Many gardeners dream of growing their own juicy apples. However, growing fruit takes long-term commitment—from pruning apple trees for good form to pest control—for success. Here’s our expert advice on planting, growing, and harvesting apples.
Apples trees aren’t just for people with acres upon acres of land. Even in a small space, you can plant a hedge of dwarf apple trees or an apple espalier and yield a successful crop. Spring planting is recommended in central and northern areas. Fall planting can also be successful but only in areas where autumn and winter weather is generally more mild and moist.
Where Do Apples Grow?
However, climate considerations are very important for growing apples. As a general rule, if a tree is termed hardy, it grows best in Hardiness Zones 3 to 5. If termed long-season, apple quality will be best in Zones 5 to 8. Check your zone here.
Tree tags don’t always tell you where the variety grows best, but many catalogs do. Also check with your local Cooperative Extension Service for a recommendation specific to your area. Each variety has a number of chill hours needed to set fruit (i.e., the amount of time temperatures are between 32 and 45 degrees F). The farther north you go, the more chill hours an apple variety needs to avoid late spring freeze problems. Check tree tags for chill hour information or ask the seller.
Apples Need Pest Control
Also, it’s important to recognize that there are many diseases and fruit pests that attack apples so it’s rare for this fruit to be grown without any type of pesticides. Growing apples organically is much more difficult in the East coast than the West due to incidence of fungal diseases and types of pests that aren’t even present in the West. It will take much research and persistance to grow apples is you wish to avoid any type of spraying program.
Apple Trees Need Friends
Most apples need pollen from another apple tree to produce fruit. This is called cross-pollination. This second tree must be a different cultivar but also one that will flower at the same time. The presence of bees will be very important; poor pollination can reduce the number of fruit and cause misshapen fruit; some orchards rent or maintain bee hives for good pollination. Overusing broad-spectrium insecticides can reduce the number of bees.
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What kind of Apple Tree do I have?
We bought a house in Long Beach, CA with an apple tree. The tree grows healthy and produces apples, but they have not been very firm and crispy, and tend to have brown inside of them. How can I tell what kind of tree I have and what I should do to improve the fruit?
what kind of tree?
Wish we could help but we don’t have enough information to figure this one out. Our best advice it to take pictures and bring them to a local nursery, one that carries fruit trees, if possible. Good luck with this!
fruit trees
i bught 5 trees apple pear cherry plum and cooking apple 3 years ago i got small apples from 1 but one of the trees low growing and branches are spreading out wide and not gowing high have you any ideer what this tree could be never got any flouwers from it i am lost do not know what it is can you help me find out thank you cheers joe burke
What is the area of a apple tree, usually?
I have a apple tree in my backyard and I want to know where to place a apple catcher i'm building, thanks!
Thanks for the topic, I was
Thanks for the topic, I was looking for something similar on how to grow apple tree. Is the planting calender a software I can download for free?
Almanac Garden Planner
You can try the Almanac Garden Planner for free on your PC or Mac for seven days! Here’s a link with more information: https://gardenplanner.almanac.com/
Growing apple
I've heard apples can thrive in tropical countries. If its true, what variety grows best in tropics?
planting of apple in the tropics and how to plant it.
Planting of apples
how can i grow apples here in Zambia, savanna hot region?
Need assistance, like your platform!
Answer
You have a refrigerator.
Apple planting in the tropics
Is planting apples in the tropics possible?
planting apples in the tropics
Can I grow juicy apples in the tropics and where is this possible.
Do I Remove Blossoms on a Newly Planted Tree
Hello -
I just planted two Honeycrisp trees and they are in full bloom! Do I need to pinch the blooms to promote growth or just leave them?
pinch the flowers?
Leave the flowers alone.
Transplanting Apple Trees
I have two espaliered apple trees each with six types of apples and I need to transplant them and relocate them to another part of the yard.
They are in good shape and are bearing fruit with some blossoms still remaining. My question is should I cut them back hard and remove all the fruit before I transplant?
transplanting fruiting trees
We’ve seen these type specimens and they are lovely! It’s unfortunate that you need/want to move them when they are doing exactly what was intended: bearing fruit. If you transplant them carefully, disturbing them as little as possible by lifting them large (making the removal hole as wide and deep as possible) and resettling them in a similarly large hole, you might be able to save the fruit and the season. Cutting them back is not what we would recommend. Per above: Pruning slows a young tree’s overall growth and can delay fruiting, so don’t be in a hurry to prune, other than removing misplaced, broken, or dead branches.
Transplanting dwarf espalier trees
Hello, I have a similar situation. When is the best time to transplant and how should we prune and prepare it first? Thank you!
What about watering?
