Where are apple trees grown

Growing Apple Trees

Here’s a look at apple tree pollination, planting and protecting your trees

Growing apple trees is easy but when buying, you do need to consider pollination needs before you select your trees!

This page also deals with planting apple trees for a good start in your garden and protecting your new trees from rabbits, deer and wind.

This is the second page on growing apples. Other pages that might interest you:
Growing apples (1): The different shapes and sizes and what to choose for your site.
Growing apples (3) How to prune apple trees and disease prevention and management.

Apple tree pollination groups

The next important thing to consider before growing apple trees is the blossom groups or pollination groups.

Apple trees need to have another apple tree nearby flowering at the same time so that pollination can occur. If you live near to other people with apple trees this might solve the problem for you.

If you live where there are no nearby suitable apples or crab apples then you will need to buy young trees which are compatible. For example, if you buy one Egremont Russet, then you will need either a second Russet or a different variety which is compatible. Otherwise, a long-flowering crab apple can do the trick as they are compatible with many apple varieties.

One of the fun things about growing apple trees at home is exploring the less usual varieties.

Suffolk, where I live, has lots of venerable old apple varieties which are well worth growing. Organisations are springing up to preserve and propagate old varieties like these.

It’s also great to grow your own organic apples because you are promoting your own good health, that of your family and the long-term health of the soil.

If you consider this route to apple heaven, do take advice so that your apple trees are pollinated properly each season. Growing apple trees successfully is even more satisfying if you raise organic well-adapted stock.

Growing apple trees —
About the pollination groups

Things can get complicated here. Apple trees are divided by growers into pollination groups. Commonly they are divided into 4 or 5 main groups but there are more complicated systems which are favoured by some growers.

The main reason for these groups is because flowering occurs at different times. If you buy a group 1 pollinator and pair it up with a group 5 pollinator you are unlikely to get any fruit from either. The bees which do the work are unable to time travel!

There is some cross-over between adjacent groups and a flowering crab apple can be very useful because they often have a long flowering period.

But failing that, you do need to select new trees for growing apples quite carefully.

If you want to research some of the less common varieties and their pollination groups check out: Garden Action which has a good list of pollination groups.

More on pollination — triploid pollinators

What makes apple tree pollination sound even more complicated is that there are some trees which require two different nearby apple trees to ensure successful pollination. They are called triploid pollinators. The common cooking apple Bramley and Blenheim Orange both come into this group.

In practice, it’s usually quite easy to ensure good pollination occurs. Just get several compatible trees and place them near each other.

It’s also worth checking what trees your neighbours have; this can save you the need buy a tree just for pollination purposes. Neighbours’ trees need to be within a short distance from your orchard (20 or 30 metres or less, ideally) and the tree(s) need to be compatible.

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Growing apple trees —
How old is my new tree — and how long will it live?

When you buy stock for growing apple trees you can buy them almost ready to crop at a few years old. If you plant them carefully and look after them you should have usable fruit within two to three years. If this looks like an expensive option you can buy one year old apple trees called «maidens» more cheaply.

The downside of this is that you won’t be actually harvesting apples to eat for a few more years. If you are prepared to wait five or more years for your crops this can be a cheaper option, worth considering if you are looking to extend an already productive orchard, perhaps.

It’s also worth knowing that most of the small-rootstock trees sold in garden centres have a relatively limited lifespan. Growing apple trees on standard rootstocks — which become relatively big trees — is a good idea if you have space. Many of these trees can live for a hundred years or more.

Many of the smaller garden apple trees grown on small rootstocks may only manage ten to twenty years as productive trees. However, they are quicker to reach fruit-bearing maturity.

Having selected some suitable apple trees you next need to think about planting your tree.

Picture: Growing apple trees to provide dessert apples for your table is very rewarding. Egremont Russet is a sweet and tasty variety. This one is on a semi-dwarf rootstock.

