Fruit Trees Planted

[KennyG]

I see a building close by. Does it have electric? If so, a strand of electric fence around the trees makes a great deer deterrent. It helps tremendously with our garden.

GB

Neighbors

 

[suburbanfarmer]

We have planted many different fruit trees here. Always make sure if they require a cross pollination tree close by, some don't require it. I have a IBC tote in a remote area to use as a water source, Good luck !

How do you fill up the tote in the remote area? Or do you fill up and move it back n forth?

 

[goeduck]

I have used 6 ft no climb horse fence in hoops around trees with success against deer. I had chicken wire and stakes at one property which worked okay for deer but then elk moved in. Elk obliterate the chicken wire wire and chomp trees to the ground. For cattle I use 4 round treated fence posts wrapped in two 2x4s and 4 strands of barb wire. I have some other trees with 8 ft metal fence posts and hot wire around them but that is a pain to maintain.

I use totes for water but with a large tractor to move them full. I fill the totes with two 12V bilge pumps after setting the tote in a creek. I connect the pumps to the tractor battery and the 275 gallon tank is full in 12 minutes.

 

[Deere Dude]

I use forks to move mine, that could be very exciting full on RTV.....

View attachment 602168

I put IBC totes cabled on a pallet. Then forks can go much wider for stability. As a side note chain them to the forks as they will slide off very easily being metal on metal if you don't use a pallet as a base. That 4' drop of a full tote devastates them.

 

[nyone]

I put in about 1200 bare root seedlings last year. Mostly choke cherry, hybrid chestnut, and mulberry. I figure on about 50% attrition as I am not going to water them. I'm hoping, if I can ever get around to it, to put in a few mature persimmons and Dunstan Chestnuts.

Check with your local NRCS office. They may have a program to cost share on trees.

Where did you get your dunstan chestnut trees? How are they working out?

 

[goeduck]

I noticed two of my young apple trees were not growing. I found one completely chewed off and another 80% barked. We had an unsual snow (for us) that stayed on the ground for a few weeks and I assume the voles or mice got to the trees then. What is everyone using to protect the trunks? I normally do not need to worry as we seldom have snow. I am thinking hardware cloth.

 

[Ford850]

I noticed two of my young apple trees were not growing. I found one completely chewed off and another 80% barked. We had an unsual snow (for us) that stayed on the ground for a few weeks and I assume the voles or mice got to the trees then. What is everyone using to protect the trunks? I normally do not need to worry as we seldom have snow. I am thinking hardware cloth.

I had a lot of damage like this ne winter, but it was a combination of a long snow pack and grass/weeds growing around the trunks. I've kept the ground bare around all the tree trunks (nothing within 2' minimum) since then and I've had zero damage.

 

[Diggin It]

What is everyone using to protect the trunks?

4" corrugated black drainpipe. Cut to desired length, maybe 18" or so, then slice one side. It's a bit tough to open it up to get it around the tree trunk, but not too bad. In some cases you may have to slice it in half, then place the two halves around the trunk and wire them back together.

 

[JasperFrank]

The deer here will put their feet up on the trunk just so that they can get their antlers a bit higher in to the tree. They are so sweet, with a honey and orange glazing. Birds ate all the cherries this year.

 

[yomax4]

I started my orchard with black drain pipe around the trunks in spite of what the nurseries told me about the heat generated by them but the ants and bugs built nests in there and screwed up the bark something awful. So I I went with 2 loose wraps of the simple 2x4 rectangle square fencing. Green and or galvanized. The bucks leave it alone as many trail cam pics prove and no bugs in the pipes. As the trees grow you never need to change the trunk protection. I have apples, pears, plumbs and crabs. 40 in all. Good Luck with yours. !!