5 best types of trees to prep with

[Libertarian01]

To All,

Here is where I ordered some of my fruit trees. The Arbor Day Foundation has some good info on what can grow where.

Fruit trees. Start your own backyard orchard with our selection of apricot, apple, cherry, peach, pear, and plum trees.

Regards,

Doug

 

[teddy12b]

Any of you experienced fruit tree guys have a preference between Full Size, Semi Dwarf, or Dwarf sized trees? I would imagine that the bigger the tree the bigger and more plentiful the fruit will be, but I could be wrong. I think the dwarf sized trees would be more convenient for picking but otherwise I don't know what advantage they'd have.

 

[Curls & Swirls]

I would start with pear, maple and mulberry because they are already growing on my property. I would love to add more fruits for canning and some nuts, but at this time we are not planning to stay in this house long so I don't want to take the time and energy to plant things that I would not get to enjoy. Most of all I want trees that do not take a lot of extra work besides harvesting time because the garden takes enough time and energy. Love this thread because there has been a tree or two mentioned that I had never heard of before but would like to look into.

 

[maverick18]

The full sized trees are difficult to harvest all the fruit before it rots/gets taken over with pests. I have semi dwarf trees on my property and they seem to be the best compromise. Gets about 20 feet tall and I can get most of the fruit with one of those fruit pickers on a pole. Don't forget that your yeild and ability to harvest it is mostly dependant on how the tre is pruned. Might want to have it done professionally every few years until you get the hang of it.

 

[Hosshauler]

Apple, Oak, Peach, Poplar, Hickory... Food, Firewood, Log Cabin Materials, Wood for Cooking.

 

[Iroquois]

All this is rhetorical untilled you compare your desires and your soil type. I've tried several of the varieties mentioned with mixed results. Pines and oaks do well but not pears or crabapple. Chokecherry seem to thrive and cherries survive, so-so. .. Apple tree's are making it but not plums. Raspberries overindulge parts of my lot but blueberry bushes were stunted for years till I chopped them down in disgust.
Whatever grew before or nearby will likely grow on your lot. Maybe vary the breed instead of the type. In other words, if you had oaks plant white oaks which are edible, instead of hickory that has never grown there. Choke cherry are replaced with sour cherry you can use...do lots of research before you waste a year or more waiting for the wrong trees to die. It will save your sanity.

 

[cerebus85]

what about small bushes and vines? you can get alot of the same yield growth. It just depends on what your interested with.

 

[teddy12b]

Last night I bought 75 sawtooth oaks about 4' high off of ebay for just shy of $200 shipped to my door. Next I'm probably going to try to get about 25 each of white oak, red oak, and pin oak to mix in with them as I see fit.

Having gotten the arbor day membership I got a 10 different trees coming just for joining, a book, two yellow flowering trees, and a red maple. Now every time I place an order with them for over $25 I get another two free yellow flowering trees and another read maple. I bought two red delicious dwarfs at $13 each and for the $26 total shipped there will be five trees coming. I'm going to be buying all my fruit trees from the Arbor day foundation in $25 increments. So far I've got $50 in with the Arbor Day Foundation and there's 15 trees on the way. Pretty hard to complain about that.

If anyone's got any suggestions for trees that attract wildlife sooner rather than later I'm all ears.

 

[nate77]

So is Arbor Day about the cheapest, best place to get fruit trees? I'm going to be planting a lot of trees, so price is key.

 

[Libertarian01]

To Nate77,

The Arbor Day trees arrive small, but if they grow at 2 - 3 feet a year you can figure out how soon you will have a big tree.

My problem is that not only do I not have a green thumb, mine is poison or something. My trees are not nearby and care has been difficult.

Good luck.

Regards,

Doug

 

[Molly Belle]

Stark Bro's, also has a good selection of fruit trees and bushes. I ordered from them and also plan on ordering some from Arbor Day. Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co - Since 1816
Arbor Day is much cheaper, especially on cherries (they are always $30+ locally).
Stark Bro's has some disease resistant apple trees, which I thought would be great for a backyard orchard (less spraying). I chose the one called Enterprise. If you are not sure if a variety is right for you, check out this website: Apples, plums, cherries - flavors, tasting notes, identification, fruit trees for sale.

 

[nate77]

Thanks for the replies, I need to get some trees ordered, I assume now is prime planting time, since the ground isn't very frozen this year.

 

[380guy]

If you got 5 types of trees, which would they be?

For me, in my ideal area, they would be:

Apple
Cherry
Peach
Olive
Pear

I'd love to throw a few nut trees in there but I don't know anything about them. I've had a walnut tree and hated it.

So INGO, what trees would you want on your property and why?

Def. apple, pear and peach. I would also look into planting aloe-vera plants, maple and oak. I guess a lot of these have different uses for instance apple and oak (for acorns) can also be used for bait for most large game etc.

 

[1$Chuck]

Apricots... You can eat them and they draw in Deer

 

[teddy12b]

Thanks for the replies, I need to get some trees ordered, I assume now is prime planting time, since the ground isn't very frozen this year.

From what I've read you want to plant trees as early as possible. They do say that February is a great month to plant though. The arbor day foundation trees won't arrive for at least another month maybe two.

 

[bdybdall]

My list would probably be:
Apple
Cherry
Peach
Sugar Maple
Persimmon (mine are all wild)

I have at least one of each of the above. Apples do usually need a pollinator. However, there are a few like 'Golden Delicious' that are self pollinating.
I have a couple more apples on order for this spring, a tart cherry, another sweet cherry, and peaches.
I would love to add pawpaws, figs and mulberries to the list.
And I completely agree to plant blackberries, raspberries, and even grapes along with your trees. You could have a harvest as soon as this year with raspberries.

I second the idea of pawpaws and persimmons. They don't need bees to pollinate them, they are native to Indiana (unlike most stone fruits or apples), and they have few diseases.

 

[caneman]

You might also be providing you with trade goods if things break badly. Around here apples from local orchards sell for $7 - $9 per 1/2 bushel. We dry them for snacks all winter and an occasional pie. One addition I want to make is a few grape vines. Good food, wine if you're so incllinedand depending on variety mostly carefree.

 

[teddy12b]

Just bought 5 starter pawpaws on ebay for less than $20 shipped, and 4 starter persimmons shipped for just under $26. Couple years from now I'm hoping that I'll think that was some of the best $$ I ever spent.

 

[HeadlessRoland]

Just remember you need at least 2 of each trees for pollination sometimes 4. I wouldwant nut tress...they can be used as protein.

Not all trees require multiples to propagate. Most but not all.

Apple is ubiquitous.
Pear. Plum. Cherry.
Peach is fine but not terribly disease-resistant.
Pecan. Almond. Black walnut. Oak, red and white both.
Burgess has very good selection and their shipping is very reasonable.
They also have an online catalogue at I think eburgess.com or something. Google would be your friend there.

If I had anything even remotely resembling a greenhouse, I would add oranges and pineapples to the list.