Growing apple trees —
Planting your trees

Buy your trees in late autumn, winter or early spring. The soil should be damp but not freezing cold. Late October on is a good time in the northern hemisphere. If you plant at other times be very careful to irrigate thoroughly and keep a look out for the new plants drying out. You can sometimes find cheap trees at the end of the season in garden centres and nurseries.

Its generally not worth buying bare-rooted trees outside of the proper planting times. The risk of failure is too high. Pot-grown apple trees are a bit more forgiving but adequate irrigation is absolutely essential.

Space and light

It is important that your trees have enough space to grow and thrive and that there is plenty of available light. Other than that, planting is easy. Avoid any dubious areas, for example where old concrete has been buried. If you plant in grass you need to clear back the turf in a ring around the tree and keep it clear. Your young tree is far more likely to die in its first year if it is throttled with grass.

Dig a hole double the width of the pot that the young apple tree has grown in. Make it slightly deeper than the pot. Loosen the soil in the bottom of the hole and add a shovel full of good compost. Mix the compost into the soil.

Carefully remove the pot from the roots (you may need to turn the whole thing upside down and deliver a sharp tap with the back of a spade.) Loosen any stray root ends so that contact with the soil from the hole is made straight away.

Staking the tree

Place the apple tree into the hole and add a stake which is at least 4 feet tall. Don’t let the stake interfere with the roots. Backfill the soil and a little more compost.

Check that the new soil level around the plant does not cover the join where the tree was grafted. This is usually quite low down near the base of the plant. You do want the top of the potting compost from the plant pot to be covered because peat (the usual medium) does dry out rather quickly. Your new tree will retain moisture better if the top is covered with soil. Make sure that you tread everything down carefully so that the root ball is stable in the earth and in good contact with the soil.

Water everything copiously. The tree should be tied below where the leaves start to the post so as to stabilise it if the wind picks up. Some growers put the stake in at an angle so as to avoid the root ball. Old tights are an excellent choice for tying up young trees. They don’t have to be recognisable — just cut off a leg! They are flexible yet strong and durable.

You can buy proper tree ties which keep the space between the tree and the stake without any rubbing or undue movement. They are not particularly expensive and can be re-used.

Tree ties should not keep the tree immobile but should rather reduce wind movement to a manageable amount. Trees which are staked too rigidly may not develop their own root system to cope with wind, leaving them potentially vulnerable.

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Growing apple trees —
Protecting young apple trees from rabbits (Grr!)

Protecting young apple trees from roving wildlife and from strong winds is essential. If you have rabbits or other wildlife such as deer in the area you will need to use a tree guard. Even rabbits can be amazingly destructive to young growing apple trees. They can kill them in one night’s action!

I know because this is what happened to me. I thought my garden was rabbit-free but some got in and nibbled right around one tree and nearly destroyed a second one. I’d only just bought them! It set the less damaged tree back about two years and the other one was dead within a few days. Expensive mistake.

You will need more than a spiral plastic tree-guard if deer or other large ruminants are near your trees. Erect a wire fence at a distance which makes it impossible to reach the tree. Make sure the fencing posts are stout and well anchored in the ground.

Deer and rabbit netting is now available from Amazon.

If you have a secure border to your orchard, growing apple trees can be more straight forward. But you will still need to anchor your new trees with stakes because it can hard for the root ball to become established if there is a lot of wind buffeting.

Wind protection for apple trees

Some native species hedges around your orchard can help keep the wind down. It is no accident that many traditional orchards are found within high walls or in other secluded locations.

Tree-based wind wind protection has the advantage that the wind speed is calmed rather than completely altered. High walls can create turbulence which affects some areas behind the wall. Trees and hedges reduce strong winds for crops sheltering on the lee side.

Even with good shelter, some kind of staking is almost essential for the first few months of growth while the tree gets properly established.

Apple growing books

If you want good books about growing apple trees and related topics here are a few choices to whet your appetite.

