Apple tree question.

[rkhinrichs]

I am looking for some apple trees to plant in long prairie. Any ideas on what type of apple tree does good in sandy soil? I am looking at picking up some Dolgo Crab apple trees. any other apples trees you would suggest?

[smsmith]

Variety of apple is less important than the rootstock the variety is grafted to when planting in sandy soil.

[rkhinrichs]

smsmith- can you elaborate on, "the rootstock the variety is grafted to when planting in sandy soil." Do you mean that grafting the apples trees is more important than having a variety of apples for deer?

[Crow Hunter]

I am looking to plant some crabapples this spring, also in sandy soil (Wadena county). I am looking at dolgo, whitney, and chestnut varieties. If you find a good source for Dolgo's let us know.

[smsmith]

smsmith- can you elaborate on, "the rootstock the variety is grafted to when planting in sandy soil." Do you mean that grafting the apples trees is more important than having a variety of apples for deer?

Unless you're looking at buying seedling dolgos somewhere online, I'm not aware of being able to buy ungrafted dolgos (or any other variety) locally. I suppose somebody may be growing them from seed that I'm not aware of.

Any tree you find at any local nursery or big box store is almost certainly grafted to a rootstock of some sort (there are many).

The rootstock will determine how well an apple variety will do in various soil conditions...not the variety of apple. i.e....a dolgo on b118 rootstock will do much better on sand (and end up being a much larger tree when mature) than a dolgo on M7 rootstock. I don't know how much of a "dissertation" you want on rootstocks...it can get rather lengthy and complicated.

For a "down and dirty" version...since you're in/near L.P. I'd run down to TreeTop in Sauk Centre and get trees on what they call "standard" rootstock. Avoid trees from big box stores labeled "semi-dwarf" when planting in sandy soil. If you plant that type of tree, make sure to stake it with a 10'stake at planting and attach the tree to the stake with ag-loc or a similar product. I'd also plan to water such a tree at least weekly the first year (maybe two if we get drought again...which it looks like we may).

Lots of other things to consider as well...how to protect the trunk from mice/voles/rabbits = 36" aluminum window screen....how to protect the tree from browsing = 5 or 6' woven or welded wire cages(15' long will give close to a 5' diameter cage..I use 5' concrete wire)..what's the soil ph?...should be around 6..if not = time to lime...fertilizer? not the first year...annually each year thereafter if the trees aren't growing around 12" without it. Are the varieties you want disease resistant? Cedar apple rust, apple scab, powdery mildew, fireblight....if not = time for a spray program.

Simple advice for the future...buy Liberty, Pristine, Dolgo Crab, William's Pride, and Enterprise on b118 rootstock from any reputable (Cummins, Adams County, Burnt Ridge, etc.) online nursery. Be prepared to have your order in by January at the latest.

If you want to look at how I've planted and protected my fruit trees sometime...shoot me a p.m. Its much less complicated to see than read about. You can't be very far away from my place. My trees are young as I've only been here a couple years, but you'd be able to see the process I use (and have used for about 20 years on other properties).

[rkhinrichs]

smsith_ thanks for the great post! I was thinking about planting sometime in june. Is June to late to plant trees?

[delcecchi]

Aren't all apple trees grafted? I thought they didn't run true from seed.

[NWKR]

To get a specific variety of tree they have to be grafted. There are quite a few places selling seedlings that should turn out with some sort of apple some day. I feel like a lot of seedlings I have from sale were from some sort of crab. The seedlings will be a mix of the two parent trees and some may take quite a bit longer to produce, if they ever do.

I know of one "wild" apple on our place that puts out an apple similar to dolgo, which is mostly likely on of the parents. But the apple is a more yellow than a dolgo and doesn't taste as sour. We are in the southern part of zone 3 and wild apples seem to be pretty rare. I have heard there are very few once you get north of a line from Brainerd to Duluth. Some areas of central MN have quite a few based on what I have heard from a couple different people.

[smsmith]

I was thinking about planting sometime in june. Is June to late to plant trees?

I prefer to plant trees as soon as you can get a shovel in the ground. June isn't necessarily "too late"...but its not ideal either. If you're able to water them it would be fine

[smsmith]

Aren't all apple trees grafted? I thought they didn't run true from seed.

Yes and no

I've got wild apple trees here that are obviously not grafted, but most that I plant are indeed grafted. I also have some seed raised (non-grafted) dolgos and pears that I've planted. Some dolgos come true to type from seed, but most don't. Not a big deal when you're planting them for critters

[smsmith]

One last thought on planting in sandy soil...dip the roots in a 5 gallon bucket of watersorb (or similar product) before planting...and scatter 1/2 cup or so of the dry powder around the perimeter of each planting hole as you backfill.

[rkhinrichs]

ok smsmith. thanks for the info. I will let you know how it goes this spring!

[smsmith]

ok smsmith. thanks for the info. I will let you know how it goes this spring!

Sounds good, hope they they do well for you. I'm hoping to get my first 3 of the year in the ground later today....if some of the frost has come out anyway.