# Looking to buy some apple trees



## 28hotshot (Jan 31, 2009)

Since baiting will not be allowed next year I think i am going to plant some apple trees. The nursery I talked to has 3.5 to 4 inch diameter trees and the price seems reasonable. I would like to buy 4 to 5 trees but I am unsure of where to put them on my property. The blue is the deer trails and I have 1 existing apple tree that produced very well this year that got me thinking about this. The field on the right is planted in corn. What do you guys think?


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## cmonkey (Nov 6, 2004)

I wouldn't base the trees so much as where the deer or you might want them, but rather where the trees will flourish. All day sun, well drained soil with preferable slope and water nearby. Keep the apples watered in the summer, pruned in the winter, and you should be in action in no time.

Make sure you get trees that are for Michigan's zone. It's amazing what is sold that isn't. Standard sized trees are preferred...high enough to escape browsing all winter, deep root systems, and oodles of apples. Fence them until the branches are above browse height or they will be eaten or rubbed to death the first year.

Don't overlook the crabs either...super hardy, deer feed sized, and great pollinators for other apple trees. Whitneys are the size of golf balls.

I buy mine from here, good size bare root trees.

http://www.maplegroveorchard.com/wordpress/


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## mjh4 (Feb 2, 2018)

Put them where they'll get at least 6-8 hours of full sun and cage them in if you don't the deer will destroy them. (Trust me I learned the hard way).


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## Hunters Edge (May 15, 2009)

Why your at it I would highly advise protecting the young trees from voles and rabbits from girdling besides protecting it from deer.


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## cmonkey (Nov 6, 2004)

Not sure if this will work everywhere, but during the winter, after each good snowfall, I drive circles around as many of the trees I can with either wheel weighted tractor or at least ATV. This compacts the snow to ice, and the voles which will burrow at grass level beneath the snow hit this "barrier" and turn away. Come spring, I can see where most rodent activity has circled but not attacked my precious trees. Stamping right around the base of the tree with your foot even helps. They don't like being out in the open to chew.


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## bigbucks160 (Mar 31, 2007)

28hotshot said:


> The nursery I talked to has 3.5 to 4 inch diameter trees and the price seems reasonable.
> 
> Do you mind sharing what nursery has the trees at that diameter? I would be interested some that size also.


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## 12970 (Apr 19, 2005)

The Deer find them as well as Bears if you have bears in your area... Also you want to have trees that hold the fruit later into the Fall as the deer will be attracted to them. Each variety of apple has a different time as to fruit falling, some hold them later than others. As others mentioned good sun is important... And Fencing is a must for several years other wise deer and other Wildlife can trash them quickly...

Not sure I have seen trees that come that size most are maybe 1 inch at least the ones I have planted over the years...
Northern Whitetail Crabs also sells regular Apple Trees as well as Crabapple Trees...
There are others that sell Fruit Trees. I like to have trees that have fruit from late Summer to late Fall...

Newaygo1


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## wpmisport (Feb 9, 2010)

You may already know this but pick out the right soil type locations for the apple trees. I see some people will plant the wrong type of tree for the soil because this is what they want in that location ant the tree has no chance of growing.


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## 12970 (Apr 19, 2005)

I have Sand as majority of my Soil and My Trees do just Fine... been Planting Fruit Trees for 25 + Years...
Newaygo1


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## bowjack (Nov 20, 2011)

I planted 10 wild apple trees from north 40 last year. http://n40wildapples.com/ They have all survived and grown faster than any other tree I have planted on my sandy NW Michigan property so far. 36"-42" when planted and grew out the top of 5' tubes the first season.


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## Nolan3387 (Sep 10, 2008)

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I bought my apple trees from Boehlers in Saginaw. Trees were $40 and have lots of apples on them. Some I had to stake because the apples were pulling the trees down. They have a lot of varieties and most of their trees are late dropping. These are all pictures of ones I bought and planted in the spring of 2018.


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## cmonkey (Nov 6, 2004)

While you may be impressed with those young apples, young trees like that should be denied to fruit until shape, size, and rooting are well established. By the looks of those trees, they look to be on dwarf rooting stock and will remain at deer destroy level. Limbs NEVER grow up.

http://www.hardyfruittrees.ca/tutorials/2014/01/20/how-to-prune-a-fruit-tree


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## Nolan3387 (Sep 10, 2008)

That is a great link for pruning and apple tree maintenance.
These trees are not dwarf varieties. I have the tags and information, and I made sure they were not dwarf before I purchased them. I bought 5 in 2017 and 5 in 2018. Most of the trees are 5+ years old, and a few over 10ft (especially the ones I planted in 2017). Not all of them look like this. I have some that are smaller and only got 1-2 apples this year. Boehlers typically purchases 2 year old trees, then put them in the back until they are older. I was lucky and able to purchase some of their older stock before most of them were gone.
I do go through and pluck off the apples that are weighing smaller branches down, but most branches are hardy enough to hold apples. It's a good option for me because the nursery is only about 8 minutes down the road, so transporting these larger trees can be done with minimal damage.


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## Daddy (Jan 22, 2019)

I find that wrapping the bottom of apple trees in tubes and then fencing them works fairly well. Tree tubes seem wrong for apple trees because they eventually need to spread their limbs. However protecting the bottom trunk is vital in the early years. Remember bucks love to rub their antlers on everything so small animals are not the only issue. 

Remember to select apple tree varieties that fruit long into the fall. I try to stagger the types so I have early fruit and late fruit. If one has tons of other orchards in the area then pollination is not as crucial but apple trees require pollinators. Crab trees are a good addition and easier to grow. Remember that apple trees need weekly water when they are first planted and I mean tons of water when it is dry.


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## 22 Chuck (Feb 2, 2006)

Check w/ your soil conservation district. Many have tree sales and are taking orders now!! maybe too late-check.


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## Shaun Swanepoel (Nov 16, 2020)

*What is the nursery called you talked to that’s got the 3.5 to 4 inch diameter apple trees I would like to contact them and get some myself*


28hotshot said:


> Since baiting will not be allowed next year I think i am going to plant some apple trees. The nursery I talked to has 3.5 to 4 inch diameter trees and the price seems reasonable. I would like to buy 4 to 5 trees but I am unsure of where to put them on my property. The blue is the deer trails and I have 1 existing apple tree that produced very well this year that got me thinking about this. The field on the right is planted in corn. What do you guys think?


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## 22 Chuck (Feb 2, 2006)

3" to 4" trees?? They must be 6+ yrs old.. how do they transplant?? Survival rate??


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## 28hotshot (Jan 31, 2009)

I honestly don't remember who I talked to. It wasn't in the budget this year so I never got back in contact with the guy. Probably called 20 places that day


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## steveboss (Sep 4, 2002)

28hotshot said:


> Since baiting will not be allowed next year I think i am going to plant some apple trees. The nursery I talked to has 3.5 to 4 inch diameter trees and the price seems reasonable. I would like to buy 4 to 5 trees but I am unsure of where to put them on my property. The blue is the deer trails and I have 1 existing apple tree that produced very well this year that got me thinking about this. The field on the right is planted in corn. What do you guys think?


Call Rusty Mangrum in Tennessee. $7 for 11/16 diameter. Around 6feet tall. I have bought 50 and they have done well. 


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