Which apples and where to get them

[gjs4]

I want to start planting some apples this spring. Dos anyone have any specific varieties, strategies or nurseries to suggest?

I was going to buy some crab varieties for fall, maybe some keifer pears as well.....but this is all new to me. Plan to tube and add mesh at the bottom for rodents. Can mulch and fertilize as needed. Do I need to fence them? Looking for deer draw is my primary intent. Soils are sandy clay, 5.5-6pH, have everything from full sun and dry to shaded and moist. Watering them will be a challenge if planted in a sunny area.

Any/all help would be appreciated.

 

["J"]

@Milo
Might have some suggestions…..

 

[Sauger]

Even with the tube you need to cage or you will be replanting. I use concrete wire mesh for my cages. Watering can and does suck. If you have a sxs or 4 wheeler get a 55 gal drum and water bags for the trees. Fill the bags up with the drum. I personally don't like crab for deer. I use the green and reds you get at rual king and they work great. You can get them on sale.for 15-20 bucks in spring and fall....good luck. I also recommend chestnuts for deer

 

[xbowguy]

Orchard guy said deer are known to eat all yellow varieties of apples first (If had a choice). Red delicious is #1 in Reds.
Jonathan apples are last on a deers list.

 

[gjs4]

Interesting. Seems like crabs get mentioned like the be all end all, and had never heard the color (though underlying to variety) mattering or a preferential desire to them.

Any thoughts on pears?

 

[Wildlife]

Apples do not last around my place and it's considered a special treat for the deer every once in while.

 

[Milo]

Yellow delicious for apples early and then then there are some for late season as well. But you need to be honest with yourself… apples can and will be a lot of work to keep the pruned and then there are then are the coons and yellow jackets. But trees have way way more mast potential and require you to just keep them alive. But hey if you want apple get apples… look at Arkansas blacks for later season and honestly if you are dead set on fruit I would rather see you go pears … fairly easy to care for and deers love pears

 

[Wildlife]

Interesting. Seems like crabs get mentioned like the be all end all, and had never heard the color (though underlying to variety) mattering or a preferential desire to them.

Any thoughts on pears?

Our neighbor to the north has a much older mature large pear tree that produces every year and there's deer underneath that tree quite often all through the day. He tells me about it when I see him just about everytime and I have observed the deer come and go from that location often over the years. A couple of pear trees are one of the fruit trees that we'll attempt to grow. I have fed the deer pears as well at the main feed site, and much like apples that I've fed them, they disappear quickly. Usually gone by the next morning, and yes, coons will eat them too.

Good luck with your place!

 

[Sgt Fury]

I don’t know which variety they were but I used to hunt an old abandoned apple orchard in Steuben county NY back in the 90’s and the trees were still holding apples (red) in November….it was a deer magnet! I watched many bucks over the years walk out of the woods, then across a hay field, jump the 4 foot fence and go directly to the apples. I’d check and see which Apple tree varieties hold their fruit into November then plant as many as you can.

 

[Wildlife]

I don’t know which variety they were but I used to hunt an old abandoned apple orchard in Steuben county NY back in the 90’s and the trees were still holding apples (red) in November….it was a deer magnet! I watched many bucks over the years walk out of the woods, then across a hay field, jump the 4 foot fence and go directly to the apples. I’d check and see which Apple tree varieties hold their fruit into November then plant as many as you can.

I've hunted orchards and nurseries and you are right, those places are deer magnets! One of the owners/neighbors in the past begged me practically to help him out with the deer that were destroying his newly planted tree orchard back in 2008 through 2012, each year. He finally got them under control, and the last time I saw/spoken with him two years ago, he stated that he has not seen the high number of deer at his place like it was back in 2008-2012. Those were the years I tried to help him out, and he continues to run his farm without too much difficulty that I know of today, pertaining to deer specifically. He had a coon problem too back then, IDK what they are like today for him.

 

[Sauger]

I agree with the pears. We have 5 mature ones that produce every year and the deer love them. I can't say they like them over apples because the trees are close to each other and they are there evey day/night starting about now. I have never noticed a difference in the apples we have. The old trees we have I could not tell you what they are, kinda like a farm apple they use in pies and the deer always go to them first. Maybe it's because they have been around for so long.
I can tell you nothing has been pruned in the last 6 years and some years the trees produce so much they break branches....I would guess pruning would stop this. Anyway that's just my notice of the trees we have planted.

Side note, the trees I planted in wet soil are 2 times smaller than the others. They still grow but at a slower pace.

 

[giles]

If I was to plant a soft variety of food for deer, it would be of the crab variety. Reasons
1. The ease of keeping them alive.
2. The ease of maintaining them once mature.
3. They drop for a long time.
4. Even on bumper crop years you don't need to worry about branches breaking.
5. Barn cats are lovely this time of year.

 

[xbowguy]

Interesting. Seems like crabs get mentioned like the be all end all, and had never heard the color (though underlying to variety) mattering or a preferential desire to them.

Any thoughts on pears?

We have a yellow crab on tree farm... All of the lower branches are bare... I get down that way I'll take a picture.

 

[gjs4]

Gotta ask about the barn cat comment Giles...... lol

So what kind of pears should i be looking for?

Any specific crab varieties?

 

[Buckmaster]

One of these drags the deer and bears into Camp.

 

[giles]

Gotta ask about the barn cat comment Giles...... lol

What is to ask? They are the answer for everything.

 

[at1010]

Barlett pears are standard and good pears. Easy to grow.

apples - anything on a b118 rootstock - stark bros nursery out of MO has some great disease resistant options in dwarf, semi, standard.

 

[Stressless]

+1 for Crabapple, two apple trees behind these that had no friut on them past Nov...

Doing a link instead of reposting- Goodluck.

Stressless Farm Blog - Wildlife Habitat Improvements

What I've found is the local herd around my farm really enjoy the buckwheat, the growth is out performing the browsing pressure so its not a failure. The nannies and fawns have been very active the last week or so. It's got another 3 weeks or so before I turn it for fall seed thatch. It's...

theohiooutdoors.com

 

[Wiley E Coyote]

What is to ask? They are the answer for everything.

Well not exactly! All barn cats are not equal! There's only about one in 100 that are worth having around. I forgot to mention that.

 

[Reagan]

I started with 8 trees from N Whitetail Crabs planted spring of 22. I’m very happy with their growth.

I bought M111 rootstock this year and grafted a combination of crabs and people apples. Instead of babying them in pots I planted and caged them in their final spot this spring. So far I ran 80% on grafting. The failed grafts are grown from rootstock so I’ll try them again next year.

If the apples are for the critters, I would stick with crabs