Apple Tree

[DoeMaster]

Today, just for fun I planted an apple tree at the farm I hunt. I just like to watch things grow and its a plus that the deer will love any apples that it may produce. The type of tree is a Mcintosh Semi Dwarf Apple "malus Pumila". Can anyone give me any tips to help ensure that this tree survives? Will I need to plant another tree for Pollination purposes? Thanks in advance for any adivice!

[Hoosier5]

I strongly suggest you place a fence around your apple tree so the deer won't keep nipping away at it.

[DoeMaster]

Its been one week since I planted the tree and I put a fence around it today. The deer had already found it and began picking at it. I think the fence will help but they might still be able to get to parts of the tree. The tree is about six foot tall. When can I expect it to produce apples? Couple of years?

[skin_dog1]

I believe some apple trees must be cross pollinated. Make sure you don't need two trees to produce apples.

[DoeMaster]

I believe some apple trees must be cross pollinated. Make sure you don't need two trees to produce apples.

The type of tree I planted was a Mcintosh Semi Dwarf and it does indeed require a cross pollinator. Im gonna try to plant another tree this coming weekend. The tough part will be building another fence to keep the deer from eating it up. Im new to all this tree planting, will one additional tree be enough for cross pollination purposes?

[skin_dog1]

I think apple trees will cross polinate with just 2 trees. Unlike some other fruits (I believe persimmon is one) you must have a male and female tree so it's recommended to plant more than just 2 to make sure you get the pollination. There are others on here that know for certain. I'm sure Adam would know.

[Hoosier5]

I think apple trees will cross polinate with just 2 trees. Unlike some other fruits (I believe persimmon is one) you must have a male and female tree so it's recommended to plant more than just 2 to make sure you get the pollination. There are others on here that know for certain. I'm sure Adam would know.

Persimmon Trees are an excellent choice, when planted for wildlife; and yes you must have both male & female Persimmon trees inorder to have a crop of persimmons. Another wild fruit tree, that are good, is the "Paw-Paw". Both it, and the Persimmon, are much more hardier than the various types of Apple trees, inthat they are not so subjected to disease or bores.

[DoeMaster]

Are Persimmon trees hard to get started? I have only seen a couple of persimmon trees in my life. Would be nice to have a few though.

[SixPack07]

I know a lot of seed and tree distributors that I get catalogs for will tell you what trees need at least two to pollinate. They say you must have two, but I think I'd go for 3 or 4 just to be sure, but that is just because I am always skeptical of things going wrong. I'm sure 2 will work. I've heard good things about persimmons, but I think it's too cold up here to give them a try. You could also try some kind of nut trees as well to give the deer something besides acorns, and they will give you something to nibble on on the way to your stand, just like the apple trees will.

[Hoosier5]

Are Persimmon trees hard to get started? I have only seen a couple of persimmon trees in my life. Would be nice to have a few though.

No, Persimmon Trees are no harder to start than any other tree. Just need extra amount of water for the first couple of years, untill their roots are more estabilished. One thing about Persimmon Trees is they are Slow growing. Beside this and Paw-Paw trees, crabapple trees are also good wildlife trees, and they are faster growing.

[handgunner]

I planted four apple trees at my place a couple of years ago. They did really well until fall. Showed up one day to find a buck had made rubs on all of them. Two were completly pulled out of the ground, stakes and all. One of those two was broken in half and laying about 30 feet from where it was planted. A week later the other two were out of the ground.
Another option may be grafting(spelling?)
I've heard of it and seen the results. Don't know how to do it though.

[DoeMaster]

Got these fences put around the apple trees. Just threw them together with some scrap lumber. They might not be to pretty but I think they will work. What do ya think, will they do the trick?


http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2128390736&idx=1

[SixPack07]

As long as the deer can't get at the tree, tough to tell from the pic.

[quackrstackr]

I was thinking more along the lines of 3 "T" posts and some chicken wire but that ought to do it. :eek:


Should keep out any free ranging buffalo as well.. haha

You might also try planting some of the ornamental crabapple trees. They are fast growers and the 3 in my yard put out an unbelievable amount of fruit in the fall. I have a buddy with one in his yard that the deer absolutely churn up the ground underneath when the apples ripen.

