Pro Tips From a 3rd Generation Farmer to Grow Productive and Healthy Fruit Trees!

[@JessicaSowell-w8s]

This is why a food forest approach is amazing. You don't have wasted space between your fruit trees. You plant a nitrogen fixer that can also produce food or something usable like berries between the fruit trees. Then between the fruit tree and berry bush you plant a low growing ground cover. Your plants get nitrogen constantly and your not having to work harder cutting rye grass etc. Low growing plants can be flowers or berries or veggies whatever you feel like. This method works wonderfully and I hope he makes a section demonstrating this method. It's what I've started working on.

[@nonsquid]

I leave the root stock sucker growth on from the fall to the spring so that the rabbits are less likely to ring girdle the fruit tree when the snow covers the ground. They act as sacrificial offerings so the rabbits don't kill the fruit tree. I then trim them off in the spring, after the snow.

[@donhorak9417]

Can those suckers be planted for your own grafting wxperiments?

[@jeas4980]

Thank you. That's an amazing tip!

[@SH-gd9uq]

They sure can have fun! 🤩

[@joesqudy]

Thank you for ALL of the great education we get free. Love it as I’m trying to expand my yard with more fruit trees. I’m so thankful, God bless. ❌⭕️🙏🏽♥️

[@SpaceDr00ze]

I am just starting to plan my own orchard. It is great timing for these videos and I really appreciate it! I've love your channel for a long time and will keep coming back!

[@lyndelgado6138]

Thanks Luke!

[@lazer185]

This is great info. Red Delicious is why I thought I didn’t like apples as a kid

[@inharmonywithearth9982]

Truer Words Were Never Spoken .

[@mercurybard9794]

It's been slow at work, so I've spent the last two nights researching nurseries and trees. Such a deep rabbit hole. I'm jealous of how much land you have because I want All the Apple Trees. The house I grew up in had 2 cherry trees, 4 apples trees, a crabapple, a pear, and a plum tree scattered about by a previous owner. Oh, when I adopted my heirloom tree, I dont remember the website prompting me to enter the information for the tag. Did I miss something or is it just defaulting to my name from the shipping address. I would have wanted it to be in honor of my parents (aka the pair that spent the last month arguing over whether or not my dad would be able to germinate seeds from an apple core left over from his lunch 😅)

[@heidigilman1941]

Great information!

[@carenal]

I would love to see a video about ways to save your fruit tree blossoms from a late frost when the tree is too large to cover.

[@johnwood738]

Could you please do an updated video on pawpaw’s?

[@dasher2009-t8v]

Would you consider putting out some low cost fruit baring trees outside the fence line for the wild life? Your viewers would be interested...

[@donhorak9417]

Around the avocado orchards in CA, citrus and pomegranates are planted as trap crops.

[@mudpiemudpie785]

Great video, Luke. One question: With so many varieties of apples in a relatively small space, how will you deal with cross pollination? Will it affect your ability to get true heirloom fruit production? Will your golden delicious trees actually produce true golden delicious apples?

[@maryshaddox1172]

A few tips I didnt know, thanks 😊

[@jimschmitz6192]

I see a plethora of cedar trees in the background. What are you going to do to prevent cedar apple rust as well as other funguses?

[@cathycharron-folsom4504]

Trifecta works on everything. It is the best.

[@MIgardener]

In the spring!

[@onlycomedystation]

Thanks for 111 subscribers ❤❤❤ youtube family 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@cathycharron-folsom4504]

I thought he was colder. I am 4A but winters are getting warmer although we had one day last year at -56. We have about month we’re temp are below -15.

[@originalwoolydragon8387]

Save those root suckers and use them to graft scion wood onto next year?

[@joesqudy]

What a great idea, thank you!! ❌⭕️🙏🏽♥️

[@donhorak9417]

That was my thought, too.

[@Brian_in_Indiana]

@1:30 800 chill hours in Michigan seems really low. Most sources I've seen put Michigan closer to the 1400 chill hour range.

