planted a few crab apple this yr also mainly for grouse and Turkey. We're putting in 100 more wild plum this weekend we got from the DNR and a guy I know is giving me 3 more crab apple trees.
 Watch out what ones you buy to. Check the zones they will grow in and if planting for wildlife you'll want 70% standard-standard size. Keeping them pruned the first few yrs helps them get tall quick. Apple trees are suicidal and try to become a shrub by producing 3 or more leaders. Prune everything above the browse line and keep one leader. Keep all branches pruned down at least 10" from the top of the leader. We also pick the flowers off of our trees so the energy goes into growing the tree and limbs instead of producing 10 apples. (which does nothing except provide a snack) Mulch with gravel if you can. Mice and rodents tend to not burrow into this. They still might but a lot less likely than wood chips or landscaping material.
 They say the best time to plant a tree was 10yrs ago.

[stevejedlenski]

anyon have any experience with planting next to swamps? i have a food plot on the edge of a big beaver pond and want to plant apple trees for food and as a screen from the road. problem is i think the beavers will do everything they can to get at that sweet bark on the trees. i suppose i could rig something around the trunk but have no experience with this. any suggestions?

[Big E]

I would make sure you fence that in with a heavier wire then just a chicken wire. I've never had to deal with protecting apple trees from beaver but I think a fence that is staked in really good would do the trick.
 If it is low ground it might be to wet for apple trees. If it is wet ground you could plant willow, dogwood or cottonwood. All of these can be grown from cuttings and grow very rapidly and do great in wet soils. Deer browse on these too. Dogwood is highly prefered by deer and grouse and other birds eat the berries. Deer can eat it to the ground and it will bounce right back. You can get all of these trees and shrubs for free and it's super easy to plant a cutting. They won't be as big of a draw as a apple tree of course.

Here is a red osier dogwood cutting I planted in a 20oz pop bottle a few weeks ago. They grow fast. I planted a bunch of these this yr around some of our ponds and in some low areas.

[kenhuntin]

Apple trees will bring deer in daily from after the first frost when they get sweeter until they are gone.(late Sept-late Nov.) The scavengers will also devour the saplings and branches they can reach in the spring or happen by as far as they can reach from standing on their rear haunches.
Apple trees in deer country need to be protected with some fence or wire for at least 4 years. I have four varieties in view from the house and the way the Harrelsons drop a few a day for quite a long period of time they seem to be the best attractor.

[beeker]

I've been planting bare root stock for about 4 years now in the mcgrath area which is swampy.. the crabapple have had a great survival rate and some have nearly doubled in size. I've also planted  june berry, high brush cranberry, blueberrys, rasberrys, plums, and nanking cherrys, and honeycrisp trees..  plums and cherry are this years crop.  I've had fun planting em.. and watching em grow

[dakids]

As the trees mature the deer stop being the problem animal that will destroy an apple tree.  It becomes the black bear that will climb the trees and break the branches off of them.

Honey crisps are great table fair if you have time to spray them with calcium.  These apple trees can't take up enough calcium through their roots to make pretty apples.  They will get black spots or have craters in the outer parts of the apples.  It doesn't effect the taste but they are pretty ugly apples.  An other thing to think about is a honeycrisp apple will have a small amount of apples one year and a bumpercrop the next.  Feast of famine.

I agree with Kenhunting.  It's hard to beat a harrilson.

[deadeye]

I have a half dozen apple trees in my yard.  Never heard of spraying calcium.  I will have to try it.  The do have the black spots and some craters.  Go figure.

[dakids]

I asked the owner of an apple orchard why I had the black spots and he set me straight.

[beeker]

well when the trees start producing i'll spray em down .. i figure if I can't get a deer I can pick all the fruit and make some cakes and pies