I'm looking at adding fruit trees to my food plot plan for next season, they seem to be a staple of very successful food plots. My only worry is that my hunting spot butts right up to a very large tree nursery already. I feel like it would be pointless for me to plant trees across the property line when the deer can just sit in the nursery but maybe it would help draw the deer over more. I know there are really big deer hiding back in that nursery but getting them to cross the line is tough. Any other ideas to make the deer feel more comfortable to hang out on my side of the fence?
Something to think about, variety. If they have vast amounts of fruit trees next door, your not going to compete with that. Find sometging else that deer love and will travel to your place to get. Plus may take years for your new trees to produce fruit. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk
Keep in mind. Fruit trees take time. Not just growing them but fencing,watering ect. I've tried it several times and gave up. Deer,rabbits and mice destroyed them. Got expensive. Good luck if you have the time.
You did not mention the type of nursery next to you. I took A foodplot field and added trees. Late dropping apples. They still have apples on them. Peach to bring them in to fruit early, persimmon, cherry. My main planting are Dunstun and Chinese chestnuts. This year I added hazelnuts to be a bush nut not tree. I want a visual cover. I also planted mnt ash for the birds they produce berries Blueberry bushes are over looked. I have a corner of aromatic concolor spruce. Want good rub trees try some white spruce/pine, balsam, Sassafras are great ones When planting be very aware of mature crown size, mouse gaurd and deer fencing, and sun exposure equipment drive space when mature. Another plot is chestnuts, hazelnuts, mulberry, plums along side wild apples. I also transplanted red twig dogwood in wet areas. Don't ignore berries and even grapes, Vining kiwi. You can install a few posts and high tensile wire then in a few years of training have as long a visual barrier as you want to grow with fruit and leaves they like eating. Kiwi are crazy growers and do need some winter trimming as do grapes. Bosc and sickle pear are another good late drop.
For quick fruit and nuts go with 3 gallon potted. Dunstun ship to most Wallyworlds and many other places they also have persimmon in 3 gal they ship out called deer candy fruit ,nuts in 3 yrs. Look up web site they have a listed shipping schedual to where and when. Faster fruit potted semi dwarf. Sassafras , mntash, grape, kiwi, all fast growth. There's always deals to find. I bought 12 bare root Dunstun a few years ago potted and grew them in house then trans planted that fall. They are growing great and cost 75.00 for all 12. Will bare fruit in About 2-3 years. Hey I'll be 66 April 1 and will se the. Produce for me. With 1/4" hardware cloth mouse barrier and goat fencing for deer I plant and forget after 1 summer of watering. If you plant from pots , plant in fall to avoid that stress on them and you. Buy cheap bare root in spring and pot them up to plant in fall. I had a blossom On an apple I did that with this spring from tractor supply.
Yeah I failed to be very descriptive. The tree nursery next door has pretty much every type of tree, but the majority of their trees are evergreens and shade trees. They do have a section of fruit trees, apple, pears, cherry, etc so I found it kinda silly to transplant them 400yds away on my property but I'm wanting to build up a nice deer habitat that makes them more apt to cross the fence. They come over now, as I was able to harvest a deer from there this year, but it's only during the rut that they will leave that cover to travel over.
Then go with something they do not have. Make sure you have the latest dropping trees. The berries with leaves in easy reach and greens they'll eat. Don't forget those rub trees. Buy or go dig up saplings of the ones mentioned . Ones you don't mind loosing. Sassafras root sucker and replace themselves. Basswood another beloved rub tree when young. Don't overlook eastern hop horn for deer and turkey. Deer here will stand on their hind legs foreever grabbing the drapes off a hop horn tree. Had a DEC forester say you want wild turkey?, never cut your hophorn(iron wood) Investigate fast growing /producing white oaks. Allegheny Chinkipin. Paw paw. I have to say of everything paw paw has been my only down fall.
I think I will get the food plots in this summer, and worry about the trees closer to September. I'm hoping to pick up some 2-4yr old trees. Roughly 4-6ft tall so they have a better chance ( or so I would think ).
You want to get bare root trees in the spring… we got over a dozen, several crab apple trees and they had apples this year already.. they were over 6’ tall Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Not familiar with bare root trees. Most have root balls around here. Bare roots easier to plant? Tips?
well, I was gonna suggest water, and then you posted that overhead image. A few late dropping apples couldn't hurt, and you will have them producing for years later and you never know when a tree farm is gonna get sold for a subdivision.
