PGC-Howard Nursery??

[Deleted]

I have a small area(50ydsx100yds) I would like to plant some trees etc & was looking at Howard nursery. Not looking into cultivating for clover, turnips etc but more for a shrub/tree type plantings for improving deer habitat.

Any input/suggestions appreciated.

[bake545]

What type of trees/shrubs are missing in your area that you could plant for variety? If you have lots of oak, maybe target pines for cover or shrubs for the turkeys and deer.

[Deleted]

I checked their website and they are out of stock for some of the best seedlings. Last year I planted a bunch of crabapple and hickory seedlings I got from them. I also planted a bunch of chestnut seedlings. Survival rates without tree protector tubes are lower than with them.

This year we are planting chestnut and apple seedlings. We are purchasing the apple seedlings from Boyers in Adams County. The chestnut seedlings are from the American Chestnut Foundation and also some hybrid chinese chestnuts I am raising from nuts from my trees. Chestnuts bear nuts every year since they flower long after the final frost date, unlike oaks which tend to be sporadic in terms of acorn production.

[Dutch]

Jan 15, 2013 7:24:15 GMT -5 @loggy said:

I have a small area(50ydsx100yds) I would like to plant some trees etc & was looking at Howard nursery. Not looking into cultivating for clover, turnips etc but more for a shrub/tree type plantings for improving deer habitat.

Any input/suggestions appreciated.

Standard sized apple trees would be good. Don't get semi dwarf as the bears will destroy them once there are a few apples on them.

[Deleted]

Thanks all.

Bake....its mostly conifers and beech in the area.

I'm thinking of putting out some chinese chestnut. I see Howard doesnt have them as Mutt mentioned but have located several other good sources to buyem.

Dutch...was thinkin of some crab apples...any thoughts?

[Dutch]

Crabs are great for all sorts of things and very hardy. The grouse really like them. Go fer it.

[Deleted]

I concur on the viability of dwarf apple trees. We found when researching this subject that there are three sizes of what are called dwarf apple trees. We are getting the ones that grow to about 20 feet, but we also are planting wild full-sized apple trees in hopes that we can get them established. The wild apple trees are coming from one wild tree we had growing here at my home in St. Thomas. The fruit is small and not worth harvesting for food but the deer and other wildlife love it. What I did was to harvest some of the fruit and plant whole apples in a seed bed. When seedlings came up I planted them with enough separation that they grew quite well, and then transplanted them out to the land we own in Somerset County. The first trees I planted are now coming out of the top of the four foot tree protectors, and I have one that is about eight feet tall. You need to have them close enough for cross pollination to occur or you will get minimal fruit production.

If you are interested in growing your own apple tree seedlings, you can try this. When you eat a commerically produced apple, plant the seeds you take from the core. You can even plant the entire core if you wish. Just think; you could be a modern day Johnny Appleseed! The wildlife will love it.

[Dutch]

Mutt, you probably will not get the same apples from the seedling as you do from the tree.

PGC had apple seedlings pretty cheap, but the variety is unknown due to coming from seed.

[Deleted]

No, you will not, Dutch. The trees are usually grafted stock and that from specially cross pollinated flowers. When you plant seeds the next generation tends to revert back to a more random genetic configuration and eventually you get a wild apple tree. If you aren't raising the apple trees to produce eating apples it matters not to the deer.

[Dutch]

I should buy some apples.....

[bushmaster]

I bought 125 seedlings from Howard Nursery 4 years ago. 25 shagbark hickory (25% still alive about 4' high), 25 hazelnut(80% still alive about 3x3 bushes) 25 Assorted apple( 10% still alive, deer eat um), and 50 Sawtooth oak (50% still alive, 6' high and 1" caliper). I babied these trees the first 2 years then let them go on thier own. The quality of the seedlings is great. I'm thinking I'll have acorns off the Sawtooths in about 5 years. Deer and Turkeys love um!

[Dutch]

Have you fertilized any of the trees Bushy?

I'm going to spread some 20-10-10 around mine this year.

Buddy of mine hits his with urea and they really take off.

[bushmaster]

First 2 years they where cages, mulched, and Fertilized. I trucked water back on my quads during mid summer to water them. Now all I do is keep the briars off them and stake them straight if need be. I also have them marked with ribbons so the knuckleheads at the club don't run them over with the tractors.

[Deleted]

Anyone ever deal with or know anything about:

www.empirechestnut.com/aboutus.htm

They seem to be a high quality grower for the Chinese Chestnut variety. A lil pricy but im not looking to plant 10,000 acres...

[bake545]

Jan 16, 2013 18:24:19 GMT -5 @loggy said:

Anyone ever deal with or know anything about:

www.empirechestnut.com/aboutus.htm

They seem to be a high quality grower for the Chinese Chestnut variety. A lil pricy but im not looking to plant 10,000 acres...

I bought some Allegheny Chinkapin seed off them a couple years ago, no issues other than they are hard to grow but not Empire's fault. They seem to get good reviews on QDMA site. Lots of people planted their wildlife chestnuts.

[Deleted]

Thanks Bake.