Apple Tree: A Simple Plan With Unexpected Laughs and Challenges
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Apple Tree
Elizabeth Erasmus
A Simple Plan with Unexpected Laughs and Challenges
Apple Tree: A Simple Plan with Unexpected Laughs and Challenges
Buying an apple tree should be a simple thing, right? Well, that’s what I thought, too. During a recent trip to visit my son and his family in the Czech Republic, I was inspired by their beautiful garden filled with edible plants and trees. “Why not plant my own apple tree?” I thought. A simple idea. How hard could it be? Spoiler alert: harder than I imagined, but with plenty of laughs along the way.
Living in a rural area, my husband and I decided to take our trusty sedan into the city for some errands. On a whim, I turned to him and said, “Let’s stop at the nursery to pick up an apple tree!” I figured we’d plant it and enjoy homegrown apples in no time. Little did I know that apple tree shopping wasn’t just a matter of grabbing the first one I saw.
Now, I’m over 65, and patience is not my strong suit—especially when it comes to waiting for fruit. I wasn’t about to buy a small sapling that would take 10 years to bear apples. I don’t have that kind of time to wait for a fruit salad! So, naturally, I picked out the biggest tree I could find, one that would eventually grow 10 to 16 feet tall. “This one’s ready for action!” I thought.
Apple Tree: A Simple Plan with Unexpected Laughs and Challenges
The challenge? Getting that monstrosity home in our sedan. Picture this: we folded down the back seats, shoved the tree through the trunk, and there it was, sticking out between us all the way to the front windshield. It’s not every day you drive home with a tree riding shotgun. We probably looked like a mobile garden center, but I didn’t care—I was determined to plant it before winter set in.
Arriving home, I eagerly got ready to plant the tree, only to discover—surprise!—apple trees need a friend to cross-pollinate. Just one tree won’t do the trick; it needs a partner. “Great,” I thought, as I broke the news to my husband, who was already knee-deep in digging the first hole. The look on his face said it all—half disbelief, half “are you kidding me?”
But I wasn’t about to be deterred. “I’ll dig the second hole myself,” I declared, grabbing the shovel and attacking the ground with gusto. After a few minutes, I learned that digging is hard work, especially in the cold, unforgiving soil. Let’s just say there were more breaks than digging, but eventually, the hole was ready. Off we went to the nursery again for the second apple tree. At least we didn’t need another car ride with a tree tickling the windshield this time.
Apple Tree: A Simple Plan with Unexpected Laughs and Challenges
With both trees firmly in the ground, I was feeling pretty proud—until I read that rabbits and deer are apparently big fans of apple tree bark. Who knew apple trees were nature’s candy store? Now, I had to protect my trees from becoming a wildlife buffet. We dashed off to the store in search of tree protectors, only to find that none were in stock. “Of course,” I thought. The universe has a sense of humor.
Burlap seemed to be the next best option, but I’d had a bad experience with that before. Years ago, I used burlap to protect my garden plants for the harsh Alberta winters, only to find mice had turned it into their luxury condo. So, no thank you, burlap. That’s when my husband came up with the brilliant idea of using some spiral tarp we had lying around. Not the prettiest solution, but it worked. We wrapped those trees up like burritos and hoped for the best.
Apple Tree: A Simple Plan with Unexpected Laughs and Challenges
To top it off, we decided to cut some black pipe, close the ends, and stick them in the ground next to the trees for irrigation. It didn’t look like something out of a gardening magazine, but hey, functionality over beauty, right? Now we could deep water the roots in the summer without worrying too much about how it all looked.
In the end, what started as a simple plan to plant an apple tree turned into a full-blown project—complete with car adventures, unexpected trips to the store, and makeshift tree protection. Who knew that planting a tree could involve so many moving parts? But despite the challenges (and the laughter along the way), it’s all been worth it.
As winter sets in, I’ll be keeping an eye on those trees, hoping they survive the cold months and flourish come spring. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll get to enjoy my first homegrown apple before I’m 75. But hey, even if I have to wait a little longer, at least I’ve got a good story to tell—and two sturdy apple trees standing in my yard.
Here’s to hoping the rabbits and deer don’t get the first taste!
Apple Tree: A Simple Plan with Unexpected Laughs and Challenges