I have three dwarf apple trees currently in very large pots. How much and how long should I keep watering them over the winter? Here in the southwest we still get very warm daytime temperatures and all three are still fully leafed out in early November.
How to identify the type of apple
We recently purchased on the South West shores of Nova Scotia. 2 acres are completely overgrown brush but we counted at least 17 fruit bearing apple trees . How do we determine what type they are? When clearing the brush next spring how far apart should these fully grown trees be? How far should they be from a spruce or pine or maple?
what variety of apple tree?
If you have fruit on any of the trees, Karen, pick one or two good specimen pieces and take them, with a few leaves, to a local fruit grower, orchardist, or nurseryman. Maybe all three. You can try your luck (or compare opinions) on this British web site that invites you to examine, taste, and evaluate the fruit, then try to narrow it down as you click through: http://www.gardenappleid.co.uk/index.php/how-to-use-this-website (We can not vouch for this site, but it tries hard to determine the varietyl) There are others. Here in the States many of our colleges and universities are home to “cooperative extension societies” where volunteers and academics provide information. This one, from the University of Maine, not too far from you, has advice on recovering an orchard: https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/2409e/ and may be able to answer other questions. About distance between trees, try the chart on this page: https://www.fedcoseeds.com/trees/planting_guide.htm#four
Finally, we can not find conclusive advice on the distance apples should be from the three other trees you name. However, the folks who help you to identify the trees/fruit or other people in your area who have apple trees may be able to shed some light.
How to plant and grow apple tree.
I have tried to plant using seeds ,they germinate and grown into long single branch . What should I do so that the stem becomes thick and strong ?
I have a very sentimental apple tree that is growing weird
I started this tree from a seed in college and have since planted it in my patents backyard. They have another store bought tree that is doing rather well but is a bit older. My tree seems to be growing more than one tree. The main tree is covered with wart like bumps. I want to save this tree can I splice it or trim it once it goes dormant? I'm very green and apppericate any advice!
apple tree
Me too i have tried to plant apple from the seed it growing and i want to know how to start bearing the fruit and is 4years
Growing your own
Like it said above, if you bought conventional apples from a grocery store, the seeds will turn into a tree, but won't bear any fruit. I've been growing "organic" trees from "organic" seeds, from "organic" apples, lol....and they've been growing for about 4 or 5 years now, and the trees have grown nice, but no apples as of yet.
growing apple trees from seed
My 5 year old son planted a Macintosh apple seed in a pot in the house. A few years later we transplanted it outside. My son and the tree grew for many years; when he left to get his PhD, the tree produced a single apple and has been producing ever since, one year producing just under 1000 apples. Almost 20 years wait for the 1st apple.
May I ask if apple can grow in Philippines?
May I ask if apple can grow in Philippines,cause we only have 2 seasons dry season and rainy season..
Honeycrisp won't thrive.
Hi!
I planted a Honeycrisp apple tree almost three years ago. It was about 3 feet tall from the local nursery. I dug a big hole, and did all the things I should. The first year deer almost killed it be eating all the new growth. Last Spring we got some stinky deer spray and the have left it alone, but ever since it's not thriving. It looks exactly the same as the day we planted it. It has some small branches with leave leaves (2-3" long) and is definetly alive, but that's about it. I water, I fertilize anfd it just sits there! What could it be missing? Do young trees take a few years to get established before the take off?
Thanks!
honeycrisp
Sorry to hear about the deer. They (and squirrels) seem to consume more tree fruit than many home fruit growers! We really do not know enough about your situation to give you proper guidance here—where you are, the site, the soil, etc. Numerous readers of this page have expressed challenges with honeycrisp and we have provided our best advice and insights (see below; search “honey”). You might find some of this existing information useful to you.
We would also suggest that you talk to the nursery from whom you bought the tree. They have specific advice about this plant in your locale. Additionally, you might consult your local cooperative extension service. You can find it here: https://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services
In answer to your last question, yes, honeycrisp trees can take years to become established. All the more reason that you should find out what, if anything, to expect.
We hope this helps.
Volunteer grown fruit trees
A neighbor had some fruit trees cut down on his property a couple of years ago due to bee allergy and to thin them out. I received some of the mulch from the cut down trees. I now have several trees growing, which look like apple trees, where some of the left-over mulch had been. Is it safe to separate and move them now that they have grown so much? By the way, I have small pine trees that came up and grew the same way.
transplanting small apple trees
Interesting. We’re guessing plant seeds sitting below mulch germinated well thanks to the extra nutrients? In any case, you can certainly transplant small apple trees. In USDA zones 6 to 8, apple trees can be successfully transplanted during the early spring, before leaves begin to sprout, or in late fall, once the tree has gone dormant for winter. Apple trees in areas north of zone 6 should be planted in the spring after danger of frost is over.
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