Toringo Crabapple

[sailinghudson25]

Anybody ever plant from the NYSDEC nursery?

Will the deer destroy these things without protection?  Even If I let them grow for a year or two in a fenced area first?

Looking to spread these guys out on a large parcel, so fencing them in will be tough.

[stubborn1VT]

I have never planted crab apples.  I plan on ordering Whitney crab apples from a nursery this year.  Deer will destroy apple trees if they find them and they are hungry.  I plant my seedlings in tree tubes for the first year, then switch them to wire cages once they are a little bigger.  No deer problems so far.  You can fence them individually using 4 or 5 foot tall fencing.  Just use the tag ends  of the fence, or zipties, to make a circle.  Anchor it with a couple T posts.  I would also recommend using some kind of wrap or paint or protection on the trunks, close to the ground.  Mice will chew the bark and girdle them when they are still small.  Good luck!

[LET EM GROW]

I have not, but i talked to someone who has and was very un happy with the quality in the DEC fruit trees last year. Not sure if they will be the same this year or not.. 

But I plan to pick up a few in one or two of their package deals. You should definitely at least tube them, and use a steel stake of some sort, and if possible fence them in. Last year the deer  tore my tubes out of the ground and away from the stakes during the winter, and ate most trees to the ground. So i would reccomend a small fence around each if possible. I know i will be. 

[genesee_mohican]

I put in some of the DEC crab apples on my property 30 years ago and they are beauties now, lots of fruit for the birds. You will need to tube and fence them and take all measures to keep the deer and rabbits off them for the first few years.

 

[gjs4]

Have had minimal luck with DEC trees- I have some 2yo crab apples that are twigs compared to the ones I got through the nwtf


Because of you we can’t have nice things.