[@Higginsangel]

Will you be applying Trifecta to your trees. Just got my first bag couple months ago . I have flowering Meyer Lemon tree. Some have small lemons on them. In the past I've used lemon fertilizer but wondering if the Trifecta would be better. Love your new property

[@SuperWhatapain]

Interesting 🤔

[@SuperWhatapain]

Thank you! Really helpful video ask the way thru!

[@MIgardener]

Yes, absolutely. Just in the spring. Not right now.

[@Higginsangel]

@@MIgardener These are indoor at this time. I put them out when it gets warm. I live near Flint, 6a. Because they have flowers and small lemons didn't know if that would help

[@pdxmusl1510]

Ive been interested in a lemon tree. However my house gets practically no direct light in the winter. I have south east facing window that gets 2hrs over lunch. How do you deal with lighting?

[@gabeolson-jensen8676]

If you’re in a cold climate you need LOW chill hours. Chill hours = anything between 32 and 40 degrees. Anything under 32 isn’t getting you anything for chill hour accumulation. High chill hours are for warm climates like northern CA where you have a lot of time in the 40s.

[@Brian_in_Indiana]

Places like Michigan get about 1400 chill hours, and that's enough for almost any apple. Places in Oregon might get 3000 chill hours, but there aren't apple trees that need anywhere close to that number.

[@gabeolson-jensen8676]

@@Brian_in_Indiana Point being is that he’s giving incorrect information.

[@Brian_in_Indiana]

@@gabeolson-jensen8676 Indeed. The fruit trees are a new endear on this channel, and it shows.

[@dylan8285]

Mower side discharge is the words you were looking for 😂

[@juliehorney995]

Stefan Sobkowiak uses fruit guilds to guide specific beneficial plant selection in establishing fruit orchards. Adding comfrey, natives (white yarrow and purple coneflower, bulbs such as Egyptian walking onions, etc solved water and fertility issues around our 3 fruit trees. We were amazed! And added 2 more fruit trees plus native fruit and nut bushes. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q3e0lqyNd9KUb9ksi=2TKpC1JTW0-g182A

[@mars7304]

Your $2 price tag per pack of seeds is already nearly unrivaled in the industry so I understand if not, but are yall doing black friday sales? I'm already looking at that advent calendar

[@MIgardener]

We will have some great BF/CM deals coming up 😜

[@mars7304]

​@@MIgardener you just freed up more room in my seed vault with one comment 😂 can't wait!

[@gabriellec5962]

Luke, I am wondering if many other folks have the same issue- I have multiple fruit trees that have not grown any branches in years. They just look like large sticks in my yard. 😢

[@donhorak9417]

Still growing leaves, blossoms?

[@valerietromble]

Any tips on growing a cherry that’s what I have and I’m in zone 6B

[@WillieBrownbentKamalaDown]

Montmorency sour cherry grow really well in those colder zones. Try to make pruning cuts that open up the tree wider to sunlight and fertilize with calcium nitrate. Dust around your tree at the base and on the bark with diatomaceous earth and azomite ( rock dust ). OGS Organic Solutions rock dust is amazing quality. Happy Gardening!!!

[@jessn331]

Luke, where did you get your trees? I live in Ohio and am in the market!

[@deathsdollar2606]

Is it true that you only need a 3-1-2 fertilizer for almost all your plants?

[@jakobbrun6535]

It is even more true that you dont need any fertilizer for your plants. Rather, use compost ;)

[@cathycharron-folsom4504]

What temperature constitutes chill hours. I live in northern ME. I am sure we have lots of chill hours.

[@MIgardener]

I think you do too 😜

[@donhorak9417]

Chill hours are any time below 40 degrees F.

[@commonabond]

Are your trees full sized vs Dwarf vs Semi dwarf? With the spacing you've chosen I assume full sized

[@MIgardener]

Full sized and semi-dwarf.

[@drthmik]

Modern Red Delicious are literally the worst apple

[@Warrior-In-the-Garden]

I agree 100%!!!!!!

[@donhorak9417]

What happened to the R. Delicious? It was the 'go to" every day, shiny red apple 50 yrs ago.

[@rapala.fisherman7900]

@@donhorak9417Sports were selected based on deep red color sacrificing taste. The original strain of red delicious is called Hawkeye and still can be found.

