I’m going to plant apple trees

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Re: I’m going to plant apple trees

Unread postby Ryan549 » Fri Dec 31, 2021 1:18 am

You really are playing mad scientist when you graft trees. There are so many cool things that you can try


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Re: I’m going to plant apple trees

Unread postby Lockdown » Fri Dec 31, 2021 1:54 am

Without re-reading the thread, what is my best wet ground rootstock? M111? I’m assuming I’m going to need to order soon…
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Re: I’m going to plant apple trees

Unread postby oldrank » Fri Dec 31, 2021 2:49 am

Ryan549 wrote:You really are playing mad scientist when you graft trees. There are so many cool things that you can try


My wife thinks I'm a little crazy... We will be driving around and I'll rubber neck a apple tree n blurt out " Oh, that's a nice apple tree !! "
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Re: I’m going to plant apple trees

Unread postby Andyschulte » Fri Dec 31, 2021 5:38 am

I haven’t had any produce apples yet, but I’ve got 5 trees that I’ve planted in our yard. Two regular apples (golden delicious and Arkansas black) and a dolgo crab. I actually started the other two from gala apple seeds (I know that they won’t grow true to seed). As far as growth grows, the two from seed have been a pleasant surprise as far as growth goes.

If you’re just wanting apples for the deer, growing from seed might be a super cheap alternative to buying grafted trees.
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Re: I’m going to plant apple trees

Unread postby Ryan549 » Fri Dec 31, 2021 5:44 am

Andyschulte wrote:I haven’t had any produce apples yet, but I’ve got 5 trees that I’ve planted in our yard. Two regular apples (golden delicious and Arkansas black) and a dolgo crab. I actually started the other two from gala apple seeds (I know that they won’t grow true to seed). As far as growth grows, the two from seed have been a pleasant surprise as far as growth goes.

If you’re just wanting apples for the deer, growing from seed might be a super cheap alternative to buying grafted trees.


My Arkansas Black are some of my favorites.
Grafting is great when you want a specific varieties and characteristics, but it is a lot of fun growing apples from seed and seeing what the surprise will be. Either way, your planting trees, can’t go wrong there
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Re: I’m going to plant apple trees

Unread postby Lockdown » Fri Dec 31, 2021 6:07 am

Ryan549 wrote:
Andyschulte wrote:I haven’t had any produce apples yet, but I’ve got 5 trees that I’ve planted in our yard. Two regular apples (golden delicious and Arkansas black) and a dolgo crab. I actually started the other two from gala apple seeds (I know that they won’t grow true to seed). As far as growth grows, the two from seed have been a pleasant surprise as far as growth goes.

If you’re just wanting apples for the deer, growing from seed might be a super cheap alternative to buying grafted trees.


My Arkansas Black are some of my favorites.
Grafting is great when you want a specific varieties and characteristics, but it is a lot of fun growing apples from seed and seeing what the surprise will be. Either way, your planting trees, can’t go wrong there


I’m definitely going to grow some from seed. From what I’ve read they take a little longer to produce for some reason? Or is that not necessarily true…
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Re: I’m going to plant apple trees

Unread postby Ryan549 » Fri Dec 31, 2021 6:49 am

Lockdown wrote:
Ryan549 wrote:
Andyschulte wrote:I haven’t had any produce apples yet, but I’ve got 5 trees that I’ve planted in our yard. Two regular apples (golden delicious and Arkansas black) and a dolgo crab. I actually started the other two from gala apple seeds (I know that they won’t grow true to seed). As far as growth grows, the two from seed have been a pleasant surprise as far as growth goes.

If you’re just wanting apples for the deer, growing from seed might be a super cheap alternative to buying grafted trees.


