Grown both as commercial crops and in the home garden Apple Trees have been cultivated for 1000s of years and are one of the most widely grown fruit crops in the world.
As a home grown tree they are wonderful with many new varieties being grafted onto smaller growing rootstock making then well suited to smaller spaces.
Care
Planting Apple Trees
A sunny position is essential, a good deep loamy soil and well drained as well. Dig in some well rotted compost before planting.
Depending on where you live planting time will differ, in the colder zones plant in spring when the soil is warming up, this promotes good root growth.
In warmer areas you can plant in Fall after the summer heat is over.
Pruning Apple Trees
Carried out to maintain size and shape as well as to increase production and maintain a healthy tree, pruning basics can be explained simply.
However many groups do provide apple tree pruning workshops, we suggest you go along.
You can find many videos on ‘how to prune an apple tree’, most are not worth watching.
Best in USDA Zones 4 – 8 depending on variety.
Varieties
Apple Trees and Dwarf Apple Tree varieties are readily available for sale online from specialist Apple Tree Nurseries. It is choosing the right one for you climate, space, soil and needs that is the tricky part.
Mail order apple trees including Heirloom apple trees and Dwarf or miniature apples tree are available for sale during winter months when trees are dormant.
Divided into groups depending on use, eating apples, cooking apples and cider apples all have different characteristics.
Remember that Apple trees ripen at different times, some very early in the season and other much later, so choose carefully for the varieties that best suit your needs.
Popular eating varieties include Fuji, Granny Smith, Jonathan while Crab Apples are used for making jellies
Dwarf Apple Trees
Apple trees come as full sized trees, dwarf trees and semi dwarf. These are the best varieties for growing in containers and are also well suited to small gardens.
It is also possible to espalier apple trees so that they can be grown along walls or fences.
Best Apple Trees for Home Gardens
This will depend entirely on your climate zone and your personal taste. It will also be determined on the purpose for growing they apples. Eating, Cooking or Cider apples. All have different characteristics. Also some apples are sweeter that other.
Our favourite for the home garden is the Snow Apple.
The Snow Apple is thought to be a Canadian variety, however its origins more likely go back to France. Chances are it was a seedling or even seed raised apple that was brought by the early settlers.
Also known as Pomme de Neige however the correct name most likely should be Fameuse. Said to be the parent of the Macintosh and others. It is available as a tall growing tree, a dwarf and also as a ‘Stepover’ which means it can be grown as a a fruiting hedge, or as an espalier.
Distinctive brilliant white flesh, sweet to taste and with bright red skin it makes a great eating or dessert apple.
Apple trees are available for sale from the following specialist nurseries.
STARK Bro’s NURSERIES& ORCHARDS Co.
PO Box 1800 Louisiana MO 63353 – phone: 1-800-325-4180
Originators of Red and Golden Delicious apples. Full line of fruit, Apricots, Berries, Cherries, Nectarines, Pears, Grapes, Nuts, shade and flowering trees, shrubs roses and small fruits. Includes: Walnuts, Carpathian English Walnut, Lake English Walnut, Black Walnut and others
www.starkbros.com