[GSP]

.....and if the trees don't make it, you have a hog pen.:D


Those will do a GREAT job. Something else you may want to do is get about a 16" piece of corragated pipe, split it down one side and put it around then. Rabbits will strip the bark from young apple trees in the winter time.

[DoeMaster]

I was thinking more along the lines of 3 "T" posts and some chicken wire but that ought to do it. :eek:


Should keep out any free ranging buffalo as well.. haha



:D A bit of over kill I know but we had the stuff laying around and it gave us somthing to do!

[KentuckyTracker]

I know this sounds kind of funny, but trust me... it does work. It is also A LOT cheaper than fencing, and it will also work with coyotes that you don't want around your hen houses or pens. It's all natural and won't affect the environment in any way.

Get a large coffee can or similar container, and ball up several sheets of newspaper and place them in the can. Poke several holes in the lid with a pocket knife or something sharp. It usually takes about 10 or so holes ... just enough to allow the can to "breath". Next, place the coffee can near the base of the tree, and urinate in it, making sure to soak the paper. Then cover with the lid, and leave it alone. After you get the desired fruits on the tree, then remove the coffee can and the deer will come back around.

I know this sounds silly, but I learned it from an 'old timer' that gives me advice on organic gardening and pest control. Also, it beats paying for a fence that you will end up removing anyway.

[quackrstackr]

Old wive's tale........

urine is urine... the deer have no idea what the source is nor can they tell the difference.

You can urinate in scrapes during deer season to reactivate them or in the making of mock scrapes and the deer will hit them... garaunteed. ;)

Human urine by itself will not deter them in the least.

You can run a search on it right here... it has been discussed before.

[skin_dog1]

I agree. Researchers have done test where they put several different types of scent in scrapes including human urine, buck urine, doe urine, perfume and some other strange stuff. Deer visited the human sites nearly as often as the ones with deer urine.Old wive's tale........

urine is urine... the deer have no idea what the source is nor can they tell the difference.

You can urinate in scrapes during deer season to reactivate them or in the making of mock scrapes and the deer will hit them... garaunteed. ;)

Human urine by itself will not deter them in the least.

You can run a search on it right here... it has been discussed before.

[SixPack07]

I've heard that as well, and seen it proven as a matter of fact. I've read that they say deer can smell what is in urine. And if you eat meat, your urine smells one way, and if you don't eat meat it smells another, so the deer can tell if a meat eater peed there. But meat eaters pee all over the woods, and if a deer ran everytime it smelled piss, it would have to live in water. And I think they realize that it is urine smell, not the actual animal/human smell, so they aren't as alarmed by it either.

[KentuckyTracker]

I guess it is just coincidence that they never came back after our apples then;). After the cans were gone for a week or so, oops no more apples.

[quackrstackr]

I guess it is just coincidence that they never came back after our apples then;). After the cans were gone for a week or so, oops no more apples.

Yup, coincidence.

If your urine worked they would have been back the night you took them up. ;)

(nobody tell the deer this trick, so far there have been thousands killed over a human urine mock scrape or right after someone took a leak out of their stand... it would wreck our odds....:D )

[KentuckyTracker]

Well, you never know. I was just following the advice of an 'Old Timer' who's advice has never failed me. You know as well as I do that here in KY we have an overwhelming amount of folklore and wive's tails. Some work and some don't. The urine thing might not work, and from what I understand it was probably just coincidence that the deer stayed away from my apples after using it. That is beside the point. For instance, any who have tried it says that tobacco juice on bee stings works better than anything you can get over the counter. Then there is the tobacco leaf on a cut to stop the bleeding. I know this one works, because an ol' boy cut his finger off with a tobacco knife and we slapped a leaf on it. The blood vessels constricted and kept him from bleeding all over the place. All of these have been proven in some way or another. The one I just happened to mention with using urine to deter deer, and you have shot that one down as 'bull'. That is o.k. I am just tryinig to add a little diversity and possibility to the mix. You can't win 'em all.:)

As for the deer being back the night I took them up. Well, I will have to disagree with you on that one. If a deer senses danger in an area, he/she will steer clear of that area for awhile. I know a little bit about wildlife habits. Believe me, I do.:) I might not be a 'Master Hunter' like some claim to be, but I have probably been around more wild game than quite a few here. You don't always have to hunt them to enjoy them.