Planting the Apple Trees

With the apple trees ordered, it was time to do some research into how to plant the trees, along with doing some preparation before they arrived. One challenge was how much information is out there for planting apple trees. This is because the many different sources contradict each other. For example, some would say make a hole 2x the size of the root ball while other say just a little larger than the root ball. Another source would say, prune the roots or the branches while another would say never do that. In the end, we did our best to follow any direction that was provided by the nursery we ordered the trees from, since they provided a survival guarantee.

Before they arrived, we picked out ground for where we wanted them. The area seemed to stay well drained (much of our yard space is not), could be seen from several windows, was near the pond to help with watering, and was on the side of the house. Setting up a small orchard in the side yard seems to be very common historically, at least around here. Next was a soil test. Everything tested well for the apple trees except for the nitrogen test. That test seems to be a dud, as it showed no color change, nothing, at all. That just isn’t possible since there is very green grass and other things growing in the area. After reading reviews where others experienced similar “results,” we decided we were not too worried about this.

We then started some prep of the area, which included getting fence posts and fencing to keep deer away from the young trees. After some reading, we decided on four T posts around the tree with a five-foot wire welded fence set at a diameter of six feet. This should provide plenty of room for the tree to grow, keep deer from eating the tender branches, and for us to get in there to work if needed. While buying all of this at the store, (along with the fencing needed for the garden later) we had several people comment on how much work we had ahead of us!

We then cut out the sod in a four-foot diameter circle with the center of the trees spaced about 13-14 feet away from each other. The recommended distance was 12-16 feet so we are right in the middle. We then drove the fence posts into the ground. Then back to waiting for the trees.



The trees finally came! Wow, that is a much smaller box then what we pictured! The trees came well packed and were set up to be able to be stored for a few days if needed. We set them aside in a cool and dark place (also known as our basement) until we could get them into the ground.



Looking at the weather and knowing the time it would take we saw a window and went for it! We started late in the afternoon with excitement. Reading and rereading the directions provided we dug our first hole. Taking care to get the roots in a good place and pushing down the soil as we filled in the hole. Making sure the graft area was several inches above the soil and mulch level. Once the tree was in we put a good layer of mulch down around the tree. Then moved to the next one! At first, the archeologist in the family wanted to screen the dirt coming from the holes. So someone else made them a screen to do so. Well, this was really slowing things down and with nothing found in the first hole the search was suspended. The screen will be used another time!



Once all the trees were planted, fertilized, mulched, and watered we turned to the fencing. At this point, the sun was providing its last rays of any warmth with the wind turning to come from the north. While putting up the fencing and bending and twisting each of the clips into place the chill settled in! We were on the home stretch so kept going! We reached the last tree and started to stretch the fencing around when it became obvious we were three feet short! Into the truck we jumped and into town we went! We were both starving so dinner was had and another roll of fencing procured. Racing back home we completed the last fence in the dark with the headlights of the truck. Making it into the house at 11pm.



We woke up the next morning realized it had poured rain a good portion of the night and was still raining! Four of the trees were in good shape but one, which was in the lowest spot, was flooded. We went out into the rain and dug a trench to drain the water away. That evening the rain changed over to snow with dropping temps. The trees sure got a welcome to Michigan!



Thankfully, the young dormant trees are not supposed to be impacted by cold temperatures, snow, or frost.

Now we wait for them to wake up! Once they have leafed out we will water them again and keep watering them. They are supposed to provide fruit in 2-4 years but some have said they did get some apples the first year. We will find out later this year!

After all this, for some reason, we ordered a peach tree, cherry tree, blueberry bush, blackberries, and strawberries. But that will be another story.