Apples are actually from the rose family.
Malus There are 2500 species in the U.S. alone
Check with your local extension agent or a biologist which ones are best adapted to your locale.
The best bet is to plant them in the spring. You can plant in early fall as long as you are going to make sure they are watered. Pay attention to how "persistant" the fruit is (how long it hangs on the tree after it matures) Keep in mind that after the leaves fall off the plant is not yet dormant. It will continue to put down roots until it freezes and shuts down completely. This is often when people stop watering and actually kill many plants and trees.
Try and pick several varities that ripen at different times to have a good supply of fruit through the hunting season.
1 mature tree can provide 600-800 pounds of food in one season!
Don't fertilize until the second year.
Plant your trees 15-20 feet apart in groups of 3-5 with other varieties for good pollination. Plant them where they will get as much sun as possible, all day sun being the best.
Pay attention also to whether it is a self pollinator or cross polinator. Its a good idea to make sure there are bee populations available to pollinate them.
Stay away from these varieties unless you want to spend a lot of time spraying. They are temperamental and need a lot of attention.
Red and GoldenDelicious
McIntosh
Idared
Jonathan
Granny smith
Jonagold
Rome
Crispin
It will take a good 6-10 years of growth before you are realizing any good yields. Pay attention to training the tree the first couple years and prune in late winter for best habit and growth.
best bets for disease resistant trees are
limbertwig
freedom,
macoun,
jonamac
keepsake,
enterprise,
williams pride,
gold rush,
burgandy, to name a few. These are all persistant good keeping apples. Again check with your extension agent or local university. Michigan is a great apple state anyway.
I read somewhere that mulching is not good. I think there is an issue with the mulch harboring pests that you will be constantly fighting. Could be breathing issues with the root system also. Additionally mulch harbors mice and voles which are notoriuos for girdling fruit trees in the winter. Best bet is to keep the grass cut several times a year with a string trimmer. A product I use is called
http://www.treeworld.com/It will keep rodents away and also has the benefit of keeping whitetails from eating the saplings and also rubbing them in the fall. I have used this stuff successfully for 8 years now. When Sprayed on the stem or trunk of the tree deer won't even rub it, let alone chew on any part of the tree.
Hope this helps.
T.