| I want to plant some apple trees appropriate for Nassau county soil and weather. How and when do I do this? |
| You can plant either in early spring, March or April, or in the fall, from late October to early November. Buy healthy 2-3 year old trees about 3-5 feet tall. You can either buy the trees potted up, or balled and burlapped, from a local nursery, or orderthem bare-root through a mail-order source. You might want to consider trying some of the newer, disease-resistant varieties, or some of the older, heirloom cultivars that showed resistance to some diseases. New varieties include 'Liberty' and 'Freedom', heirlooms include 'Golden Russet' and 'Yellow Transparent'. Apples trees like a good loam soil, rich in organic matter. Sandy soils tend to dry out quickly, and clay soils can be waterlogged. Apple treescannot withstand "wet feet" so be sure the area you choose does not remain saturated for a long time after a rain. I'd suggest you look for a semi-dwarf to standard sized tree. Fully dwarf trees tend to be brittle and will require staking. You might want to consider mulching under your trees, rather than letting the grass grow right up to the trunk. |
