Fruit tree input

[richmanbarbeque]

I have almost completed my tree plot but have room for 5-7 trees. I feel like I am leaving a few things out that I will regret later so before I fill it with more of the same I would like some input. Here is my current list

Montmorency semi-dwarf cherry
Moonglow Pear
Elberta dwarf peach
Prunus cherry
Keifer pear (2)
RedHaven dwarf peach
Morris dwarf plum
Dolgo crab apple (3)
Fuyu persimmon (3)
Bartlett semi-dwarf pear
Cocktail apple 5 variety
Cocktail pear 3 variety
Mcintosh semi-dwarf apple (2)
Santa Rosa plum semi-dwarf
sweet peach semi-dwarf
Arkansas black apple (3)

 

[BowGuy84]

Well for deer Id add some persimmion. Or ive thought of feathering my tree plot with figs. They are suppose to grow low and think like bushes more than trees.

Thats a great list! Are the cocktail trees primarily good for pollinators? Whats the fruit like they produce. Unfortunately, my tree plot hasnt gotten put in yet so it might be this fall before I can get some in the ground...very sad one of the 3 main things I wanted to accomplish this spring but its just been too wet to do the dozer work.

 

[TS_13]

maybe some wild plum..

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Why so many peaches? If it were me I would add more disease resistant cultivars of apples to that mix. Arkansas Black and Dolgo Crab is the only disease resistant varieties I see. Enterprise, Freedom, Liberty, Hardy Cumberland, King David,Wolf River and on and on are some of the best. Im just such a apple man because you can fill in every gap and niche with them, although they are work. Also what about nut trees? Allegheny Chinquapin is more like a large shrub than tree, doesnt get much more than 15-20 feet tall but can produce a ton of nuts in just a number of years. They are rather fast growing, tolerate of wide variety of soils.

 

[richmanbarbeque]

Steven, Peaches are great in cobblers. :grin:


Apples are a pain in the butt. Lot's of spraying and pruning. I have so much work to do that apples are to time consuming. Later once I get some of the immediate work done I will plant more apples.

Nut trees are something I am looking into as well. I plan on putting a few in the plot. I may even have some at my house (several 18-24 in whips at the house).

Where are you buying your apple trees at, Steven?

 

[8 POINTS OR BETTER]

I would go with Enterprise, Liberty, apple trees, and Chestnut Crab. Not much spraying with those as they are very disease resistant.

 

[Football Hunter]

MORE PEAR TREES!

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Most of the apple trees I order come from Adams County Nursery or Century Farm Orchards. They offer good selections of disease resistant varieties and good rootstock selections, usually I go with EMLA 111. Century Farms offers lots of old Southern varieties that are unique. Anything Ive ever gotten from them has been of great quality. Ill usually buy one or two of whatever variety Im after so I can use those trees later to get scion wood from to graft my own for very cheap. So far from these two sources I have ordered Enterprise, Freedom, Liberty, Goldrush, Florina Querina, King David,Hardy Cumberland and Wolf River as they are all DRC's. I was pretty much at a stopping point with apple trees but now that Ive bought more land, I will have to come up with alot more. Now that I learned the hard way not to buy any "grocery store" apples, it should be a much better experience.

 

[TS_13]

Steven... I need to take notes... I tried a few grafts. I just cant seem to get the cut right.....

 

[richmanbarbeque]

Steven... I need to take notes... I tried a few grafts. I just cant seem to get the cut right.....

when he gets back he needs to give us a clinic.

 

[TS_13]

i agree! )

 

[richmanbarbeque]

I have checked into Adams county nurseries(need to check on century as well) and will probably fill in the plot with some of their trees. This weekend I will see how much space I have and go from there. Thinking of dozing another area and it could be an awesome spot for more trees.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Ive heard Century Farms is sold out, may want to check though. Alot of these nurseries sell out of their best varieties by March 1. Kinda sucks, I usually have to order in the Spring for Fall shipment on alot of the unique varieties. I think I could teach the whip and tongue graft pretty well. I think the key is starting out with like 50 rootstocks so you have plenty to mess with to get it right. My next project is grafting persimmons, I just cant find alot of literature on it.
Richman, I think you will be pleased with ACN, they have very good trees. They come cut back so the root system will support the tree very well. Then the tree will take off and grow great when you plant it. Much easier to train as well when they arent fully branched out like local nursery trees.

 

[BowGuy84]

If this lesson on tree grafting takes hold I would really like to attend. One for the knowledge and also because the people I would get to meet!

 

[Football Hunter]

I have checked into Adams county nurseries(need to check on century as well) and will probably fill in the plot with some of their trees. This weekend I will see how much space I have and go from there. Thinking of dozing another area and it could be an awesome spot for more trees.

Maybe the spot that we looked at with Quailman,between the ridges

 

[richmanbarbeque]

OK Steven, I orderd some disease resistant apple trees(adams nursery) yesterday. 8 will finish my tree plot. They were out of some that I wanted so I told the dude what I was doing with thema dn let him pick them. They will be here for planted next weekend. He said it would be 4-5 years before I see fruit. Seemed like a long time but that's fine with me. I will be glad to finish this faze and onto another one.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

OK Steven, I orderd some disease resistant apple trees(adams nursery) yesterday. 8 will finish my tree plot. They were out of some that I wanted so I told the dude what I was doing with thema dn let him pick them. They will be here for planted next weekend. He said it would be 4-5 years before I see fruit. Seemed like a long time but that's fine with me. I will be glad to finish this faze and onto another one.

5 years is very realistic. By that time the tree can at least bear a fairly decent crop usually. Anything younger just wont hold alot of crop. What varieties were you able to get on what rootstock?

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Heres an example of an ACN apple going into its 2nd growing season. Dont use this an example for pruning or training though, I didnt get to this tree this before deployment so its not pruned how it should be. Lookw like the cage is out of whack as well. Dad sent me sent this from turkey hunting there the other day. This tree would likely fruit this year in only its 2nd season but I told Dad
to take the blooms off for better growth. As you can see, they respond vigorously to being cut back.

 

[Football Hunter]

I can see the concrete slowly creeping

Lord take me and mine before it comes.... Good song

 

[7mm08]

Just a note of thanks to you bunch of "fruits"!

I guess I have joined into the club this spring. I have 6 persimmon, 4 pears of different varieties, and JUST found some Freedom and Wolf River apple trees, and hoping to get them this week and into the ground IF it's not too late. PS...Where can you get fig trees?

Thanks for the great posts. I learned alot.

Next fall I might even join in on the "nuts and berries forum"...chestnuts, etc!

T

 

[Tree Tramp]

Paw paws

 

[richmanbarbeque]

What varieties were you able to get on what rootstock?

Initial emla7 3ea
Galarina emla7 2
Enterprise emla 111 1
Crimson Gold emla7 2

They were out of pears and some of the ones I wanted but for what I was trying to do these were the best available and I didn't want to wait. I have the holes dug and will have them delivered first of the week and planted by the weekend. Then my tree plot will be finished. Cages for new apple trees will be made this weekend as well.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Good deal Rich.