No fertilizer at planting. That's a good way to kill a tree. Fertilize after the tree gets established and then only small amounts with lots of water. I burned a couple recently planted trees this year with fertilizer.

Usually newly planted trees don't need to be sprayed unless you see an actual problem.

can someone please tell me if planting planting my honeycrisp in a yard with a pretty bad ant problem will be an issue?

thanks

It depends on the type of ants but here in zone 5 the answer would be no not a problem. Wood ants etc can be a problem at times and ants are attracted by water and wood. If you take care of your tree and spray regular for insects and use a fungicide things will go smooth. I would recommend as fruitnut mentioned holding off on fertilizer for the moment but if you wanted to give them a little compost or something it would not hurt but let me fully explain that. What I usually do when I plant a tree is get it in the ground and make sure you give it plenty of water until it gets established. Some people have heavy clay soil etc.. like we do so I mix a little compost in the hole when I plant but I do not fill the hole with compost or all your roots will just stay in that spot and grow like they were in a pot. When you plant a tree dig the hole out the shape of the roots and beyond which takes more digging at times but give the roots room to spread out because they get more nutrients and water that way. If water is an issue in your area like it is in mine you can build a shallow bucket around the tree out of dirt slightly elevated so as not to hold the water for long which could drown them but holds it there long enough to seep in so it does not run off down the hill and water the grass instead. That being said lack of water can be your enemy and since you are not there 24/7 to watch those trees and make sure they don't dry out there are a few extra things you can do. Apply a thin layer of compost like 10 year old cow manure or organic compost on top of the soil around the tree 1 or 2 inches thick (not much). It helps to holds the water a little longer and is not really a true fertilizer. Our soil is low in organic material so what I told you puts some back which is why I mix a little compost in the clay soil when I put it back in the soil. On top of the compost I typically apply wood chips if I know they are from a disease free source or lawn clippings or hay which hold the water longer. Don't use cedar or walnut chips if they are fresh chips because they are allelopathic http://www.ehow.com/info_10058507_nothing-grows-cedar-tree.html If you don't let the tree dry out when you first plant it its roots grow faster through the soil and it can uptake the nutrients it needs. You might briefly look at this article http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/drought/mulches.html that covers mulching. I will attach a youtube video that will give you a visual representation of a method similar to the one I use because our soil is clay / heavy loam here in Kansas. Oklahoma has somewhat similar soil. I grow a couple of honey crisp here and they are worthwhile growing.

Here is a link that might be useful: planting a tree

Like fruitnut mentioned on the spraying you don't need to spray tomorrow but read the forum and you can get some great advice on that and it is a completely separate topic.

Just dig a nice wide hole that isn't any deeper than the pot. If you have water drainage issues in the winter, you should dig the hole even shallower than the pot, so the tree ends up sitting on a little mound.

Other than that, quit over thinking it.

One more thing the old timers told me about fruit trees and that is don't expect a ton of growth in the first year. Just because you are not getting lots of growth does not mean you did it wrong. Their saying was the first year they sleep, The second year they creep, and the third year they leap. I follow that and found it to be fairly accurate. If by the third or fourth year your fruit trees are not kicking it in high gear something is wrong. Wood chips should not be mixed in the soil because they steal nitrogen from the soil while they break down so keep them on top of the soil only and not over a couple inches thick. What works in my area may be completely different in someone else's. Wish you great success with them! Keep reading the forum and I'm sure you will learn everything you need to know about fruit trees.