This guy knows his onions — or rather his apples! He’s been growing them and promoting organic orchards and fruit growing in the US for years!

See more book selections from Amazon on the right side panel. I haven’t read them all — but they look good! It’s well worth having one or two good books to consult on apple growing; you can explore issues in more depth than you will find on most web pages.

Orchard apples are a delight well worth having. I hope you have some great success growing apple trees at home.

Don’t forget that in many places it is now becoming easier to set up a community orchard. See Fruit tree orchards and the community for more on this.

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Growing Apple Trees: The Complete Guide to Plant, Grow, & Harvest Apples

Ame lives off-the-grid on her beautiful farm in Falmouth, Kentucky. She has been gardening organically for over 30 years and has grown vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers, and ornamentals. She also participates in Farmers Markets, CSA, and mentors young farmers. Ame is the founder and director of Fox Run Environmental Education Center where she teaches environmental education programs in self-sufficiency, herbal medicine, green building, and wildlife conservation.

Growing apples is so rewarding because the trees are delightful to have in the yard, with their delicate, fragrant spring blossoms, and you can use the fruits in tons of different ways. Whether you crave the citrusy zing of cider or juice, or you can’t live without smooth, creamy applesauce, there’s an endless number of ways to eat them. You can also use the fruit to make vinegar, which isn’t only useful around the house, but healthy for you as well.

Apples have been grown domestically for the past 8,000 years. They originated in Eastern Europe where they quickly spread, and were common in Ancient Roman and Greek civilizations before making the leap to North America.

Now they dominate the world, and new types have been developed to grow in most climates, which is good, because choosing the right variety is an important step in growing apples. Some apples are better for storing, others best fresh, and some are ideal for making cider. Some varieties need cool weather, and some can tolerate a bit of heat. Thanks to their popularity, there’s the perfect one out there for anyone.

In this article, we’re going to look at how to plant and care for your apple trees, with a focus on organic growing.

Can I Grow Apples Organically?

First, let me assure you that YES! It’s possible to grow apples organically. The fruit has a reputation for being hard to grow – period. And many agriculturists will tell you its impossible to grow apples without using chemicals and conforming to a ridged spray schedule.

Don’t listen to them. You can grow healthy, quality apples using good management strategies and some helpful aids from mother nature.

Apple Varieties

There are hundreds of apple varieties to choose from. Check out our eight favorite varieties if you are looking for apples that are all-around superstars.

If you want to grow apple trees for cider, try:

• Gold Rush
• Stayman’s Winesap
• Crimson Crisp
• Liberty
• Roxbury Russet
• Dabinett

For applesauce and canning, try:

If you’re interested in baking and cooking, pick:

• Granny Smith
• Newton Pippin
• Rome Beauty
• Winesap

The best apples for warm climates include:

• Roxbury Russet
• Mollies Delicious
• Blacktwig
• Dixie Red Delight

The best apples for colder areas (zone 3 and 4) are:

• Candy crisp
• Cortland Apple
• Cox’s Orange Pippin
• Honeycrisp
• September Wonder Fuji
• Redfree

Plan for Pollination

Apple trees require cross-pollination with another tree. When choosing your plants, pick two of the same type, or two that flower at the same time. You can check an apple pollination chart if you need help.

How to Plant Apples

When to Plant

Plant trees when temperatures are cool. Avoid planting during a hard frost, but otherwise, you can put them in the ground during mid-fall or early winter. You can also plant in spring as soon as the ground can be worked.

Getting it in the Ground

Soak the tree’s roots for a few hours before planting. Dig a hole at least twice as wide as the diameter of your plant’s roots and at least 2 feet deep. The bigger the hole, the happier your tree will be.

Sun Requirements

Apples require full sun, at least 8 hours per day.

Soil Requirements

Growing apples successfully requires fertile soil. Do a soil test before planting to be sure that your trees will have what they need. Apples need a pH range between 6.0-7.0.

