Help me with some orchard questions please....

[Dannmann801]

So we have a 5 acre spot in Adams county that has a pole barn on a couple of mowed acres, and the rest is growing CRP and hardwoods.
I'm going to park Kevin's camper there under a canopy (to keep the weather off of it) and put in a fire ring, and have a place to camp and bring the grandkids and have fun.
One of the things I want to do is plant some fruit trees (apple, peach, cherry) and I'm going to put some steel posts with wire between them to plant blackberries under.
Here's a picture and diagram of what I'm planning to do:


So here are my questions:
'1) My understanding is that fall is the best time to plant fruit trees. Is that correct?
2) Where is a good place to buy trees? I don't mind driving to save money or deal with a place that sells top quality and would help me.
3) I'm thinking apples/peaches/cherry. Are there others I should consider? my long term goal is to have something that the kids/grandkids could visit and harvest in the future.
4) I have water there, and could run hose on a timer for a while after I plant to help success. But it's been really, really dry.....should I wait till next year to plant?
5) I plan to surround individual trees with wire to protect from deer. Do I need to do the same with the blackberry bushes?
6) @xbowguy Rick told me a specific brand of blackberry to plant, but I forgot it, Rick could you remind me? And if anyone else has input I'm listening. I picked blackberries as a kid, and now I wanna afford my grandkids the opportunity.
7) Is there another type of berry that I should plant?
8) What else am I not thinking about?

 

[GoetzTalon]

Depending on what size trees you get you could put gator bags on them to water so no need for timer. Plus make sure about cross pollination to get fruit.

 

[giles]

Love this idea! Been wanting to do this on my driveway since we bought the place and haven't.

 

[Dannmann801]

Love this idea! Been wanting to do this on my driveway since we bought the place and haven't.

your driveway would be perfect for this. I'm hoping that @finelyshedded will post us a picture here of the wire cages he has around his trees in his front yard - he's the one that gave me the idea

 

["J"]

@Ohiosam

 

[finelyshedded]

your driveway would be perfect for this. I'm hoping that @finelyshedded will post us a picture here of the wire cages he has around his trees in his front yard - he's the one that gave me the idea

Ask and you shall receive. Lol

 

[whitetailjunky3]

I have a few pear trees and they are fantastic this time of year!

 

[giles]

I looked closer at your drawing and understand more now. Just give me a ring back whenever is convenient for you and we can ride down and put eyes on it.

 

[Buckmaster]

I’m doing cuttings from a Dec-Jan drop tree in PA over the last 4-5 years. 20-1 success rate so far.

 

[Dannmann801]

I’m doing cuttings from a Dec-Jan drop tree in PA over the last 4-5 years. 20-1 success rate so far. View attachment 211918

I don't understand what that means, please elaborate...

 

[finelyshedded]

I don't understand what that means, please elaborate...

I’m thinking he’s pruning trees in December and January when trees are mostly dormant. Lots of great info on YouTube I’ve found Dan. Cross Pollination of compatible varieties is crucial and pruning correctly is too.
Not sure what Ben meant by drop tree in PA though.? Maybe he planted 20 trees and one died so far?

 

["J"]

I’m thinking he’s pruning trees in December and January when trees are mostly dormant. Lots of great info on YouTube I’ve found Dan. Cross Pollination of compatible varieties is crucial and pruning correctly is too.
Not sure what Ben meant by drop tree in PA though.? Maybe he planted 20 trees and one died so far?

If I recollect correctly, he was taking parts of a tree and transplanting it.

 

[CJD3]

A neighbor did
Something like what your proposing.
The deer went to the pear trees first.
Deer love pears.

 

[Ohiosam]

Do a soil test now, get the fertility, especially pH where it needs to be now. Plant in the spring. If there’s varying elevation on the property avoid the low spots because of frost. Apples and cherries require cross pollination so you need at least 2 varieties of those. For a small orchard I’d look at Stark bros nursery, they also have videos on youtube on pruning. Don’t get trees from a big box store. Go to your extension office for tree fruit spray guides.

 

[Floki]

I would recommend anyone that’s going to do this to look up air layering trees.

Save ya a lot of money fairly simple to do.

I would add in some mulberry trees as well.

Right now a lot of places are selling fruit trees at 50 percent off.

If they have fruits on them cut them off. Personally I would cut any fruits off first five years to just let the tree grow.

If you decide not to plant this year and had access to some compost manure I would dig the holes and put compost in now.

Last but not least if you go the way of air layering be aware that you still need two different trees to pollinate each other so if ya do 5 cuttings off same tree and planted they would not pollinate each other.

Best of luck!

 

[xbowguy]

Doyle Thornless Blackberries.
And if you can find them: Persimmon Trees! Our Bartlet Pear tree is only 5 yrs old... but the deer are on it regular. Yellow apples are better than red for a deer attractant also...

 

[Reagan]

You can buy rootstock for about $5 each. Learn to graft then start grafting your own. The advantage is you will know the characteristics of the root. Big box stores are grafted to mystery rootstock.

I’ve been using M111 roots for my new orchard.

I’d also add elderberry to your list. These are easily grown from cuttings.

 

[Buckmaster]

Back to you Dan. There’s a Northern Spy at Scott’s camp in PA which holds apples into December-January most years. All the critters are aware of it. Each year I take cuttings and plant them into my raised vegetable bed at home. I planted 24 cuttings yesterday upon return from PA. I have high quality PH balanced soil, fertilizer on occasion and water regularly. If anything flourishes by Spring I will move into pots and replant into my garden for a year or two then move into my orchard. The 10 foot tall apple tree in front of our Taj stand was started from a cutting.

 

[Stressless]

Fall planting for container-grown tree is good, Early spring late winter (when they can get them out of the ground for bare root) - just your preference. It sounds like you want get started earlier rather than later, the cuttings as Buckmaster said take some time. You can buy time (years) in this project. (Height and girth of grafted Bare Root or Potted trees.)

I need to move my trees cages (22) twice a year to beat down the weeds/vegetation. To remove the cage from the tree / over or open, I found one T-Post on the uphill side with a single wire tie is easy to undo and then move the cage. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096KPKKFV?th=1 tie.

One of four bare root persimmon's I planted this spring.

You may also want to check in hybrid chestnuts but the market is kinda wonky on genetics / resistance of species/brand ... I got some 5 years ago - second year of some chestnuts.

Best of luck!

 

[xbowguy]

I have some used 2" x 4" fence from trees and berries we could send down. Its all excess stuff...