Apple and Pear trees

[rem270]

How much upkeep do i need to do with them, and do any kind grow faster than the others? My property is 25 miles away and im wanting to plant a few apple trees, or 1 apple and 1 pear tree. Can i plant them using miracle grow/top soil mix and be good? Or will i need to check on them often. Or would i be wasting my time and money? Never planted a tree in my life. But would like to plant some around my salt block and probably put a cage around them so the deer wont rub them down. Then if they work and produce then ill plant more in the future.

Any tips would be great appreciated!

 

[ROUGH COUNTRY HUNTER]

you cant go wrong with planting them.they will just need to be watered good once a week if we get any rain at all.if not,maybe twice a week.if your going to plant small ones I would use the tree tubes.dont fertilize them.let them get established first.i used promix to mix in my soil to help mine.they are doing great

 

[woodsman87]

I am glad this question was asked. I am thinking about planting some too.

How long does it take apples and pears to start producing a good amount of fruits? No particular type of apples or pear trees. IF yall know tell me, I want to plant the quickest producing types of trees.

 

[Football Hunter]

I am glad this question was asked. I am thinking about planting some too.

How long does it take apples and pears to start producing a good amount of fruits? No particular type of apples or pear trees. IF yall know tell me, I want to plant the quickest producing types of trees.

Well.it depends,there are many kinds of apples and pears.Many apples need a pollinator,some are more disease prone than others.

Actually,it would be a great thing if Steven Stone could answer these questions,and there are ,many,and get Ruger to make a sticky out of this topic.

 

[Football Hunter]

How much upkeep do i need to do with them, and do any kind grow faster than the others? My property is 25 miles away and im wanting to plant a few apple trees, or 1 apple and 1 pear tree. Can i plant them using miracle grow/top soil mix and be good? Or will i need to check on them often. Or would i be wasting my time and money? Never planted a tree in my life. But would like to plant some around my salt block and probably put a cage around them so the deer wont rub them down. Then if they work and produce then ill plant more in the future.

Any tips would be great appreciated!

The more sun the better,most likely need to be sprayed and watered,many varieties,different needs.

Dont plant em very close to the salt block.

 

[Football Hunter]

1 apple and 1 pear probably wont work,need pollinators.

 

[BlountArrow]

How much upkeep do i need to do with them, and do any kind grow faster than the others? Any tips would be great appreciated!

So, here's my take and I'm no expert. I have 130 acres that I planted 15 varieties of Pears and Apples on. I bought mine when they were already 6ft tall in 3 to 5 gallon pots and they have been in the ground for 3 years now. I've never fertilized them, but I do prune them and I believe that is necessary. Early on, I lost about 4 of them to bucks rubbing the tree and bears breaking them off about 2 foot off the ground. I guess the pink ribbon and tags made it look fun to the bears??? So, I highly recommend fencing around the trees to prevent browsing and rubbing if you're planting a manageable number of trees. Last year I had a few Macintosh, Auburn Black, and Dwarf Romes produce and when I say a few I'm talking like about (3) per tree roughly.

If I had it to do over I would have planted less pears and more apples only because after a TWRA Biologist visited my place he viewed pears as being a little too invasive. I guess in the eyes of the biological community anything that is invasive is not a good thing regardless of what it is. Also, if I had it to do over I would have started planting more hardwood saplings and more shrubs that deer forage on. I recently planted (9) Dunstan Chestnuts that were in 3 gallon pots and fenced them off as well. Just remember that the more trees you buy the more you have to protect them and prune them. I've yet to find one, other than whips/saplings, that you just throw in the ground and walk away from.

 

[BlountArrow]

1 apple and 1 pear probably wont work,need pollinators.

Exactly. Most apples are going to need a tree of another species to pollinate them; can't remember about the pears.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

There are varieties that are more vigorous than others and will grow faster, it just takes time though. My most vigorous apple is Goldrush or Hardy Cumberland. You can mix in potting soils if you so desire. They will require maintenance to achieve peak production and sometimes just to keep them alive though you can get by with nothing, that would not be all that normal and production would be decreased. It is best to be able to prune, train, and spray. Dont get to close to the salt lick for sure, that would be toxic. Be sure to cage the trees or its a good bet you will lose them to browsing or rubbing or both. Your talking years for much production so you might as well get on the boat and plant a few or not even get on it, IMO. If limited to two though, again IMO, plant one late season disease resistant apple such as Liberty, Enterprise, etc, and one good fruit producing crabapple such as a Dolgo, Transcendent, Hewes, Brandywine, etc. for more production but also pollination. Sort of a risk with two trees though, never know when an act of God might end one or both at any time. Theres alot to it, just ask, and Ill get around to it.