Amend your soil with peat moss, compost, and bonemeal before putting your tree in the ground to give it a healthy foundation.

Spacing

Apples need an average of 15 feet between trees, depending on the variety. Dwarf trees are best off with 10 feet between trees, and a standard size tree needs closer to 20 feet.

Pollinators

Without pollinators you won’t get any apples, so plan to put your trees near an area where bees and butterflies visit.

How to Care for Apples

Nutrient Management

Nutrient management practices are the steps you will follow to provide your apples with rich, healthy soil to grow in. This is different from fertilizing. Fertilizing is a short, concentrated dose of nutrients. Nutrient management is a long term solution.

In the first three years of an apple growth, it is important to encourage good root growth. This will help the tree get established and develop a network of healthy roots that will feed the tree and help it be productive.

Feeding Young Trees

Place a ring of 2-inch thick compost around your trees every year. Keep the compost 6-inches away from the trunk. You don’t have to worry about digging it in. Let the soil microbes do the job for you.

If your soil is low in phosphorus and/or calcium sprinkle a pound of bone meal around each tree along with the compost.

On top of the compost, you can place a thick (4-inch) layer of mulch such as straw or wood chips. This will help keep weeds from growing around your trees. Keep the mulch 6-inches away from the trunk.

Cover Crops

Cover crops let you add nitrogen and other nutrients to your orchard. They also look attractive and help you keep down on the mowing.

Clover is probably the most popular cover crop for orchards. Clover adds nitrogen to the soil, helps with erosion and is high-quality food for livestock.

Watering

Apples need 2-inches of water per week when they are young. Keep the soil lightly moist as trees get older, but avoid letting it get waterlogged.

Livestock in the Orchard

Image via Fox Run

Some livestock species are helpful in the orchard, and some are not. Livestock can be part of your long term nutrient management solution.

Geese and ducks are helpful in the garden. Both are grazing birds but will also readily eat grubs and other pests. Chickens are also good pest controllers for the orchard. They will scratch at the soil, which will aerate and mix in the minerals on the surface.

Sheep can do mowing work and add fertilizers. Sheep are grazers and are not interested in nibbling on your trees. They will eat the grass, weeds and cover crop and keep everything nicely trimmed. Rotating your sheep in and out of the orchard as needed will keep the sheep from overgrazing or getting sick from the rich grasses.

Goats cannot be trusted in an orchard due to their mischievous nature and the fact that they are browsers. They will climb on your apple trees for a nice snack of twigs, buds, and fruit.

I’ve heard that well-behaved horses can be allowed in orchards. This makes me laugh out loud. My rescue horse Rocket does have access to the orchard area, and he has used a tree or two as a rubbing post.

For the most part, Rocket does not pull the fruit off the trees although I do put some temporary fencing up in fall to make sure of that. One benefit is his manure. I rake it so that it’s along the drip line of the tree.

Pruning Your Apple Trees

Pruning your apple trees can be a bit intimidating. After all, what if you damage your tree or set back its growth? Remember that it’s better to prune a little than not at all. Pruning lets in more light and air which will help your tree be more productive.

Rest assured as long as you follow some basic principles all will be well.

Pruning is best done in late winter while your tree is still dormant. The exception to this is older trees which need a heavier pruning to get them back on track. These trees do better with a summer pruning.

Pruning Equipment

Good pruning equipment is essential. You pruners and pruning saw should be sharp and easy to hold. Take care of your tools, so they’re ready when you are.

• Hand pruners are best to remove small branches and twigs.
• Loppers have longer handles and give you more strength for pruning larger branches.
• A Saw is necessary when pruning larger limbs of three or more inches in diameter.
• Pole Pruners is a saw that is attached to a long pole so that you can reach branches above your head.

