Apple trees

[nodeerhere]

Well guys I wasn't sure where to

Post this topic figured this was the best place. I want to go dig up sum apple trees from my buddy's over grown orchard. Maybe like sum 4ft high trees. I'd like to transplant them down at my camp and maybe a few in my back yrd. I was wondering if anybody has any idea if I can put them in 5gal buckets till spring? Keep them I'm my garage. Any advise would be great. Thanks

[coldwater]

It should work, if the root system isn't damaged during transfer. Just know that if they are volunteer apple trees, you won't know what you're getting - they don't grow true to seed, and they might not be edible (deer might not care, though). Also, if they are sucker shoots, they will be coming from rootstock wood. Then they would likely be a crab apple variety.

[nodeerhere]

So if they are all empire apples ( let's just say). And they drop apples for yrs and the seeds grow because the orchard is over grown. Ur saying that the small trees may not be empire? Really? But will they grow apples? And they should be ok to plant in food plot for deer anyhow right? And thanks for the reply

Edited January 6, 2016 by nodeerhere

[thphtm]

Cover containers with hay or straw if the garage gets cold., Yes they will grow apples but not for a few years as long as they get pollinated.Put some thin walled pvc about a foot high at the base of the trees , slit it on one side so you can get it off latter on,buy some 2" x 3" fencing and put it around each tree higher then the branches, Deer love to eat the buds off until the trees get high enough.

[coldwater]

Good tips from thphtm. That's right, the small trees won't be empire.

[ATbuckhunter]

I would suggest taking a few clippings from those older trees and planting those in some small pots, then transferring those larger buckets when its time. These cloned trees generally take less time to start producing and taste exactly as the tree you took it from. I would also suggest planting some from seed because they tend to be more slightly hardy then clones. Also try to get a few kinds of variety if you can...that way you have different drop times as well as cross species pollination. I've grown many fruit tree's and they're pretty easy to take care of and can really produce if you do it right! If you can start it as soon as possible, so it gets a head start. Fall plantings are also pretty good since the tree will be able to create a root system by winter time and have a jump start for the spring. You can defiantly use those 4ft apple trees over at your buddy's, but make sure you take enough soil from the area it comes from. Try your hardest to not damage the roots since that's where all the sap is this time of year. If you do it right, these tree's can produce for a few decades and you'll be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor for many, many years. Just remember its not a quick return like planting food plots. 

[nyslowhand]

Correct, any of the (root) sucker growth or what you're assuming is growth from seeds will not produce Empire apples. Most apple trees are hybrids (so to speak), specific varieties grafted onto a donor rootstock. Might want to consider going to a nursery and buying Empire saplings if that's what you want. At least this way you would have some predictable expectations from your effort & time. Your original plan of transplanting will take several years before you actually know what you have.

[G-Man]

Or you can save your back and buy 4 to 5 ft tall apple trees for 8 bucks apiece or 10$ if you want to know the variety from your local swcd or the state swcd. In march.

[nodeerhere]

What is swcd?

[ATbuckhunter]

Correct, any of the (root) sucker growth or what you're assuming is growth from seeds will not produce Empire apples. Most apple trees are hybrids (so to speak), specific varieties grafted onto a donor rootstock. Might want to consider going to a nursery and buying Empire saplings if that's what you want. At least this way you would have some predictable expectations from your effort & time. Your original plan of transplanting will take several years before you actually know what you have.

That's why clippings from those tree's are a sure fire way to get the same kind of apple. 

[NFA-ADK]

Interesting topic!

[Jason118]

Take a look at my post on 'thorn apples' our second generation trees are nothing like the original and g-man on that post and others on this gave a perfect explanation.