 

[WestTn Huntin man]

Here is a Link to some good info from U.T.
https://utextension.tennessee.edu/publi ... arden.aspx

 

[ROUGH COUNTRY HUNTER]

1 apple and 1 pear probably wont work,need pollinators.

I got kiefer pears.they are suppose to not need a pollinator.

 

[LA man]

make sure u caged them or the deer will eat them

 

[rem270]

Thanks for all the info guys.. I will read it all again before i decide to plant. Hope to within the next few weekends and will definately cage them.

 

[buckaroo]

Cheapest way I've found to cage them, buy a roll of 4 ft. Welded wire at co op about 40 bucks and 2 rebar fence stakes per tree about 1 buck piece. Cut wire in 5 ft lengths, bend wire so it makes round cage and drive stakes thru cage to hold in ground. About 6.00 per tree

 

[Hunter 257W]

If the trees are 25 miles away you probably won't water them enough through the inevitable drought we always have. To fix that problem, I highly recommend this stuff around the roots when you plant.

http://www.moisturemizer.com/

I've planted several big bunches of trees and then walked away with no watering beyond the 1st couple weekends. The vast majority of them died until I found out about this Moisture Mizer stuff. You just mix about a tablespoon full of it with the dirt around the roots of each tree and it absorbs an enormous amount of water and holds it between rains for the tree to use.

I havne't lost hardly any trees at all since using it.

 

[TS_13]

If the trees are 25 miles away you probably won't water them enough through the inevitable drought we always have. To fix that problem, I highly recommend this stuff around the roots when you plant.

http://www.moisturemizer.com/

I've planted several big bunches of trees and then walked away with no watering beyond the 1st couple weekends. The vast majority of them died until I found out about this Moisture Mizer stuff. You just mix about a tablespoon full of it with the dirt around the roots of each tree and it absorbs an enormous amount of water and holds it between rains for the tree to use.

I havne't lost hardly any trees at all since using it.

I have read other threads of people who use this stuff. I havent used it yet, but definitely would like to try it.

 

[WestTn Huntin man]

Fall planting will save a lot of worrying thru a summer drought.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Fall planting will save a lot of worrying thru a summer drought.

Yep. Ive never watered and never lost a tree to drought. Course I have clay soil though and have probably planted every tree over the Fall and Winter mostly with the latest probably being March.

 

[Jarred525]

If the trees are 25 miles away you probably won't water them enough through the inevitable drought we always have. To fix that problem, I highly recommend this stuff around the roots when you plant.

http://www.moisturemizer.com/

I've planted several big bunches of trees and then walked away with no watering beyond the 1st couple weekends. The vast majority of them died until I found out about this Moisture Mizer stuff. You just mix about a tablespoon full of it with the dirt around the roots of each tree and it absorbs an enormous amount of water and holds it between rains for the tree to use.

I havne't lost hardly any trees at all since using it.

I have read other threads of people who use this stuff. I havent used it yet, but definitely would like to try it.

I can vouch for this stuff as well.

Also, I like tree tubes on my trees. I see a huge difference in the growth rate. They also make the tubes solid at the bottom which makes it easy to roundup around the trees with no worries of getting roundup on the tree leaves.

That is another major thing. Keeo the grass killed around the tree. Helps preserve moisture.

 

[Coach B]

I'll agree with the post above about fall planting. I've planted close to 20 apple or pear trees over the last 5 or 6 years and have not lost a single one when planted in the fall.

 

[BamaProud]

I probably have about 30 pears and Apples planted in South Alabama. A few on every plot various species they do very well. Most produced in 2 or 3 years. All of the mature trees are 5-9 years old. We planted a few more 2 years ago when I snapped these pictures.

Careful with the fertilizer. My Mother N Law fertilized a pear by the cabin and the fruit broke all the branches. They were the size of youth footballs.

Putting a fence/cage around them is important. The bucks love to scrape them....we lost a bunch before we learned.
Never had a problem with water.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Good looking place Bamaproud!