What to Prune:

• Dead or diseased branches.
• Waterspouts, which are those lower branches growing off the trunk.
• Branches that grow inward towards the trunk or are cutting in front of others

How to Prune

Make your cut above the branch collar. The branch collar is the wrinkled bark where the tree and branch intersect.

After the third year of growth, you want to start shaping your tree. Apples grow best in a central leader style. This means they will have a main trunk with branches that come up at a 45-degree angle.

If you feel overwhelmed, watch a YouTube video or two to help you visualize the pruning process. Peaceful Valley has a great video for pruning young trees. The Organic Gardener has a great video on pruning an older tree that has been neglected.

Thinning Fruit

Once your tree becomes productive, it may be necessary to thin the fruit. Crowding can result in smaller apples or disease. Thinning also helps prevent the branch from breaking because of the weight of the apples.

Thin the fruit, so that they’re 6-inches apart on the branches.

Apple Problems and Solutions

The best way to prevent diseases and pests is to keep a neat and tidy orchard. Utilize pruning to remove diseased limbs so that they do not contaminate the rest of the tree. Pick up and dispose (or feed to livestock) any fruit that either has a disease or is harboring pests.

Apple Scab

Apple scab is one of the most serious apple problems in North America. It is caused by a fungus Venturia inaequalis and affects the leaves and fruit. Severe cases can totally defoliate a tree. It produces scabs and malformed fruit that’s still edible but often small.

Rake up the fallen leaves and burn them. Pruning also helps maintain air circulation which helps control fungal diseases.

I spray with kelp in late spring when my apples are developing fruits. Kelp is high in minerals and helps the trees to fight off disease and aids in fruit development. I also like Michael Phillips’ Holistic Spray Recipe.

In extensive cases, you may need to spray with potassium bicarbonate fungicides.

Codling Moth

The larvae of the codling moth are 1-inch worms that burrow into growing apples. The adult codling moth lays her egg on the top of the apple. When the larvae hatch they burrow into the fruit. You may not realize you have a problem until your experience apple drop.

After dropping, the worm crawls out of the apple, goes to the tree and finds a hiding place. There it spins a cocoon so that it can start the process all over again.

By Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

Keep an eye out in spring for the emergence of the adult moths. You can fill a half gallon milk jug with the following lure formula and hang it in your apple trees. Cut a hole in the side for the moths to enter.

• One cup apple cider vinegar
• One-third cup dark molasses
• One-eighth teaspoon ammonia
• Two cups water

Birds like chickens and woodpeckers love the larvae, as do Trichogramma wasps. You can also use organic sprays such as Monterey Insect Spray to control codling moth.

Aphids

Aphids are a potential problem for young trees. Encourage predators like lady beetles and lacewings in your orchard. Spray trees with a blast of water to knock the insects loose and rake up debris.

If your young tree has a massive infestation, spray it with an organic spray containing peppermint and rosemary oil.

Apple Maggot

The apple maggot eats the fruit on your growing apple tree. You’ll notice dimpling on your fruit, and you’ll see the damage when you cut an apple open.

To control, clean up around your trees and don’t let fruit rot on the ground. Place sticky traps in your tree and use a spray containing kaolin clay.

Apple Bud Moth

The larvae of the apple bud moth feed on the underside of apple leaves and roll leaves to form a shelter. They also nibble on fruits and create canal-like channels on the surface.

You can control this in a similar way to the codling moth.

Apple Tree Borer

This insect bores into the trunk and branches of growing apple trees. You’ll see sawdust debris on your tree and tunnels that may appear sunken and darker than the surrounding area.

Healthy trees are usually able to withstand the borer, so keep your orchard in good condition. If you have an infestation, you can dig out the larvae and whitewash the trunk to discourage new infestations.

Gypsy Moth

The invasive gypsy moth eats the leaves, flowers, and fruits on growing apple trees. Birds like to eat the caterpillars, as do mice and squirrels, so encourage them to visit your garden. Wasps and flies will also attack the eggs of the gypsy moth.

