apple tree question

[exojam]

Deerslayer,

Next question, how long do you typically leave the fence up around a tree? Thanks.

[DEERSLAYER]

this is good stuff guys, thanks so much. i will be planting my trees in vernon county wisconsin. in the bluffs. i have an 8 acre crop field on top of the properrty which drops into 3 acres of overgrown pasture where i put a pond(waterhole) which then drops into the woods. so im planning on planting the trees in the pasture. this pasture is now just overgrown and has been since 04. there is 1 huge old apple tree im not even sure what type it is but the apples are always donw by the end of august. what size tree thrives best after planting and what spacing? im not sure if i should plant semi-dwarf, im afraid dwarf tree would get pounded really hard. i do realize they will need to be fenced though while first growing, it just sucks as im an absanteee land owner and cant get up there as often as i would like due to taking all my time off in the fall for hunting.

You don't want dwarf trees. They will stay so small the deer will be able to reach up and brows almost the whole tree. A semi dwarf would work well. Being an old pasture the soil probably isn't too sandy, but some pastures can get a bit wet. If it's not wet, I would try to get BUD 118 for my root stock. It will eventually grow into a pretty good size tree. Almost to big to be called a semi dwarf. It definitely won't be too small and it makes the tree bare fruit early. Just make sure you clear the area if necessary to get good sun and you should kill any weeds in at least a 6' circle where you are going to plant the tree so it doesn't have to fight for water & nutrients. Competition from weeds can slow the growth way down and even kill the tree sometimes.

Deerslayer,

Next question, how long do you typically leave the fence up around a tree? Thanks.

It depends on the tree's growth and how bad the person wants to let the deer get at the apples that fall inside the cage, but the longer the better. I think 5-8 years is good. Most people probably take them down in 4-5 years. Make sure the trunk is protected from rubbing when you take down the fence. It's common for bucks to rub young apple trees.