How are your apple trees growing? Don’t forget to water young trees as they establish their root systems! Here’s more 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.
Climate Considerations
Site and Soil
Planting the Tree in the Ground
See our video to learn how to plant a bare-rooted fruit tree.
Apple Tree Care
Training Young Trees
When trees are young, it’s important to nurture a strong frame of branches so the trees can carry heavy apple crops. Dwarf apple trees are trained to a central leader system. Standard (and sem-dwarf) trees should also be trained to a modified leader.
Minimize Pruning of a Young Tree
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. There are several techniques to direct growth without heavy pruning. For example:
Prune a Mature Tree Annually
Once an apple tree has filled in and is bearing fruit, it requires annual pruning. Pruning reduces disease by letting in more light and air. Large trees may need more pruning (and a ladder!).
Thinning Apples
Apples are prone to insect and diseases—including apple maggots, plum curculios, green fruitworms, and codling moths. Many gardeners who swear off pesticides find they need to find, at minimum, an acceptual annual spray treatment for a decent crop.
One idea to avoid pesticides is to select disease-resistant varieties such as ‘Prima’, ‘Priscilla’, ‘Liberty’, and ‘Freedom’. They do not require spraying for apple scab, cedar-apple rust, and other common diseases, while most other varieties require periodic spraying every spring and summer after planting. Check with your extension service to find approved pest prevention programs for your area.
You can also try an anti-insect oil, found at garden stores. Spray it in the spring when your apple trees are in the tight cluster stage: after the leaves have unfolded from the fruiting cluster, but before the buds begin to show pink.
Other pests such as scales, mites, and aphids should be controlled by natural parasite and predator populations if you haven’t used a lot of sprays.
The apple maggot can be trapped simply enough by hanging one or two round, softball-size balls—painted red and coated with sticky “Tangle-Trap”—from a branch in June through the summer. Reapply the sticky goo a time or two, as necessary.
Keep deer at bay with repellents, fencing, or deer-resistant plants; deter mice and rabbits with wire-mesh cylinders around the base of the tree.
To keep insects away from apple trees, make a solution of 1 cup of vinegar, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 quart of water. Pour this mixture into a widemouthed plastic jug. Hang the jug, uncovered, in your apple tree.
Fend off diseases by raking apple leaves, burying them beneath mulch, or grinding them with a lawnmower at season’s end
Harvesting Apples
Harvest patiently. After all this pruning and caring, be sure to harvest your apples at their peak of perfection.
Storing Apples
Choose the Right Varieties
Also consider how you will use your apples: Do you love to bake apple pies? Or, perhaps you just want apples that taste far better than what you could buy in a grocery store. See Best Apples for Baking for more information.
“Baked apples have an excellent effect upon the whole physical system, feeding the brain as well as adding to the flesh, and keeping the blood pure; also preventing constipation and correcting a tendency to acidity, which produces rheumatism and neuralgia.” –The 1898 Old Farmer’s Almanac
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Reader Comments
Leave a Comment
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!
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.
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.
Harden off Apple seedlings?
I have 3 apple seedlings that are growing well. Bought the apples from a farmers market last fall and planted indoors in Jan. or Feb. and grew under lights. Do they need to be hardened off before planting in ground? And, its been chilly (60's day, mid 40's at night) and windy.
Also, if I get apples in the future, will it be one of the parents of the apple I grew seed from?
growing store bought apples
are all store bought apples fruitless? do seeds lay dormant, and for how long? because I planted about a dozen apple seeds from 2 different kinds of store bought apples last fall (to make applesauce) 4-6 grew, 1 died then others also. this spring maybe 4-6 plants came up in the same pot. could they be apples? did the seeds lay dormant over the winter? the leaves look like pictures of apple plants!
Apple sapplings
We have grown some apple saplings from apple seeds I think they are pink ladies but not sure what food if any they can be given they are only about 4/5niches tall
Apple Sapplings
Hi Michelle,
I’m not sure if you did, but if you planted seeds that came from apples that you ate, they will most likely not mature or produce fruit. Commercial apples bought in grocery stores are mostly hybrids, not designed to be fertile. However, if you bought apple seeds, apply a shovelful of manure in the fall, and a tablespoon of nitrogenous fertilizer every month or so.
Organic Apples?
I've got maybe 15 trees growing from seeds from "organic" apples that I've eaten. They've been growing for about 4 or 5 years too. They've gotten tall, and are looking nice, but I still haven't seen any apples growing yet, so I guess, the organic seeds from organic apples from grocery stores, won't produce either. But I'm still waiting to see.
Question
Can I leave apple plant in the sun
Sunny site
Yes, as it says above, choose a sunny site. For best fruiting, an apple tree needs “full sunlight,” which means six or more hours of direct summer sun daily. The best exposure for apples is a north- or east-facing slope.
yellow delicious tree
I have a yellow delicious apple tree . It grew it's first apples last year, about 9 of them, I removed the small ones but left 9. I pruned the branches lightly at the beginning of March , im in ohio, it has beautiful green leaves but no blooms the crab apples have blooms but my tree has none. Is it ok?
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