# best time to plant apple trees?



## Lindsey (Jan 22, 2000)

I have a property between Cheboygan and Mackinaw City. It is a little bit of high ground and a little bit of low seasonally wet ground.
I collected apples from roadside trees near there that held apples well into rifle season, saved the seeds, and planted them in 2 gallon cloth pots in the spring of 2020. The best of the seedlings are 2' tall and as thick as a pencil. I can get up to my property to plant trees on the high ground in mid-October or next Memorial Day weekend. I'll fence the trees in with a 3' diameter circle of 5' tall wire fencing and kill the weeds inside the fence with round-up and then install a mulch fabric and wood mulch. After that the little trees will be on their own.
Would it be better to plant the apple seedlings this fall or next spring?


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## Mole Hill (Jul 15, 2020)

10 years ago is usually the answer given. Not sure how many are being planted but personally I would plant half this fall and plant the rest next spring. Good luck!


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## gunfun13 (Jun 13, 2003)

I vote mid October. If you wait until spring you'll need to bury the pots this winter to keep roots from freezing out. Don't forget to add some aluminum window screen to protect bark from rodents.


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## Forest Meister (Mar 7, 2010)

Potted trees of any species can be planted most any time. Bare root stock generally does best if planted in the spring. Next best time is fall. FM


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Protect them with tree tubes. The will be out the top of them the first year.


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## runs with fire (Mar 12, 2009)

You can plant them now. If you mulch the ground 3 inches deep around the trees, the soil takes longer to freeze, letting the roots take better before freezeup. If you wait till spring, that's fine too. just keep them happy until then.


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## Hear fishy fishy (Feb 9, 2013)

You don’t have to put the pot in ground for winter. Potted trees are good for two zones different. I would keep leafs away and put some snow around them if we get a good cold snap. I lost about 100 trees one year from putting leafs around the pots. Made the perfect home for voles.


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