My Arkansas Black are some of my favorites.
Grafting is great when you want a specific varieties and characteristics, but it is a lot of fun growing apples from seed and seeing what the surprise will be. Either way, your planting trees, can’t go wrong there


I’m definitely going to grow some from seed. From what I’ve read they take a little longer to produce for some reason? Or is that not necessarily true…


You are correct. Grafted trees are height controlled by the rootstock- a tree from seed will produce a “standard size” tree which could reach upwards of 30’ tall.
Dwarf trees on the other hand are grown for 7-10’ height which also pushes fruit much sooner.
A tree from seed may take 5 yrs or more to fruit, but then again, sometimes they fruit sooner
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Re: I’m going to plant apple trees

Unread postby DEERSLAYER » Fri Dec 31, 2021 7:50 am

oldrank wrote:
DEERSLAYER wrote:
DEERSLAYER wrote:Give me a call. Lots of your questions can be quickly answered that way but if you like doing the research yourself have at it.

I would say there are 3 main rootstocks you want to consider for deer. B118 (I love this one), Dolgo & MM111. B118 & MM111 are reproduced by "stooling". Dolgo by seed.

Also, it's important to realize that apples don't usually drop when they ripen so don't assume the ripening date is when they drop. It may take weeks or months before they drop. Or they may even rot on the tree. Some can drop right before they ripen. Ripening dates also vary on where you live compared to where the nursery giving the ripening dates is located.

There are a lot of things to know.

Dunstan chestnuts were mentioned earlier. They are good but there are better tasting, more cold tolerant chestnuts than Dunstan. Their claim to be part American chestnut is a joke. Genetic testing showed they were something like 0.03% American chestnut. Or maybe it was a little more than that but it is a joke. They are also seedlings. Not grafted, so drop times will vary.

Just to be clear I was referring to different apple varieties acting different ways. I didn't mean to imply you could expect this to happen on the same tree that is one variety.

Something you may want to try once you learn to graft is to graft multiple varieties onto the same tree. This can work out good if you have a spot that doesn't have room for multiple trees.


I am very interested in making a Frankenstein tree by grafting different varieties together. I have had my eyes on a few wild trees I have found on the side of the road here n there. They all are late ripening with slow drop. I have also been researching air layering. So much cool info to learn.

Air layering apples is tough to do. You would think it would be easy since they seem to root pretty easily when the graft union is buried. I tried air layering some Honey Crisp last year & they didn't root but I got a late start so that may have been the problem. I may try again if there is any 1 year wood left after I take scion wood. If you have any success doing it I hope you will post your results.

Andyschulte wrote:I haven’t had any produce apples yet, but I’ve got 5 trees that I’ve planted in our yard. Two regular apples (golden delicious and Arkansas black) and a dolgo crab. I actually started the other two from gala apple seeds (I know that they won’t grow true to seed). As far as growth grows, the two from seed have been a pleasant surprise as far as growth goes.

If you’re just wanting apples for the deer, growing from seed might be a super cheap alternative to buying grafted trees.

Seed grown trees are typically very vigorous growers, but you don't know what diseases they might be susceptible to and their apples may not be very attractive to deer. Deer will eat most apples but some they won't touch for various reasons. You could get lucky though & it turns out to be one of those apples that will get the deer to ignore your neighbors apples or food plots to come to yours. I prefer to know what I'm getting, but I guess if you have the time & space to potentially waste it can be a fun thing to try & you could always graft to it if you don't like what you get. Although that would add even more time before you get what you want. You would probably be even less likely to have any graft rootstock incompatibility issues on a seedling though. Although those are fairly rare anyway.

Lockdown wrote:I’m definitely going to grow some from seed. From what I’ve read they take a little longer to produce for some reason? Or is that not necessarily true…

I would expect trees from seed to take 5-10 years to produce with most probably in the 5-8 year range.
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Re: I’m going to plant apple trees

Unread postby UntouchableNess » Fri Dec 31, 2021 3:26 pm

DEERSLAYER wrote:Deer will eat most apples but some they won't touch for various reasons. You could get lucky though & it turns out to be one of those apples that will get the deer to ignore your neighbors apples or food plots to come to yours.

