Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Property Projects & Construction Apple orchard, one year old

At planting, May 2015...



May 2016...

Looks great! What variety apples? What is planted on the ground in between the rows? I assume you want a low growing grass so you don't have to do so much mowing?

I like seeing new plantings, Hollywood. Multiple varieties? Last year I planted a few of the low chill varieties and, with the exception of Pink Lady, all died. I also planted a few low chill peach trees. Within one year, all were over eight feet tall and well branched. Most set a sparse crop with the variety TROPIC SNOW setting a ridiculous crop. Peaches lining the limbs. There must be a thousand peaches on that tree planted in Feb of 2015. I have some serious thinning to do today. Good luck with your orchard.

they look terrific and good luck. I planted 3 apple trees in south mississippi when we bought our property 10 years ago but they croaked from fireblight just like the 2 pear trees we planted. I did plant the varieties that the Miss. extension service suggested for my area but they didn't last long. I wish I could grow apples

Very nice!

Nothing better than witnessing progress and the fruits of our labor (pun intended), especially when it comes to nature.

Thanks for the replies. I put in 50 trees, five varieties, ten each. I picked them to ripen a couple weeks apart from September through the end of November. Macintosh, Crimson crisp, Gold rush, Northern Spy, and another I forgot which... ?!?
I did clover and chicory for ground cover for the wildlife. Clover does well when it's wet, chicory thrives in drought so something is always going strong.
I added twenty pear trees and a few plum a couple weeks ago. Got the dozer coming soon to finish cleaning up the clearing I did in January . Will have about 1.5 - 2 acres to fill in over the next couple years.
This is prime Apple country... Kind of jealous about the peaches, we are just a bit too far north for them to do well.

Northern Spy... developed right here in my hometown! Seems I have root stock instead, as the deer rubbed mine off and it sprouted below the graft and I didn't notice.

Mine wouldn't stand a chance where they are without the cages. I use 150' rolls of 5' high concrete mesh. Cut ten pieces out of each. 15' around the tree keeps them off and the concrete mesh stands well on its own without needing posts. Costs about $11 per tree. But without it there would be no trees.

My problem was I took the fence off to replace with a larger loop and ran out of time. I figured there was a very low chance of the tree getting zapped in one night... I was wrong. Apparently the deer wait in the shrubbery for you to make a mistake.

It sure seems that way. I had one of my best chestnut hybrids worked over the same way. I'm going to try just placing 1/2 metal conduit along the trunk this fall. Will be easy to do and I think the metallic feel/ sound will freak them out enough. Time will tell. They seem drawn to any tree that smells different than normal. Must be like putting on cologne for them.

Finished the orchard expansion today. Had a few acres of ash that were being done in by emerald ash borers. I cleared the first acre by hand over several years. Heavy equipment is where it's at!

Nice. We have our first evidence of EAB, which is sad. I have been planning for this to happen by getting some oak, maple, birch, etc planted nearby.

Yeah, the heavy is where it is at. I was in the same boat... a summer clearing out a hedgerow, and 5x the work on the rest of the hedgerow in a few minutes with a dozer at pond dig end.