Speaking of fruit trees.

[Marvin S]

I though i would post the different kinds I have and maybe someone could tell me what to expect from them as most are very young. The only old one left is a pear tree that is 40 plus years old. I'm in zone five.

Stella cherry/4 yr old 13ft tall now. Have not got anything from it yet but maybe this year barring late frost.
Sundance Apple/ 4 yr old 13ft tall. Got about 6 apples last year, quality and flavor where out of this world.
Goldrush Apple/ 4 yr old about 14ft tall, no good apples yet.
Bartlett pear/ 2 yr old 7ft tall and full of blooms now.
Stanley Plum/ 2yr old 5ft tall.
Contender peach/ 2yr old 5ft tall.
Carmine Jewel cherry/ Just planted. It is more of a bush than a tree.
Pixie Crunch apple/ Just planted.
Flat Wonderfull peach/ Just planted.
KaBluey Blueberry/ Just planted,bush.
North Star cherry/ It's the second one as a storm destroyed the first that was loaded with fruit that did not get to ripen.

[freebullet]

When seen your title I thought the thread would go another direction upon opening.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Carmine Jewel cherry/ Just planted. It is more of a bush than a tree.
I have a montmorency cherry that was like that. It has taken 4 years and lots of pruning to make it look like a tree versus a bush. I've heard that cherry trees are notorious for that.


North Star cherry/ It's the second one as a storm destroyed the first that was loaded with fruit that did not get to ripen.
My oldest cherry tree is a North Star. Mine is a true dwarf, at 20 years old it is only 6½ feet tall. It makes lots of fruit, Very tart, fruit is smaller than most other cherries, but the pit is normal size, which doesn't leave much flesh. They are great in my homebrews.

I can't help much with your other trees.
Jon

[Alstep]

Many years ago I planted a bunch of apple trees. After 2 years, the deer pruned them all but one. Spent a fortune on them and I'm still buying apples. I don't care what the price of apples is, they're still cheeper in the store than what it costs to grow them, considering the cost of the trees, fertilizer, sprays, fencing, your time & labor, etc. I don't know how the growers stay in business. I gave up!

[horsesoldier]

Not sure how we do it.More and more cost and less and less profit.Maybe we shouldnt have taught the chinese and japan how to grow fruit huh

[Marvin S]

I always mail ordered small bare root trees to keep the cost down. I just put small circle of fence around them for deer. Never used any sprays before but the Jap beetles got me thinking different. I do wonder how much work it takes to produce blemish free fruit in quanity.

[oldred]

I don't care what the price of apples is, they're still cheeper in the store than what it costs to grow them, considering the cost of the trees, fertilizer, sprays, fencing, your time & labor, etc. I gave up!


Aw come on now I bet I don't have more than a buck 75 each in my apples, two dollars each tops! :veryconfu

I too am about to give up, $50 a gallon for fruit tree spray (when I can find it even that cheap), another $38 for some extra Captan to add to it, fertilizer, new pruning tools this year (they sure don't last very long!) and that's just for the first part of the Summer. There's no possible way I can justify the cost unless I just enjoyed the fact that I had beautiful fruit hanging in my trees at the end of the season, instead after all this expense and work I have trees with a few nice apples interspersed with apples half rotted from bitter rot! I have about decided it just ain't worth it!

[TXGunNut]

I planted a couple each of walnut and pecan trees a few years back, has been quite a struggle but they might just make it. Planted a couple of golden delicious apple trees behind my first house 20+ yrs ago and last time I drove by they were 15 ft tall and loaded with beautiful fruit.

[km101]

I have tried for years to grow fruit trees. Planted peaches, plums, pears, apricot and cherry over the years. I think I was keeping the birds and worms well fed and increasing the profit margins of the local DIY stores. I had so many sprays, dusts, powders, fertilizers and chemicals that I was about to have to register as a Hazmat site. I finally realized that my hobby was not meant to be. I finally managed to get rid of all the chemicals, and I now buy my fruit in the local produce market. I think it's cheaper that way and less wear and tear on me.
But the birds sure do miss the free food! :)

[quilbilly]

At four years I start to expect serious fruit on my trees. My goal for the first three years is to get as much strength to the roots as possible and get them tall enough to get ahead of our local four-hoofed locusts (aka deer). Until the fourth year (if tall enough) I usually only leave enough fruit on to get a taste. I see you don't have any Asian pears and one tip I give for them is to do your pruning only when it is warm and dry for several days after so rot disease can't enter.

[Wickyd]

http://s6.postimg.org/hxg7dg4nh/2012_10_28_12_32_11_654.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/hxg7dg4nh/)
From my 3 yr old persimmon tree.
I had seven persimmons to start with only one made it to maturity .
Also have 3 different type pears ,one ripens in September ,one in October the other in November.Planted them for the deer.
Ultimate goal walk to stand,get a pear shoot a deer.