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Idiot proof apple and pear trees for mid Maine

 
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I am looking for some suggestions for idiot proof apple and pear trees to start in buckets for the next year. I do have access to commercial green houses for a year or a year and a half.....The zone is about Bangor Maine latitude   any other suggestion for this climate would be welcome....Larry
 
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Location: Arkansas - Zone 7B/8A stoney, sandy loam soil pH 6.5
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Honey crisp, Candy crisp, Ben Davis, Fuji, Orange Pippin and Golden Delicious are all apples that are going to do well without a lot of work.

Most pear trees grow best in zones 5-8 these include Anjou, Bartlett, Moon glow, and other European and Asian varieties.
 
Larry Bock
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I just started reading up on apple trees how many years before you start seeing apples in the species mentioned above...Larry
 
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Location: Currently in Lake Stevens, WA. Home in Spokane
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how many years before you start seeing apples...


That is dependent upon the root stock they are grown on, not the species itself.

Generally speaking, dwarf & semi-dwarf root stock trees are more promiscuous (will produce earlier) than larger root stocks (but the trees won't endure as long).

 
pollinator
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Fedco Seeds is not to far from you.  They just opened up there tree catalog and that would give you a good idea what will grow where you are.  

http://www.fedcoseeds.com/trees/
 
Bryant RedHawk
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Grafted trees will fruit within 2 years as a norm, this goes for dwarfs and full sized trees purchased from a nursery since they usually don't sell trees that are not at least 7 years old for the standard trees.

If you grow a fruit tree from seed it will be 7 years before you should expect any fruit and usually at year 8 they start producing more fruit each year.
All fruit trees will go through a fruit drop unless all conditions are perfect for the tree to be able to set and ripen all the fruit.
 
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i have lodi, honey crisp and yellow transparent i got from lowes at $17 a piece last spring. cant beat the price!  they were 5-6ft tall and i got a few apples on each this fall . the lodi and y. transparent  make great applesauce and pies and are super cold hardy early july producers. the honey crisp is latter and can be used as a multi purpose apple. cortland and macintosh grow well down your way also. I'm on the line between zones 3b/ 4a so I'm chicken to try pears up here but they possibly could make it. don't like to have to mother them to produce.  they also had some zone 4 pears trees for the same price at lowes as well.
 
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I find apples much easier than pears and I get more per tree . We have a lot of very old pear trees but the quality of pears is poor due to decades of neglect plus they seem to have every known ailment under the sun - bitter pit , silver leaf , rusts it's a long list . In the future I will stick to apples

David
 
John Polk
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...i have lodi, honey crisp and yellow transparent i got from lowes at $17 a piece last spring. cant beat the price!  they were 5-6ft tall and i got a few apples on each this fall . the lodi and y. transparent  make great applesauce and pies and are super cold hardy early july producers. the honey crisp is latter and...


I'm curious what your last/first frost dates are.
It is nice to have both early/late varieties.

 
steve bossie
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John Polk wrote:

...i have lodi, honey crisp and yellow transparent i got from lowes at $17 a piece last spring. cant beat the price!  they were 5-6ft tall and i got a few apples on each this fall . the lodi and y. transparent  make great applesauce and pies and are super cold hardy early july producers. the honey crisp is latter and...


I'm curious what your last/first frost dates are.
It is nice to have both early/late varieties.

[/quote  sorry. i didn't see this post. my first frost is mid sept, last is 1st week of june. we have occasional -30 to -35 in winter with -20f consistently most years in dec, jan, feb and march. I've lost zone 3 plants in real bad cold snaps. the low valleys around here generally can be considered zone 2b. esp. if the sun doesn't get in them much.

 
steve bossie
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Larry Bock wrote:I just started reading up on apple trees how many years before you start seeing apples in the species mentioned above...Larry

buy the biggest tress you can afford. the more mature they are the less time you have to wait for fruit.
 
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