When it comes to enhancing our hunting opportunities, taking time to improve the habitat where we hunt is one of the greatest time and money investments we can make. These days when most folks are being pulled in multiple directions by work and family commitments, and when dollars are sometimes in shorter supply, it is important to choose a direction that will maximize our resources. One easy answer to this situation is planting and caring for apple trees. Whether you own or lease property that you are looking to improve or belong to a hunting club in north central Pennsylvania, apple trees are a valuable addition to a varied habitat. They are a preferred food source of deer and bear and are also a favorite of turkeys and grouse, and they are a very viable food source that grows well in our area.

Before you begin a program of planting new seedlings on your property, it is a logical first step to do a detailed survey of what might already exist on your site. You may be pleasantly surprised to discover that you already have old, wild apple trees growing on your land. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, when the lumbering of our forests was at its height, lumbering camps and remote campsites were scattered throughout the countryside. It is not unusual to find old apple trees at these old campsites. Other logical places to search for old apple trees are old or abandoned homesites. While the buildings may no longer stand, apple trees and lilac bushes are indicators of homesites from years past. The challenge here is to bring these trees back to a more productive state.

With some TLC, most of these trees will yield many more years of fruit production.

When you locate one of these old trees, there are three things you can do to improve its health and productivity:
– Daylight the area around the tree. This requires cutting any other species of trees that are growing close enough to the apple tree to block needed sunlight for maximum viability of the apple tree or a close-by tree whose roots compete with the apple trees’ roots for nutrients and moisture.
– While you have a sharp chainsaw and pruning tools available, prune the targeted apple tree. Cut out any dead or broken limbs, remove sucker growth and remove other branches to allow more sunlight to penetrate the remaining growth.
– Fertilize with a 10-10-10 mixture of granular fertilizer underneath the outer reaches of the remaining branches (this is referred to as the “dripline”).

When it comes to planting new apple tree seedlings, there are several things to consider, with site location being one of the most important. Consider planting them where they will be exposed to maximum sunlight, such as field edges, hedgerows, or at the edges of food plots. Planting groups of seedlings or small “orchards” of apple trees will allow easier care when fertilizing, spraying or other maintenance needs to be done.

Do the research and plant a variety of standard apple and crabapple seedlings that will bear fruit at different times in the late summer and fall. Use of tree tubes is recommended, especially during the early years of growth.

They provide a “greenhouse effect” for a young tree and also protect the seedling from becoming a buck rub, which often kills the tree. Keep in mind that bees will sometimes build a nest inside these tubes and then become an attractant for black bears that can easily snap a seedling into pieces in search of the bees’ nest. If you have black bears in the area, and if you have planted the apple tree seedlings in a group, you might consider adding a high fence to encircle the trees to prevent damage by the bears.

As with the older trees, the use of 10-10-10 fertilizer will enhance growth and health of these seedlings. Spraying these new trees with an insecticide such as sevin will eliminate damage from tent caterpillars. Additionally, the growth of grasses and weeds from the base of the seedling and extending out 3 feet should be prevented with the use of either herbicides or use of a plastic or rubber matting. Otherwise, there is little care needed to have these young seedlings become fruit-bearing trees.

In the end, caring for existing apple trees or planting new apple tree seedlings is one of the most productive ways to use your time and money to enhance any property for wildlife. It is a great feeling of satisfaction when you witness game enjoying the fruits of your labor!