Young apple trees

[Cooter]

I planted some apple trees last fall - they were about 5-6' tall. They have done well and now have small apples growing. I've heard I should snip the apples off cuz its too hard on a young tree to produce apples. Any comments? Thanks, later.

[Mark Christianson]

We need that Swamp Scooter fella on this one!

I have a similar situation.

[jerkin'm]

Man BLB, apple trees, food plots, all you need now is a high fence around it all...

[Powerstroke]

I would say that your tree will be fine health wise. The biggest concern will be the weight of the apples on your tree. Keep an eye on the tree and if the branches begin to sag too much the branches may break. ALso deer or squirrels that want the fruit may pull too hard on the brittle branches. Apple wood is pretty tough, right up to its breaking point. It doesn't bend very well.

[Mark Christianson]

Don't forget the pumpkin patch jerkin'm!

I got some seeds from a buddy from pumpkins that grow up to 300 lbs.

The kids are pumped! Heck, I am just as excited as they are. I have gotten a couple the past few years from the guy for halloween, and you should see the jealous looks on the kids faces that come to the door.

Now getting the pumpkins and bringing them home is another story.

[BLACKJACK]

I bought 7 apple trees last fall and planted them in various spots in my tree rows, when I planted them, I put four foot tree tubes/Tubex around them to protect them from the deer. I only did that around the ones away from the farmplace, the other two by my driveway, I left without Tubex. You guessed it, last fall a buck came along and used one of them as whipping post, breaking it off at 2 1/2 feet. Now this spring, the deer have been so aggressive after the new leaves that they've broke 4 of the 5 that are in the tubex off at the top of the Tubex, at four feet. Shoot'em all!! In hindsite, when I've planted apple trees in the past, I've used 5 or six foot tubex, that seems to tall enough to stop that breakage. Oh well, live and learn.

[BLACKJACK]

Mark, this fall, don't hesitate to smash a few of those pumpkins, to get the deer started eating them. I grew some pumpkins last year, had about 30 about the size of your head, a few got nibbled on, but most of them froze solid and then melted down this sping. The deer really didn't use them that much, I think because they were a new food source that they weren't very familiar with. I was disapointed enough that I didn't plant any this year....

[bigbucks]

It must depend on what's available for the year or something. About 5 years ago my neighbor had about a 5 acre field of pumpkins that a renter was selling, but they only take the ones of a certain size & plenty were left. Most of the ones that were left had a hole kicked in them & were cleaned out by the deer in December. Two years ago the field was pumpkins again & I couldn't tell that they even touched them. I split up 15-20 with my ax & they never touched them, it was wierd.

[Cooter]

Guess I would have gotten a better response if I had posted a pumpkin question

[Mark Christianson]

LOL!!!!

Sorry Coot.

[buckpredator]

Hey coot,

I planted about twenty trees consisting of Apple, Pear and Plum trees about two years ago. My neighbor runs an apple orchard so I asked him the same question and his response was that for the first couple years I should pick of the blossoms in the spring. That way the tree puts all its growing energy into the roots and tree itself. So I would suggest picking off the apples, it may be too late I don't know.

As far as keeping deer and other critters away I just bought deer repellent spray and used it on the trees. I sprayed it on about once a month and for the most part it did work. I can't think of the name of the spray off hand, but I know it can be bought at any wal-mart, Fleet Farm etc.

By the way the same neighbor rents 10 acres from us for pumpkins and man does that draw deer from late october and into december.

[Cooter]

Hmmmmm, wonder if it is too late to snip them off. The biggest apples were about the size of grapes, this was a week and half ago. I am able to water/fertilize them as I can get the truck right to them - maybe that will help. Decisions, decisions, decisions. Should have just planted pumpkins instead

[Mark Christianson]

Pumpkins are cheap and easy.

I just took seeds out of our pumpkins from halloween last year and dried the seeds out.

Cripes, I have seeds that will last me for a few years.

Ooops. Back to apple trees... LOL

[Gissert]

BLB -

You'll have seeds unless ChuckN's dogs get hungry, LOL.

[Swamp Scooter]

Sorry I just saw it. Well you can hold a few apples on the tree the first season or so but the weight will bend the tree a bit. No harm in having it bend a little but high winds could get the snap and break a branch or the leader.

If it is only a few apples, and you want them, keep a few on. But thin the bunches down to a single apple per cluster. Your fruit will be bigger and healthier. The one thing a lot of people do not know is that you MUST pick off all the fruit every year or the tree has the memory of he stem still being attached and will not set fruit the following season and maybe two. Make sure you pick the stem with the fruit to avoid this.

I have been told by lots of people how their trees only produce every other year or so. Well I am hear to tell you mine produce every single year. Some better than others.

BigLakeBa$$... I have peaches this year, apricots too, nectarines are doing fine and I will have my first kiwi this Fall! All in the city. I am hoping for good weather and not a lot of hail and high winds as the State Fair is coming very soon. Picked about 4, 5 gallon buckets of cherries yesterday.

[Mark Christianson]

Long time no talk!!!!

That is a sweet set up you got going over there.

The grapevines I got from you last year didnt fair too well. A few took off, but most struggled. Can't beat free though, can we??

Oops, leave it to me to go off topic. Doh!

[BLACKJACK]

Swamp, are there peaches that are hardy in zone 4?

[Swamp Scooter]

Yup. There are a couple of strains available. The Reliance and Contender are both ones that should make it. They can do OK on their own and I have 2. They have made it through the winter and are producing this year.

[Cooter]

Thanks much Scooter, I watered them last night and noticed a couple of the branches are bending due to the weight. I'll thin them out a hair and hope for the best. Later.

[Jigging Bob]

Hey Cooter,

Where did you purchase those apple trees? The ones I put out on my land say it will take 3 to 4 years to produce fruit. I would love to get some that bare fruit sooner.

Thanks

[Mark Christianson]

I talked to my Dad the other night. The dang deer have snapped off the main stems on all my apple trees I planted last fall. What a waste of cash that investment was.

Argh!

[BLACKJACK]

Bummer!! I know how you feel, see my post above. The good news is that they will come back; if they broke off above the graft they will still be the same type of tree. Just get busy and put some wire around them - at least 5 foot tall!!!

More incentive to shoot more this fall!!!

[Mark Christianson]

I have 4 inch drain tile tube around them all the way up to the first branches(about 4 ft).

I sure hope they make it. Crud.

Those deer are gonna pay!!!!!!!!!

[Cooter]

Jiggin Bob - I got them from a local(Chipp Falls, WI) Gordy's Hardware but I can check the tag and find out what nursery they came from - will get back to you on Mon with that info.

Those little backstrappers had better not have snapped any branches on my trees!! I need to get down there and put up some enclosures. As mentioned, they had all the apples gone except the highest ones on the top branch and I can just see them on their hind legs to get them then coming down on the rest of the tree

[Cooter]

Bob - The trees were from Bailey nursery, wherever that is. Sorry, thats all the info I got.