Soft Mast suggestions type and supplier?

[worriedman]

I would like to add some Japanese Persimmons to my property for deer. (I have numerous natives that produce now and will be planting additional ones) Type recommendations and best suppliers would be appreciated.

Also I would like to plant some apples, crab apples and pears. My place is overrun with cedar, so resistance to Cedar Rust would be important.

I have an old family homestead farm (40 acres, 10 in woods lot and 10 in pasture remainder in row crop) that has been cut for hay for 25 years, surrounded by lots of row crop on adjacent properties.Good higher level land that should not be frost pocket prone. Lots of sunlight.

Want the quickest production of fruit that I can get, not to belabor a point, but am getting a little long in the tooth, and I would like to have some production for the grand kids prior to leaving this vale of tears.

 

[Football Hunter]

Check out www.wildlifegroup.com They really have a great catalogue,and explain things very well.What trees are disease resistant etc.Have lots and lots of varieties.

However,from experience,2 to 4 years till production means a couple pears,apples etc,will take longer to really have production that will draw much deer attraction.

I would have said Edward Fort.but they went under,unfortunatly,what I hear anyway.

 

[Football Hunter]

They also tell you what trees need to be planted together to help ensure pollinization.

 

[tn droptine]

Check out www.wildlifegroup.com They really have a great catalogue,and explain things very well.What trees are disease resistant etc.Have lots and lots of varieties.

However,from experience,2 to 4 years till production means a couple pears,apples etc,will take longer to really have production that will draw much deer attraction.

I would have said Edward Fort.but they went under,unfortunatly,what I hear anyway.

x2 - I plan on doing a setup like they have outlined on their webpage. I figure I have a lot of work ahead of me, since I will probably end up planting at least a hundred trees in another couple of years

 

[PickettSFHunter]

I would personally use Adams County Nursery or Century Farms Orchard for the apple component.

 

[ROUGH COUNTRY HUNTER]

checkout realtree nurseries

 

[DaveB]

Dog gone it, can't find my official state of tennessee tree farm price list link. Someone chime in while I keep looking. Got it
Okay, no Jap persimmon, few soft fruits, take a look, price is best I can find. I am definitely ordering hazelnut. Anyone wanna share the cost, yell. I will need about 25, I'm in Shelby County....


http://www.tn.gov/agriculture/publicati ... atalog.pdf

 

[diamond hunter]

Do deer like Hazelnuts??

 

[DaveB]

DH-reportedly yes deer like them. But I figure, bite an acorn, bite a hazelnut. Which one you gonna munch on? And besides, any leftovers on the ground I have a treestand snack.

 

[Hunter 257W]

I have used "The Wildlife Group" as FootBallHunter mentioned. They have the Japanese Persimmons. If you want fast fruit you can buy trees with a rootball to gain probably a year compared to a bare root tree. I planted their Fruit Tree Package in Jan 2011 and I am amazed at how they have grown. Some of the apple and pear trees are 7 or 8 feet tall and I got the bare root trees. I had a couple of little apples this Spring(2012) even. I can't stress the importance of buying everything they recommend enough though. I used it all. Tree Tubes, fertilize and Moisture Mizer. I have planted trees in the past by just digging a hole and walking away and the results were horrible. In contrast, these "Wildlife Group" trees have grown beyond my wildest dreams.

I know what you mean about feeling like you don't have time to fool around. Planting trees is altogether different than a food plot. Trees take years compared to days to produce results. However, using the Tree Tubes, fertilizer and Moisture Mizer will get results far faster.

Oh yeah, a friend bought the same trees that I did one year later but he bought the ones with a dirt ball and got some limited tiny fruit the 1st year. So you might consider that gain in time worth the cost too.

They have lots of other trees including fast growing oaks. Don't recall exactly but I bought something like 125 trees in all and practically all of them are thriving. Included were 2 of the Japanese Persimmons that I am anxious to see fruit on someday.

 

[worriedman]

I have ordered some of their Sequin Chinquapin and am thinking about some Chinquapin Oaks as well, along with a few Dwarf Chinquapin Oaks.

Have about decided that due to all the care required, apples may not be for me, and am leaning more towards pears and persimmons as soft mast providers.

Talked with my County Forrester today, going to meet him on my place next week and get his perspective.

 

[Hunter 257W]

Yeah, Supposedly apples do require pruning the 1st 2 or 3 years to shape the tree right for best fruit production but we have some apple trees that we just let go and they make lots of apples. I think the main thing you have to do is either mulch them or keep RoundUp around the base so grass doesn't overwhelm them. But I see your point about going with something that takes less maintenance. One motivation for planting trees vs. foodplots is to get away from all the work every year.