Interesting. I hunt a property with some “wild” apple trees, maybe hold overs from previous homesteads. They are a light colored apple with red blush or streaks. I’ve seen lots of untouched apples under them. I just thought the other apple trees in the local housing development were more attractive. You might have confirmed that.
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Re: I’m going to plant apple trees

Unread postby DEERSLAYER » Fri Dec 31, 2021 5:24 pm

UntouchableNess wrote:
DEERSLAYER wrote:Deer will eat most apples but some they won't touch for various reasons. You could get lucky though & it turns out to be one of those apples that will get the deer to ignore your neighbors apples or food plots to come to yours.

Interesting. I hunt a property with some “wild” apple trees, maybe hold overs from previous homesteads. They are a light colored apple with red blush or streaks. I’ve seen lots of untouched apples under them. I just thought the other apple trees in the local housing development were more attractive. You might have confirmed that.

That could definitely be, but another reason deer will sometimes pass up apples is if they have been attacked by apple maggots. Deer will eat apples with apple maggots if they have to but they don't like eating those. Most trees need to be sprayed to avoid them but some trees seem to be naturally resistant to them & in some area's they simply aren't a problem.

There is a lot more to consider when buying apple trees than most people realize.
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Re: I’m going to plant apple trees

Unread postby UntouchableNess » Sat Jan 01, 2022 7:52 am

DEERSLAYER wrote:That could definitely be, but another reason deer will sometimes pass up apples is if they have been attacked by apple maggots. Deer will eat apples with apple maggots if they have to but they don't like eating those. Most trees need to be sprayed to avoid them but some trees seem to be naturally resistant to them & in some area's they simply aren't a problem.

There is a lot more to consider when buying apple trees than most people realize.


I didn't notice apple maggots, but didn't spend much time looking. I did try one of the apples, which it was "mealy", a cooking or sauce apple variety.
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Re: I’m going to plant apple trees

Unread postby DEERSLAYER » Sat Jan 01, 2022 8:01 am

UntouchableNess wrote:
DEERSLAYER wrote:That could definitely be, but another reason deer will sometimes pass up apples is if they have been attacked by apple maggots. Deer will eat apples with apple maggots if they have to but they don't like eating those. Most trees need to be sprayed to avoid them but some trees seem to be naturally resistant to them & in some area's they simply aren't a problem.

There is a lot more to consider when buying apple trees than most people realize.


I didn't notice apple maggots, but didn't spend much time looking. I did try one of the apples, which it was "mealy", a cooking or sauce apple variety.

It sounds like they just didn't care for that apple so they went to where the good apples where. Just one more thing to consider when deciding what to plant.
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Re: I’m going to plant apple trees

Unread postby 1STRANGEWILDERNESS » Sun Jan 02, 2022 1:24 pm

I’m no expert.

I planted some apples I got from my county extension (annual spring tree sale) I think these were standar root stock and they are all like 12-14’ tall now. Planted in spring of 2020. Think they were 25$ ea. Almost every county in MI does this sale, not sure if other states do it?

Last spring. I bought 2-3’ Dolgo crabs. put them in tubes or caged them. The ones in the tubes are 5-6’ tall and the ones in cages are maybe 4’

I mulch with old hay bales or seaweed that wash’s up after storms

I think pears are next. I know deer love em. I have read they are less maint and tolerate a bit wetter soil then apples. At least the more wild variety types. They also bloom at diff times than apples so perhaps frost will get one but not the other depending how springs work out.
Tho I have also read pears can harbor fireblight and take out apples in close proximity.
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Re: I’m going to plant apple trees

Unread postby mike_mc » Mon Jan 03, 2022 3:38 am

Any advice on preventing wormy apples? I have a Liberty and Enterprise in my back yard, the Enterprise gets some worms, but the Liberty is always loaded with worms. One year I put maggot barriers on them and worked well, but takes a lot of time during a busy time of year.

Think I'm going to try these traps this year.
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Re: I’m going to plant apple trees

Unread postby mike_mc » Mon Jan 03, 2022 9:31 am

Today I pulled a mushy old apple off one of my trees and found two seeds in it. I put them in the fridge to try germinating them.


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