Newly planted apple trees

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Bucccos
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Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2015 3:43 pm

Newly planted apple trees

Post by Bucccos »

Hello. Novice apple tree grower question. My fiancé recently bought me two Apple trees for my birthday in late May, one Melrose and one Wealthy. Both are semi-dwarf varieties, and both had a few small apples on them when purchased; question is do I let them grow naturally or take them off to encourage more root growth for the first year or two. Or longer?
I planted them today, but thus far, left them on. Two branches hang down a bit from the weight.
Thank you,
Steve C.
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PA_Docent
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Re: Newly planted apple trees

Post by PA_Docent »

They may abort the fruit this summer naturally however I would remove them to force more growth. Cut off any suckers (growth that is vertical). I have two dwarf apple trees and they started producing when two years in the ground. This third year, they are covered with fruit. Both trees are less than 6 feet tall currently and have nice side branches. Mike
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OrangePippin-Richard
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Re: Newly planted apple trees

Post by OrangePippin-Richard »

I agree with Mike. Trees planted this late in the season may struggle to establish - keep them well watered.
Bucccos
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Re: Newly planted apple trees

Post by Bucccos »

Thank you both for your replies. Those are helpful. However another issue just arose the other night, when deer decided to nibble on some leaves and small branches on both new trees. Anybody have any suggestions for natural deer repellants? Could I cover them with tree netting?
Thank you again,
Steve
Carl on Cape Cod
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Re: Newly planted apple trees

Post by Carl on Cape Cod »

You can buy sprays at a hardware store or nursery, and most of them are pretty innocuous. You can also make your own: take a few cloves of garlic and peel the paper off, an egg or two, and a cup or so of milk, and throw it into the blender and liquify it. Then dilute it out with some water (a pint or so), and add a a tablespoon or so of dishwashing liquid and run the blender long enough to mix it all (but not turn it into a foamy mess). Pour this is your sprayer, and douse the trees with it. The deer hate the garlic, and the egg and milk too as they spoil. The egg is good stickum, and the soap keeps it all together. Be aware though, the yard is going to reek of garlic for a bit, so don't overdo the garlic.
Current trees: (on Bud 118) Roxbury Russet (2), Gravenstein (1), Hewe's Crab (1), Golden Russet (2), Liberty (1), Unknown local early russet (1)
Maiden Trees in nursery in 2016 (Bud 118): Harrison's Cider (1), Unknown local early russet (2), Fameuse (1)
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PA_Docent
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Re: Newly planted apple trees

Post by PA_Docent »

Hang a peice of old spice soap on your trees. Also coat the main trunk with the soap. Deers hate things that have a strong scent.
shelah
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Re: Newly planted apple trees

Post by shelah »

If you have heavy deer pressure, deterrents like foul odors or tastes may not be adequate to protect your trees. During a hard winter, they will eat all the buds and young growth and this can be lethal to a young tree. The best way to protect your tree is to enclose it in a fence; the photos at St. Laurence Nursery should give you an idea: http://www.sln.potsdam.ny.us/how-to-pla ... #Screening. We made ours out of six-foot wooden stakes and one-inch chicken wire, with one side that opens and closes with twists of picture-hanging wire to keep it closed. The reason you want what is essentially a door is so you can go in and access the trees, because you'll need to. The chicken wire is just stapled to the stakes. The thing to do is to ensure you make the cages big enough to accommodate new growth but not so large that the deer think there is room for them to jump in.

If you have rodent pressure you may need to submerge the wire a few inches into the ground, or put a collar of window screen or hardware cloth (fine screen) around the bottom of the bark; field mice can nibble a ring around the bottom of the trunk that will kill the tree. The screen prevents that.

Apples are prone to all manner of diseases and insects. Some are more hardy than others but keeping them healthy is a bit of an art form. Michael Phillips is a good person to read (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1890 ... oks&sr=1-2) to learn how to take care of your apples without pesticides (if that's what you want to do).

When I got my trees, I was not expecting to develop a relationship with them, but growing an apple tree is not like growing a tomato plant. Being trees, they're big, they're all different, they change from day to day, they get sick, they get better, they have good days and bad days, and in a way they have personalities. Because apple trees require a bit of maintenance, you spend a lot of time with them and develop a bit of a relationship with your trees. I find to my surprise that this relationship is the best thing about growing apples. I too am a newbie, but the trees are so engaging that I don't mind the work.

I wish you all the best with your new trees. Good luck.
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