Apple tree problems

[Brushpile]

There have been 6 years of drought conditions. This apple tree was planted 6 years ago.

This apple tree was planted in 2008, and put on growth prior to the drought, but it's defoliated by Japanese beetles.

These are 3 of maybe 6 apples on the tree, and most of the trees have no apples.

 

[Maya]

Brush, it would be helpful to post what varieties and rootstock these are. One thing I would recommend to all that really want to up their knowledge on how to grow apples and other fruit is to purchase a Fruit Tree Management Guide. They make them tailored for your area. Ours is New England, I'm not sure, but maybe they make a mid-west one. Check with your local extension service or Google it. The guide covers everything from soil, to ground maintenance, to pests, and even which sprays to use to combat pests and disease...... This should be your very next step on helping those trees!

http://ag.umass.edu/fruit/publications/new-england-tree-fruit-management-guide

Another thing you can easily do right now is keep the immediate ground right around the tree weed free by using a matting or gly. Any rain you do get will go to those trees rather than compete w/ the weeds for that moisture! I wrote this on another thread last night. I read a study that said that trees will grow up to 30% more in their early years with good ground maintenance.

Japanese beetles are easy to combat, drought requires a little work and ingenuity, but you also have a lot of other things going on besides those two things. Training, ground maintenance, disease control are a few, but many of those things are easily overcome by knowing which trees to plant. I think for deer apples I 'd always recommend disease resistant varieties and crab apples. I'm sure TC can fill you in on the best varieties for you out there.

 

[dogdoc]

Maya gave some great advise but since you have much better luck with crabs have you thought of just grafting and converting those apple trees to crabapples?

 

[Turkey Creek]

Vegetation control around those trees would definitely help. Drought is a relative term I guess, where I am at I generally receive 25" or less of precip a year and trees do alright when they dont have to compete for the limited moisture. What do your soil tests show you? I am guessing MO might be on the acidic side.

 

[Brushpile]

Maya, this is what I did with my apple trees.

Two bags of cow manure per tree.


5'x5' Lumite weed mat.

I can no longer recall what every tree is. But I bought disease resistant varieties from Adams County and disease resistant southern varieties from Century Farm Orchard, and all are on MM111. The soil is Missouri hardpan, which is rocky, orange and low in organic matter.

 

[Brushpile]

Maya gave some great advise but since you have much better luck with crabs have you thought of just grafting and converting those apple trees to crabapples?

My apples were purchased to have drop times throughout the Summer and into deer season, and will be nine years old next Spring. If I cut and graft I'd be 70 before they produce apples! :-o

I was in my late 50's when I planted most of my apples.

This is a Coldstream Farm flowering crab that was grafted with an apple, probably Enterprise. It appears that the Enterprise is out growing the crabapple stem.

 

[Brushpile]

Vegetation control around those trees would definitely help. Drought is a relative term I guess, where I am at I generally receive 25" or less of precip a year and trees do alright when they dont have to compete for the limited moisture. What do your soil tests show you? I am guessing MO might be on the acidic side.

I tested the soil prior to planting and the soil was slightly acidic but the MDC Forester said the soil was good enough to plant trees. The trees have been watered or they would have died, and I lost a few.

 

[smsmith]

You can grow pears very well down there, can't you Brush?

 

[buckvelvet]

Brush i remember you depressing thread from that other forum. You poor drought stricken man, really, you have done some amazing work over the years but your drought conditions my goodness that sucks horribly.

 

[Sheep Dog]

Brush- You have me feeling totally blessed. I planted 10 apple trees in 2014 and 10 in 2015. I got the late dropping varieties from Century Farm Orchard and they have all done great except for one. I think I over fertilized that one. Several of them have apples on them this year, even some that were planted last year. I agree that a little gly goes a long way around them. They don't have to compete for water and nutrients. But there is no substitute for liquid fertilizer though. We have been very dry here at times this summer but in the mountains where my trees are there has been a lot of rain.

 

[Brushpile]

You can grow pears very well down there, can't you Brush?

Yes, in fact the ornamental Bradford Pears are an invasive species, so pears do very well here and my focus is on pears, which have a lower water requirement than apples. However, I wish I could grow some good apples. My neighbor has a tree that never fails, but this year it didn't produce because of drought and Japanese Beetles.

 

[Brushpile]

Brush i remember you depressing thread from that other forum. You poor drought stricken man, really, you have done some amazing work over the years but your drought conditions my goodness that sucks horribly.

The drought is horrible, but it'll eventually end. I spent many days watering, and even watered through 2-3 deer seasons, only to lose trees to Winter drought. I've even had to use water to plant trees because the ground was too hard to dig a hole!

Drought happens when rain is consistently below average, and historical records show that rain has been well below normal for the last 6-7 years!

 

[Brushpile]

Brush- You have me feeling totally blessed. I planted 10 apple trees in 2014 and 10 in 2015. I got the late dropping varieties from Century Farm Orchard and they have all done great except for one. I think I over fertilized that one. Several of them have apples on them this year, even some that were planted last year. I agree that a little gly goes a long way around them. They don't have to compete for water and nutrients. But there is no substitute for liquid fertilizer though. We have been very dry here at times this summer but in the mountains where my trees are there has been a lot of rain.

How did you like those Century Farm Orchard trees? I planted 10-12 Century Farm Pears last Spring.

 

[buckvelvet]

You have any perry pears brush?

 

[Sheep Dog]

I have been very impressed with Century Farms. I know nothing about apple trees and he knows his stuff. I just tell him what I want the trees for and he makes his recommendations and ships them exactly when he says he will several months later. When you get them they look like sticks with roots but I followed his planting instructions and they have all grown like crazy. I have learned that it is in your best interest to order early in the fall for the best selection.

 

[Brushpile]

You have any perry pears brush?

I don't, but I'd like to know more about them. I read they're hard pears that are used for making alcohol. It sounds like they'd last on the ground. I imagine deer would eat them?

 

[Brushpile]

I have been very impressed with Century Farms. I know nothing about apple trees and he knows his stuff. I just tell him what I want the trees for and he makes his recommendations and ships them exactly when he says he will several months later. When you get them they look like sticks with roots but I followed his planting instructions and they have all grown like crazy. I have learned that it is in your best interest to order early in the fall for the best selection.

There are several benefits to ordering from Century Farm Orchard Orchards, and one of the greatest is the personalized service. David knows all about apples for deer, and helps with selection.

 

[buckvelvet]

I don't, but I'd like to know more about them. I read they're hard pears that are used for making alcohol. It sounds like they'd last on the ground. I imagine deer would eat them?

Yes from what I've seen they are DR and usually heavy croppers, I don't see any reason deer wouldn't gobble them up.

 

[Brushpile]

Yes from what I've seen they are DR and usually heavy croppers, I don't see any reason deer wouldn't gobble them up.

Do you have a source for Perry Pears?

 

[buckvelvet]

I do not, its not something i hear thrown around on habitat forums much but all my reading points towards them being a no brainer choice. I do want to get 1 or 2 just because I want to be on the front lines.