Apple Tree ??

[MuleShack]

Last year I planted two bare root Honey Crisp apple tree's.

This year they are maybe 6' tall but are still small in branch size.

They had flowers on them this spring but the cold kinda put a damper on that.

The one tree has 4 apples on it, 3 of them are on one branch.

Dumb question, but is the small tree going to be able to support the 3 apples once they get bigger?

[Dotch]

Personal experience would say they'll be fine. 3 or 4 is one thing, 3 or 4 dozen is another. Out here where he wind blows the snot out of things, I have a SnowSweet about the same size and age as your Honeycrisp with half a dozen on it clustered on the ends of the branches. By the time harvest time rolls around given the wind, blackbirds, squirrels, etc., if there are a couple left on it, I'll be surprised.

[pushbutton]

3 big mature fruits on the end of that branch may weigh it down pretty good, but will also "toughen" up the limb; and as Dotch mentioned odds are that there will not be that many come harvest Don't think I would follow my own advice, but best to limit fruiting the first few years and let the energy go into growing the tree bigger....sure is hard to pinch them off though Don't know what you have for critters in the area, but apple bark is a delicacy in the varmint world and would probably get some protection(chicken wire or sleeves) around the base of that tree, especially come winter.....

[MuleShack]

I have 3 dogs running the yard, so yea, eventually they are going to discover that apples are tasty treats and help them selves. I just hope it isn't for a couple years yet.

Thanks for pointing out about the bark, never thought of that. I'm not near a woods or anything and the only pests I have so far is crows. I did just see a pheasant running thru the yard last week though. I will have to put up some protection come fall.

Come to think about it, there were rabbits around a few years ago, but then the GSP's took over the yard and haven't seen one in a while.

Dotch is probably right, they will get blown off or something because that little branch gets whipped pretty good when the storms roll thru. I'll leave nature take its course on this one and see how tough it is.

I might be getting a couple more of these come fall...Yumm

[Dotch]

I hope you do. They are great apples. I checked the SnowSweet yesterday after the recent wind/rain/blackbirds and I'm down to 2 apples left now. Luckily the Border Collie has not figured out they would be good to play with, yet.

[half-dutch]

You got rabbits? If so definitely protect the trunk to up above the snow line or they will girdle it. Apples, pears, plums peaches, flowering shrubs of that family, the rabbits love them all.

If you got any apples the first or second year, that is ahead of the game. I was tickled when I got a few peaches on my new tree after the first winter, but between high winds and a couple of hail storms, I only have one left now. Still that is earlier than I expected.

[MuleShack]

After the wind last week Monday night, one of the 4 apples was on the ground. It only took my younger GSP about 30 seconds to find it when we went out in the morning. At first it was a new toy, then it became breakfast.

[Dotch]

Maybe your GSP needs more fiber... I'm down to one SnowSweet apple on the tree and unfortunately it's about Border Collie height...