[@DawnMaria-8]

If you buy them from the grocery store, yes. If you pick them from a u-pick orchard in Michigan they actually taste really good.

[@drthmik]

@@DawnMaria-8 picked fresh is better than store bought, but that is true for every variety, so fresh picked red delicious are worse than every other variety of fresh picked apple Only exception is if you managed to get a tree from the 80s before they bred the taste, texture and quality out of them

[@debbiethompson9853]

QUESTION-I started from seed Cosmic Crisp apple trees. The 2 are only about 1 foot tall. Can you tell me what steps I need to do for these 2 apple trees.

[@rob4263]

Probably get permission from Washington State University as I believe their patent remains active for cosmic crisp. I could be wrong but think the patent is valid until 2027

[@wesh388]

​@rob4263 the patent only protects against propagation by cuttings. It's perfectly legal to propagate patented varieties from seed because the seedling will not be a Cosmic Crisp. It will have different genetics and likely taste completely different

[@rob4263]

@wesh388 ok. I did look up expiration of patent. 2032.

[@rapala.fisherman7900]

@@wesh388not all apples are like this. Wolf River apples have been known to grow true from seed from time to time based on my research.

[@rapala.fisherman7900]

You never know. Wolf river apples have been known to grow true to seed.

[@Over9000DragonFire]

Question. I have 2 honeycrisp trees and a suncrest peach tree. They are all very mature at least 7 years old. Ive had them for 4 years and the honeycrisp have not had a single flower and the peach tree got less flowers over time. I live in NJ. I feed my trees truit tree fertilizer spikes. Why am i not getting flowers?

[@mollyratcliff7300]

Try a strong prune. Cut out the unnecessary branches to let in light and airflow. That will usually shock them into fruiting.

[@Over9000DragonFire]

@mollyratcliff7300 iv heavily pruned them several times

[@kristinkearney8794]

You need a pollinator for the honeycrisp- they are not self fertile!

[@Over9000DragonFire]

@@kristinkearney8794 i didn't say I was getting a fruit. I said I wasn't getting any flowers. Pollinators don't make plants flower!

[@Sledgstone]

Do you think when your fruit trees are established in the future you will sell scion wood from all your different fruit tree varieties so people can graft their own trees? Or maybe you can graft the trees yourself and sell bare root fruit trees?

[@MIgardener]

We probably won’t. It’s too difficult to manage currently and we aren’t doing the orchard for profit.

[@Sledgstone]

That's completely understandable. I'm so excited for you! I hope these trees grow amazing this next year! I really want to see more fruit tree pruning videos for all these different varieties! 😁

[@jonpalmer2766]

❤🙏

[@katiedixon5720]

?? Could you please ask Marvin how he keeps squirrels from decimating his peach harvest. After 8 years of squirrels robbing me of all my peaches, I got so mad, I took a chain saw to it. HELP!

[@kaittemurry4740]

What zone are you in

[@joesqudy]

He’s in zone 5 I believe. Hope this helps. ❌⭕️🙏🏽♥️

[@MIgardener]

Zone 5B/6A :)

[@NatureZone101]

So then what about all the baby rabbits and other animals that are down in that cover crop that will be horribly killed by the mower?

[@MIgardener]

They will for sure scamper there is loads of places for them to live around here.

[@NatureZone101]

@@MIgardener BUT during the baby season, they babies don't run, they stay in a ground based nest that movers can hit. So if you have deep grass they rabbits will make nests in that. So not talking about the adults, but the babies that stay put in the nests.

[@Nphen]

@@NatureZone101 Problems occur when commercial & institutional lawn crews (parks departments & schools) set their mowers at 3.5 inches (or even lower) instead of at least 4 inches. Luke probably uses 4.5" (or highest setting) during spring cuts, because we want grass to be taller in May to promote root growth. Contact your local parks department and tell them: raise up mower heights to protect both wildlife & turf health. Any lawn shorter than 4" is open to drought, sun, and heat stress. Taller heights allow self-shading. Parks should set space aside to turn to prairie, too.