Gonna Restore Apple Orchard

[HillStreet]

We are just finishing construction on our house in an apple orchard. It is only 8 acres but was part of a working 15 acre orchard a few years back. Last fall the trees were loaded with apples but I am not sure how good they were. It is just a hobby, and we're going to start slow in terms of pruning and fertilizing. Probably will even experiment with different products in different areas.

Does anyone have experience with this?

Thanks

 

[nybirdman]

Best time to prune is right now(Feb.)Cornell Cooperative Extension has directions on how to properly prune fruit trees.I have hundreds of old growth apple trees on my property,last year was a banner year for apples and we found lots of apple trees that were buried in the brush.
I have been clearing brush and pruning for at least 10 years..........a never ending job but worth it in the long run.

 

[MossRoad]

I pruned two apple trees yesterday. I have three, but didn't want to exert myself! :laughing:

How about some pictures?

 

[5030]

I have a couple I prune and run the pruned limbs through my Jinma chipper (and hang a burlap sack over the chute) to catch the chips. I have lots of friends (including myself) who use the chips in the BBQ for flavoring meat.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

You guys are living my dream. I am still struggling...waiting...trying to get my 400 apple trees into the ground this year.
I have no idea how many of them will survive, but come **** or high water, they are getting planted.

Hillstreet, do you know what kind of apples they are?

 

[HillStreet]

You guys are living my dream. I am still struggling...waiting...trying to get my 400 apple trees into the ground this year.
I have no idea how many of them will survive, but come **** or high water, they are getting planted.

Hillstreet, do you know what kind of apples they are?

Wow, I don't know! I guess with the prospect of reviving an orchard, and building the house, it never occurred to me what kind of apples they are.

 

[Cjm005]

Pics!

 

[dmccarty]

Wow, I don't know! I guess with the prospect of reviving an orchard, and building the house, it never occurred to me what kind of apples they are.

When you get the next batch of apples, try to identify them. Many old apple varieties have disappeared and are lost forever. You might get lucky and find you have a long lost variety or two.

Later,
Dan

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Old fruit trees are very labor intensive and not practical for commercial production. They make a nice hobby, though. Many older trees represent varieties no longer grown much, and can be very nice to have. My parents had Jonathan, Rome Beauty and Gravenstein trees that were at least 75 years old. It would take me a whole day to prune each tree.

 

[nybirdman]

Our orchard goes back to at least 1865,that's when the house and barn were built.We do have Heritage apple trees;The Tallman Sweet apple was developed on this farm.Both original houses we owned by the Tallman brothers;they were(one's gone now) mirror images of each other.
These are very large trees(for apple trees),we are only trying to keep them alive no idea on going commercial.They will be for the wild life and our own uses.