Making room for fruit trees
- Thread starter jlane35
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Kennychestnut
Member
Depends on acreage open .
But I’m in the process of planting fruit trees to offer a variety . I know deer walk past acorns to eat chestnuts
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j-bird
Well-Known Member
So...I have fruit and mast trees in my perennial food plots. It is nice to get some "double duty" from the space, but it comes with it's challenges. #1 - my plots have at least a 30' wide buffer around them from the timber to ensure they get full sun (I have a few small kill plots that are the exception). So if your current plots don't get a lot of sun light the trees will struggle. #2 - mowing and spraying around them is a PITA as your catching cages, running over them and the like.....so spacing and the like has to be considered well in advance. #3 - eventually those trees will fill out and create their own shade and maybe further limit the plots production. #4 - Many of us (me included) put plots where it is easy for us to do so and in my case 1 of mine is in a low area where frost can be an issue (low areas called frost pockets allow the cooler air to settle first and can harm the flowers of the trees and thus wipe out a fruit crop).
So you either simply expand your current plots and try to make it work for you....and it can...it just comes with some frustrations. Or, you put together are real plan for a real orchard in my opinion.... That includes finding the proper site - not a low area, hopefully where you have some poor producing oaks, that is where YOU can take advantage for hunting and then properly set up the row spacing and the like for optimal success of the trees.
We don't always have a lot of choices, but sometimes we take the easy way out far too soon as well....and keep in mind you will need multiple trees and once you start you tend to try to get more and more.....
So you either simply expand your current plots and try to make it work for you....and it can...it just comes with some frustrations. Or, you put together are real plan for a real orchard in my opinion.... That includes finding the proper site - not a low area, hopefully where you have some poor producing oaks, that is where YOU can take advantage for hunting and then properly set up the row spacing and the like for optimal success of the trees.
We don't always have a lot of choices, but sometimes we take the easy way out far too soon as well....and keep in mind you will need multiple trees and once you start you tend to try to get more and more.....
jlane35
Well-Known Member
So what I have is a 5 acre field that is our destination plot. The black line is a stone wall. And there is a row of trees that grew on the field edge, to the left of the wall. I was thinking about taking that row of trees out and spacing the trees there, pear, persimmon, chestnut, crabapple. Which wouldn’t give the field any more shade then it already has in the morning hours. I wouldn’t take any more moisture away from the field then it’s current state. And it would give the trees plenty of sunlight all day.
My other option is plant them further towards the field which would making the field smaller and take more moisture away.
I’m not opposed to either but I am leaning towards putting them on the stone edge line where trees are currently growing.
jlane35
Well-Known Member
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Chestnuts would be planted for sure. I would think variety is the key to success but at the same time I don’t know if cutting down producing oak trees is the answer.
I’m always nervous about altering the layout, so if I cut down trees and replaced them I would just be altering the variety of trees but not actually altering the layout.
Chestnuts would be planted for sure. I would think variety is the key to success but at the same time I don’t know if cutting down producing oak trees is the answer.
I’m always nervous about altering the layout, so if I cut down trees and replaced them I would just be altering the variety of trees but not actually altering the layout.
Kennychestnut
Member
You should think about alley cropping with that open space . Row trees about 30 feet apart and still plant whatever row tops you desire .
I wouldn’t cut any trees growing and producing acorns . Unless they are marketable timber .
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Chainsaw
Well-Known Member
Our driveway has wild Apple trees along it with minimal spacing. Planted in between and under is clover and chicory. Five to twenty deer per day are seen along the driveway from when the snow melts until it returns. Moisture is not a problem in 28 Years out of 30 and sun is not a problem either. Oak trees would Likely be a different matter. Killing producing oak trees though if we had them would not be an option.
jlane35
Well-Known Member
Perfect! I’ll be ordering more trees to plant next year. I’ll sit in the stand and see what the best angle is to plant a 2-3 rows. This way I can still see during rifle season but also access with my tractor if needed.
Don't forget they grow and cover alot more space than first thought.Funny I plant oaks and almost have too many fruit trees,At least ones that drop too early so I am planting more chestnut and persimmion, you have oaks and want fruit trees.Get the latest bearing and make sure they are resistant
Chainsaw
Well-Known Member
Sounds good! Keep in mind that of the 12,000 or whatever Apple tree varieties grown in the US, only a handful will do well on your property with minimum maintenance. Many of the rest of the varieties would likely be a Huge disappointment. Posting your planned purchase in the fruit tree section may generate some excellent feedback on which trees might perform best in your area. And keep in mind that ordering trees is best done the year before as early as the nurseries start taking orders. Otherwise the handful that will work best in your area will be sold out for the next year and historically way before Thanksgiving even. Some are sold out already but maybe not all.
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jlane35
Well-Known Member
What would you do?
jlane35
Well-Known Member
I already have an order from Bluehill. I was thinking of ordering a few crab apple trees from Northern Whitetail Crabs. But if I can’t find any more I’m not going to sweat it I’ll just order more trees next year. I’m in no rush, I just want to make sure I do it right.
THE LLC
Well-Known Member
I’d leave as is. You can’t plant enough trees to compete with the quality mast those oaks produce or whatever you’d give up in shrinking a plot. I planted fruit trees because I had the space, I would not have sacrificed any natural foods to add them. Just my two cents.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
Cutting mature mast producing oaks seems like a crime. But there are three factors that would make me at least consider it in your instance; #1,You have plenty of other oaks. #2, Oaks produce 1/6 the amount of deer food as a food plot or early successional growth in the same acreage. #3, Oaks are the worst tree to draw moisture away from a food plot. Anywhere there's an oak tree growing at the edge of a field there's bound to be an area of bare dirt jutting out into the field.
jlane35
Well-Known Member
On the edges of the plot there is a drastic difference from say a few more feet in because of the large trees sucking up moisture.
Do I sacrifice a tillable acre of the 5 acre field to plant crab apple and pear trees? I had a lot of time to focus on plots this year bc of Covid but I know there will be years I don’t have the time. And having a tree plot or trees in the immediate area a plot normally is would be a good fail safe in my opinion.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
I'm a farmer at heart, and farmers don't plant trees in their fields. Whatever the plan, I'd try to preserve the 5 acre field, big fields are essential in providing year-round deer food without the constant threat of overgrazing.
