Just another shameless plug for the nursery in WI that I have posted about before. I had a local fellow T man member get ahold of me and wanted a small quantity of Apple trees. Shipping on a small quantity really adds to the price so I got ahold of Scott and asked if I could add a few more to my order. He gladly amended the order and updated it in minutes. I have been extremely happy with the trees I am getting, the price and the service.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11B4vOOpjS0r32BftqhbljD5Ai_S914Xy/view

We have been using Boyer Nursery in Biglerville Pa for years here in Pa......jk

Thanks for this, Rob! Was it the domestic apple trees that you've ordered from here and had good luck with for deer? Or a variety of things? Also, any thought on what a preferred crabapple for grouse would be?

Very good Place

I have ordered several different kinds from here as well as other places. I never kept track of what trees I got where. For the grouse, the small apples about the size of Kidney Bean that stay on the tree all winter seem the best. There were 9 grouse in the apples next to the garage this morning and they are there daily.
The deer seem to eat most any kind. I have some trees that hold the apples all winter and they seem to be the most beneficial. It provides food all winter as opposed to those that drop the fruit in the fall. I know that even trees from the same place and species will have different characteristics. I find new apples trees growing each spring that I assume are from the squirrels burying apples. As long as they produce a fruit of some size or variety, they benefit wildlife and that is what I am after.

Awesome! That's kind of what I've found too. We have three or four crabapple trees in the yard that produce those kidney bean sized apples and like you said, the grouse are on them until they're gone. Both ruffed and sharp tails love them. But these trees are pretty old and likely on the back end of life and I'm not sure what variety they are. I think your method of getting out a variety of fruit trees to benefit all wildlife is great!

I have somewhere around 300 apple trees here of different varieties that I have planted over the last 30 years. It totally changed the deer movement. One of the main travel ways was along a ridge, but now the just go from clump to clump of apples looking for "candy". The grouse are also bunched up near the apples in the fall. The Robins are especially hard on the apples in the fall. It isn't uncommon to have a few hundred of them in the yard gorging on the small apples. The turkeys get hard on the trees too and will fly up into them and break all the limbs off them. Mice girdling the trees, especially in the winter is my biggest enemy. If I catch the young trees in the Spring before they are trying to leaf out, I have had EXCELLENT result with just wrapping the damaged area with blue painters tape and having the trees survive.

I noticed they mention some trees as ruffed grouse forage. I have a flowering crab at the lake. Have seen as many as 4 ruffed grouse at a time in the fall eating the mature apples. They could add that to the list for grouse forage.

Thanks for the tip! I've had mice girdling my crab apples a couple of times but I think they were mature and large enough (15-20" diameter) that they were able to survive. I've planted a bunch of oaks and red pines over the past couple of years in tree tubes.....I'm thinking girdling in the tubes may become an issue with them. Do you find the apple trees prefer any specific soil type? Do they do alright in more shaded areas within the forest or do you plan them on edges and openings?

I typically plant in at least partial sun and full sun is ideal. That said, I have found lots of the growing in the Ash Swamps where I doubted an Apple would even survive. Many of these areas have standing water at least half the summer and a lot of clay in the soil. I buy the small and cheap trees and pound them in all over in hopes that some grow. The ones that I take the time to put in good spots with tubes and cages around them have done fantastic. The ones I just stick in the ground in the woods have a higher mortality due to deer, rabbits and mice.

Not to hijack your apple thread but have you ever checked in to high bush cranberries. I planted these in SE Minn. and had super good results. The deer don't eat them, had no die offs, tremendous amount of berries and they grow about a foot a year. Not sure if they will grow up north but worth a look.

Rat, Yes they grow naturally up here in northern MN. I'm right on the Canadian border and my land is full of natural high bush cranberries. Like you said, the deer don't bother them. Some birds like them, although grouse seem to prefer crabapples and clover over high bush cranberries. The bears love them too.

great products and super helpful, I'm getting another batch of 100 arbor vitae, and 100 elderberry from him this spring

atrapper, thanks for the info, the birds that wintered over love the berries in Feb. and March.

I have some here. I planted a few, most are wild. The grouse eat them in late winter and they are beneficial too.

Good post, 160. I'll give them a try.

So when you gonna bake me an apple pie?

If I make "Apple Pie" it won't be in an oven and I will have a headache the next day. I have a few trees right here by the house that produce large, crisp and sweet apples. I pick those and all the rest are meant for critter food.

I’d be afraid to ask for “moon”shine or god only knows what you’d come up with!