Planting Apple Trees

These notes are from Century Farm Orchards

• The best thing you can do for the tree is to keep grasses away from the tree
• You can use a herbicide but make sure not to get any on the tree

 

• Don't allow deer to de-leaf the tree
• 1st de-leaf = stunted growth
• 2nd de-leaf = death of the tree likely

 

• Don't generally fertilize the 1st year
• If you do fertilize, use a water soluable fertilizer
• Lime in the 1st year - 1-2 lbs per tree

 

• Protect the base of the tree due to rabbits eating the bark

 

• Generally, trees with yellow apples are better pollinators

 

• Grafting depth
• Graft in the ground
• Standard Tree
• Slower to produce (year 6-8) but produce more
• Live longer (60-80 years)
• Graft above ground
• Semi-Dwarf
• Produce in 4-5 years