Prevent them from taking hold in your orchard by scraping and boiling any egg masses you find. You’ll often find eggs in wood piles, wheel wells in cars, and stone walls.

Japanese Beetle

This pretty beetle attacks apples in the summer, feeding on leaves and fruits. You can spray young trees with neem oil and handpick the beetles off.

Beneficial nematodes can help you prevent next year’s infestation, and you can use traps as long as you have a place far away from your trees to place the trap.

Leafhopper

Leafhoppers pierce leaves and suck out the nutrients. You’ll see white or yellow stippling on your tree leaves. This harms the tree because it reduces photosynthesis. Usually, healthy trees won’t show extensive damage, but young trees can be susceptible.

The Anagrus mymarid wasp is an effective biological control.

Mites

Mites pierce apple leaves and cause bronzing and eventual death. Predators like Neoseiulus fallacis (Phytoseiidae), Agistemus fleschneri (Stigmaeidae) and Zetzellia mali (Stigmaeidae) can be effective against mites.

If you have an extreme infestation, you can apply an organic miticide.

Black Rot

As the name implies, this fungus causes apples to turn black and rot. Keep fallen fruit and other debris away from your orchard and remove any infected branches during the winter. You’ll see red cankers on branches. Once you’ve removed the branch, destroy it rather than putting it in your compost to avoid spreading it.

Crown and Collar Rot

If you see discolored leaves, dying twigs and buds that are slow to break, or you see brown, slimy girdling on your tree trunk, you might have crown and collar rot.

You can buy resistant varieties and avoid planting in poorly drained areas. If you see girding on your tree, remove the soil from the base of the tree to expose the area. This can often stop the disease from progressing.

Sooty Blotch and Flyspeck

Sooty blotch and flyspeck are fungi usually found in areas with high humidity and temps between 65-80°F. These two diseases often go hand in hand. You can still eat apples covered in sooty blotch by scraping and washing off the fungus. Keep trees well pruned and fruits thinned out to help avoid it from taking hold in your orchard.

Fire Blight

Fire blight is a bacteria that attacks blossoms and branches of growing apple trees. If fire blight is common in your area, pick resistant varieties, and use a low-nitrogen fertilizer on your grees and only fertilize if your soil is deficient. Keep weeds, fallen fruit, and other debris away from your orchard. Prune off infected branches.

Companions for Apples

Since apples rely on pollinators, it’s smart to plant your trees near plants that attract them.

The best companions for apples are:

• Comfrey
• Nasturtium
• Chamomile
• Coriander
• Dill
• Fennel
• Basil
• Lemongrass
• Mint
• Chive
• Garlic

Harvesting and Storing Apples

Apple trees take a few years before they will produce fruit. Generally, you can expect to start snacking in 2 to 5 years. The fruit is ready when it’s no longer green and hard, but the ripe color will vary depending on the variety – and some varieties assume their mature color before they’re ripe.

The timing will depend on the variety as well. Some apples ripen in late summer and others in late fall, or anything in between. The most sure-fire way to know if your tree is ready is to wait until the approximate maturity date according to type and then pick and cut into a fruit.

Let’s talk about what your apples will look like. Organically raised apples are not going to look like the perfect fruit in the grocery store. That fruit is full of chemical pesticides and covered in a wax coating so that it appeals to shoppers. It’s less healthy than homegrown fruit.

Pluck apples from the tree leaving the stem intact. Leave frozen apples on the tree until they have thawed before harvesting. Use apples that have frozen faster than you would use apples that haven’t frozen because they don’t last as long.

Store them in a cool, dry area that is lower than 45°F. You can store most apples for up to 6 months at this temp. Toss out or separate any damaged apples because they will cause other apples to ripen faster.

Now for the fun part: using those apples. If you can’t use them up in recipes, drinks and around the house, keep in mind that apples store well in a root cellar.

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