Crabapple and Fruit Trees

C

ckirsch

Member
I have 160 acres in western South Dakota that is surrounded by large ranches. My goal is to make my small piece of ground desirable enough to attract more game in from the neighboring properties. We have 90 acres in alfalfa and typically get only one cutting, so it usually grows back enough to provide cover for the local huns and sharptails as well as forage for the whitetails and muleys in the neighborhood. We've also planted four small to medium-sized shelterbelts with primarily juniper, along with with some pine, silverberry, and locust. We are currently in the process of adding fruit trees and have planted some Harbin McDermmand pear, American and Prairie Red plum, a few Liberty apples, and midwest crabapple. My question is what other fruit trees should we try? We get around fifteen inches of moisture per year. Any apple species need to be cedar rust resistant given the number of junipers on the property. I'm looking at some Dolgo crabapple as they are rust resistant and the apples don't drop until November which coincides with our deer season. The Midwest crabapples "raisin" onto the trees and are small enough that grouse can pick them off. I can also get Red Splendor crabapples from the state, as well as apricot and cherry. Looking to provide the right combination of cross pollinators for the apples, and overall a smorgasboard of fruit and berries that will keep the grouse and deer coming back for more.

Thanks for any advice any of you can send my way.
 
ckirsch, I am on the other side of the state so our soil type and moisture levels are different. I have 4 rows of cedars on the west side of two dams and a row of Nanking cherry and lilacs on the other side of the dams Currently these plants are only 3 foot tall and on their 2 and 3 year. I hope they really take off this year. Along a creek bed I planted a row of caragana (hedge) and a second row of plum. The plums planted last year were 18 inches in the Spring and 3-4 foot tall looking great by Fall. Rabbits are a challenge with the plum bushes. I have an old tree belt that I am adding cedars to as the old elm die out. I have another low area that I planted 5 rows of five different berry bushes. 80% survived the first year. I am curious to see which ones make it and will reward the type that does the best. This year we have planted a four bur oak in out of the north wind areas, but I don't have a lot of faith that they will make it. I am also in the process of planting choke cherry, Viburnum Nanny berry and Prairie Red Plum in an old worn out shelter belt. Along with June Berry, honey suckle and dog woods, at another food plot area.

So far Prairie Plum has been the best berry planted here, but I will know more in another year or two. If I can keep the rabbits under control. Not sure if this helped but it's what we are trying. V/r SDviking
 
sdviking;

Thanks for the response. Our place is east of Rapid City, near the western edge of the Badlands National Park. Your soil is far better than ours, and you get half again as much moisture, so anything that survives out here should thrive for you. I put in ten Harbin McDermmand Pear in last year, all from the NRCS, and they all really took off. I've read where they provide much more fruit per tree than do most apple trees, and they were highly recommended for deer. Also tried ten Prairie Red Plum and they all survived and grew a couple of feet over the summer. I put wire cages around all of them and some drain tile around the bases so the rabbits and deer haven't been an issue yet. I read where apricot do well in Montana so am hopeful that I might get a few of them started next year, but the various crabapple are of most interest to me. We don't have any pheasants around our property, although I may release a few once our shelterbelts are a little taller. We do have decent numbers of sharptails which will love the Midwest Crabapple and other species with small fruit that raisin on the branches. My understanding is that apple trees need another pollinator species nearby and that is something that I need to get a better handle on. Hopefully the Dolgo and Prairie Fires I put in next year will cross pollinate with the Midwest I've already put in. I have a few Liberty apples planted as they seem to tolerate our soil, heat, and low precip. Planted five Burr Oak last year and lost one, have a couple more on order this spring. I've been putting those (and all of the fruit trees) down in some draws that hold moisture better than the flats above. At 57 I doubt I'll be around to enjoy watching deer eat acorns from the oaks I'm planting but hopefully the next guy will appreciate them. NRCS has cherry trees available but I'm not sure if those would appeal to deer or grouse. Might have to research more of the berry bushes you mentioned as they would likely serve the huns and sharpies well, as well as any pheasants we might introduce later. I'm not too optimistic about developing a sustaining pheasant population out here but it might be fun to release a couple dozen every year in hopes that some might stick around. Our neighbors plant corn and wheat so there's an outside chance that the birds might make it if we can get enough winter cover for them.

We're having a lot of fun with this, even though it can be expensive and labor-intensive. Just wish I'd been in a position to try this when I was younger so that I'd have had more time to enjoy the results.
 
ckirsch,
I agree just finished planting 204 bushes and trees and I am tired, took 2 days. But the weather for tree planting was fantastic. Low 50s misting and rain, so the shock to the plants should be ok. It is alot of work, I spend 2 days a week just watering/mowing and weeding the 700 trees/bushes we have planted over the past 3 years. I am hoping the 3 year old plants can be a little more on their own this year with less watering. Oh and the plum bushes this year were fantastic again. 18 inches and taller and the dry roots were 18 inches or longer. Good looking product from the nursery. I hope your Bur oaks make it, that will give me hope here for mine. Sdviking
 
View attachment 8327

ckirsch, attached is a photo of one of the plum bushes planted a month ago. It is now a little over 2 foot tall. The ones planted last year are doing great and are now in the 3-4 foot tall range. I do water them twice a week. Choke cherry bushes are also thriving. Cedars are hanging in there and seem to need a lot of water to keep all those green needles green. Hope your planting is going well. SDvikingView attachment 8327
 
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Those look good! I notice that you didn't use fabric - are you applying Roundup around the bases? Also surprised the deer and rabbits leave your trees alone. Two years ago I planted two dozen elm seedlings close to the house on our little place with the intention of putting cages on them the following day. Got up the next morning and close to half of them had been chewed completely off. We now put cages on as we plant. Two posts and the span of five foot wire add another ten bucks and ten minutes of time to plant each tree. Juniper and silverberry are left open and nothing seems to bother them other than bucks taking out a juniper or two every fall from the thousand or so we've planted. I've been reading a bit about buffalo berry and they apparently are favorites of grouse and deer - might have to try some of those next spring.....
 
I planted a row of choke Cherry, cedar, American Plum, and Nanny berry to compliment the outside rows of lilac. These bushes are planted in the same rows as the old elm trees were planted. I had stump issues so I didn't lay down fabric. I tried to burn the area this spring then planted the bushes and then round up around each bush because I was tired of weed eating. All is well so far. We have a lot of deer but so far so good. Rabbits are usually only an issue in late winter and early spring. I have a german short hair that keeps the wildlife moving. This SPring has been hard on him because I have kept him kenneled a lot due to the number of pheasants nesting on my little acres. Apple trees and oak trees I do fence off because like you said the deer just mow em down. Sdviking
 
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