Help with Species Please.

[BobCo]

First Post. This site seems to be a very nice source of info. Grownig apples to some degree has alway been in the family blood to some degree. Not professionally or anything, just for fun. We have a section of land that has been in the family for 3 generations now which has been recently handed down to me. We have some very old apple trees which were planted by my grandfather which have been neglected for years. Some are even dead now from overgrowth in the area. During the past three years, I have tried to take care of them and have succeeded on some. Opening up the area for light, pruning, soil samples, fertilzing, etc., I;ve even planted a couple of crabapples for pollination purposes.

Question 1: Now that I have my first plan done, I'm looking to plant some more. Here is the thing though. The land is far from my residence. I am planting the trees not necessarily for human consumption (if I can eat a few while in the woods, great) but more for wildlife and the enjoyment it brings me. I will be able to take care of the trees to a degree, but spraying and such may not be a possibility. I'm looking for the hardiest types of apples, crabapples, or pears (perhaps) that will grow in my area and will be appealing to wildlife (and humans secondly). My soil has some clay in it, and I do have some areas that drain pretty well. PH is just over 5. Liming can be done if necessary. I'm in zone 5 in South Central NY.

Question 2: I also have a great site for some apples (gets over six hours of sun). Problem is that the land is also being overtaken by Autumn Olive which was planted in the early 70's. Any ideas on how to remove them without contanination problems? I can cut them down, but I think they will just come right back up again. Heavy machinery is not an option (the site is also near a pond).

[Garden_John]

Short of chopping down then digging out the stumps of the Autumn Olive, you could use the cut stump herbicide treatment. You don't need to use very much Roundup for this method. There's an infestation in my area, too. What I do is cut it off near ground level then drip straight Roundup on the cut stumps, especially around the outer edges where cambium can carry the poison down to the roots. (Preferably use a generic brand glyphosate herbicide, so you aren't supporting Monsanto.) Do this in summer, fall or winter, not spring because the sap will be flowing upwards in spring. Put green food coloring in the Roundup to see how much you're using. I use an emptied contact solution bottle, seals tight when not in use and allows precise dripping.

Official source for this method here:
http://www.nohlc.org/uploads/6/6/4/1/66 ... _olive.pdf