Apple Tree Planting Time

Chenango Strawberry

How many people remember the song "Apple Blossom Time" by the Andrew Sisters? WWII song - I'll be with you, at apple blossom time.

Anyway, rather than spring time when it's apple blossom time, fall is apple planting time.

I've ordered 3 new apple trees. I'm so excited! We have 4 trees between the two adjacent properties - all of which are nearing the end of their normal life span. That's just sad! But - by getting 3 new ones now, and maybe a few more next fall, we'll have no disruption in our apple production.

I'm getting Chenango Strawberry - an heirloom variety found right around here, a Criterion and a York Imperial - an heirloom found down near York PA.

Criterion
Everything I've read about planting apple trees says fall is the absolute best time. So - ok!

I got the first hole dug today. The area the trees are going in is very poor soil, so am having to do a lot of work on it NOW to put the trees in and hopefully will get it built up as rapidly as they grow. We can hope.

I have to find a source of spoiled hay. Apparently that's the best mulch for apple trees. We've got enough farms and such around here that I should be able to find some. We'll see. But, for now, I've filled the hole in with the grass/roots in the bottom, compost in the next layer, pine mulch (needles that are pretty well composted) next, and then some cut apples on top with a layer of the crap soil that was in the bottom of the hole covering it so the deer don't eat the apples.

Worm food. One guy I read from back in '73 said you want about 5000 worms per hole when you put a new tree in. Right. LOL - Like I'm going to BUY or DIG that many up. I will put as many as I can in the hole and give them all sorts of good stuff to eat - like cut apples from one of the existing trees. So, all of the stuff that's in there is a worm's dream come true, and should multiply incredibly well over the coming year.

I'm getting semi-dwarf trees - they're best for the home gardener, are hardier than standard trees and take up far less space. All good things! Plus, I'm short enough that these will make it so I don't have to climb a ladder to pick. I may need my apple-picker-basket-on-a-stick, but that's fine.

York Imperial

I'm going over to our local Cider Mill in hopes of them saying, "Yes, we'd love to give you the pressings from the cider. We have no where to put them and need them taken away." LOL - I'm doubting that'll happen, but I'd be pretty happy about it if it did. I'd go over every day with my dad's truck and bring a load home, putting them all around the latest transplants AND over the rest of that area in preparation of next year's planting.

Then get a load of wood chips to cover that with and life would be pretty snazzy.