Apple Trees

Apple trees are some of the best trees to plant near your home for several reasons. For instance, they have lovely leaves that change color in the fall and are usually very hardy trees that work well in several climates. And, of course, they produce delicious apples every year!

If you want to plant an apple tree near your home, these are some of the best places to plant your tree to make sure it grows healthy and strong, producing lots of delicious apples year after year. Deciding where to plant an apple tree is a very important decision that will affect your tree and the fruit it produces for the entirety of the tree’s life.

Choosing The Best Planting Location For Your Apple Tree

There are many different varieties of apple trees, and before you get started, you will want to note what is probably the most important piece of information you can gather about planting and growing an apple tree. 

An apple tree, no matter what variety it is, can only produce fruit if it is planted within about 100 feet of another apple tree, and that second apple tree has to be a different variety of apple. 

That’s right; to grow apples on one apple tree, you have to have two apple trees, unless you happen to have a neighbor who also has apple trees.

It is of note that crab apple trees, which are very common although rarely used for their fruit, do count, so if you have a crab apple tree, or you have a neighbor close by who has one, you are in luck. 

Using A Crabapple As Your Secondary Apple Tree

There are some benefits to planting a crabapple tree, apart from the obvious benefit of providing that secondary variety of apple tree you need for your primary apple tree to produce fruit each year. 

For starters, crabapple trees have very pretty blossoms that might be a wonderful addition to your garden.

They also produce fruit that is usually discarded as not very tasty, but in fact, crabapples are great for making jams and jellies. If you are a fan of canning or just want to make some apple jam, a crab apple might be a great tree for you. 

Another benefit of the crabapple tree is that it is very easily planted in many climates and environments. No matter what kind of soil you have at your home, it is likely that a crabapple tree will grow well there. They are very hardy and durable trees!

You can also scope out your neighborhood to see if there is already a crabapple tree somewhere close by.

Chances are, depending on the part of the country in which you live, someone has planted a crabapple at some point, But if they haven’t, this might be a good solution for you if you need a second tree so your primary apple tree can produce fruit. 

The 5 Best Places To Plant An Apple Tree

Sometimes, the best place to plant an apple tree depends on the type of tree you have chosen. Sometimes, it depends on the reason you have planted an apple tree; after all, not everyone chooses an apple tree for the fruit alone.

Sometimes, the best place to plant the tree depends on where you live, the type of climate you live in, and the type of garden you already have. 

Before you can choose where to plant your tree, there are several factors you should consider. Do you live in a dry, hot climate? Do you have a very small yard? How many apple trees are you planning to plant? What is the purpose of your tree?

These are all questions you should consider before planting your new apple tree. These five tips will help you determine the best place to plant your apple tree, no matter the reason you have chosen to plant one. 

1. Planting An Apple Tree Where You Need Shade

One of the biggest reasons that people may choose to plant trees of any sort is to provide shade. Nothing is better than a giant leafy tree when you need a shady place or need to provide some sun cover for your home, yard, or other plants. 

Areas of the country lacking natural trees may particularly benefit from the planting of shade trees.

If you live in one of those, be careful that you plant where your tree will survive or that you are prepared to take the extra precautions required to care for your tree throughout the year. For example, these trees will need extra water. 

Picking The Best Spot To Provide Shade

Picking the best spot depends on where you want the shade to be focused.

If you want to provide some shade for your house, for example, to help keep it cool in the summer, you will need to determine the right distance from your home that will provide shade but will not make the tree’s roots grow under your house. 

Apple trees have very deep roots, but, especially compared to some other trees, the roots of apple trees do not grow out very wide. 

So while the tree’s roots will go very far into the ground, apple trees are great shade trees for houses because it is less of a threat that the roots will grow out and under the house itself. Just provide about ten feet or so of space between your tree and your house and all should be well!

When choosing your spot, keep in mind that the tree will eventually reach its full height of 30 feet or more, so the canopy will be quite large. This means that you can choose which side of your house you want to shade and plant your tree there without having to worry about a very specific spot in the yard. 

To shade your house best in the summer from the harsh and hot afternoon sun, plant the tree on the west side of your house. This way, the tree will keep the afternoon sun at bay.

You can also plant additional trees on other sides of your home to provide shade throughout the entire day. This might be a good way to incorporate additional trees if you need a second variety of apple tree to ensure that your trees produce fruit. 

2. Planting An Apple Tree Near Other Plants

Why settle for one variety of apple tree when you could be eating two, three, or more different types of apples every harvest season? Some people plan to plant not just one or two but many apple trees and create a mini orchard in their backyards. You can do this, too, with a little careful planning. 

First, make sure you space your trees far enough apart that they will have plenty of room once they reach their full growth potential. Most apple trees grow to be about 30 feet tall, give or take several feet. They also have large canopies, so you also have to account for the width of your trees. 

You don’t want the branches of your apple trees to overlap. A general rule of thumb is to plant apple trees about 20 feet apart but no more than 100 feet apart.

Keeping them in this general vicinity will ensure that they have enough room to grow but are also close enough to provide the fertilization needed for fruit production each year. 

Arranging Your Apple Trees

You can place the trees in rows to achieve that classic orchard look, or you can plant them a little more sporadically to achieve a natural look that you might find in a forest or grove. Either way, if the spacing is right, you can have many different varieties of apples in your yard. 

If you want to plant several different trees, but you do not have a lot of yard space, you can consider planting dwarf varieties of apple tree instead of standard-sized apple trees.

This will allow you to plant the trees closer together so you can have more trees and more types of apples. 

Taking Care Of Your Mini-Orchard

Take care of your new mini orchard by looking into some of the more nuanced things about growing apple trees.

For example, some apple trees’ growth can be affected by whether or not the fruit is picked or whether the blossoms of the tree are removed, so look into your variety to see whether this is something you want to consider when choosing multiple apple tree varieties. 

You can also sometimes affect the production of fruit based on the removal of shoots from your trees, so this also might be something to look into if you plan to become an amateur (or even professional!) orchardist. 

3. Planting An Apple Tree In A Container

There are some reasons that it might not work well for you to plant an apple tree in your yard. Maybe you don’t have the space or maybe you don’t live in a climate conducive to growing fruit trees easily.

Maybe you are renting your home and don’t want to leave your tree behind when you move or your landlord has not approved a new tree in the year. 

Whatever your reason, you can still grow an apple tree even if you are not able to plant it in your yard. You can just plant it in a container!

This method works best with dwarf varieties of apple trees, but luckily, there are quite a few of those. You still have lots of options. According to Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, dwarf varieties usually grow to be between 10 and 15 feet tall. 

They are also easier to care for than larger trees, so this type of tree might be good for you if you are new to growing trees. 

To grow your apple tree in a container, you will need to follow some of the steps for planting a tree outside, but some aspects will be a little different. So don’t use the chart below on its own. Instead, incorporate these steps to make sure your container apple tree is just as healthy as if you had planted it in an outdoor orchard.

How To Plant An Apple Tree In A Container

First, choose a large container. A bigger container will help you grow the tree as long as possible before you have to move it. If you choose a container large enough, you might not ever have to move the tree at all! 

If you want to keep your tree indoors, you can get a rolling plant stand that will make it easier for you to move the tree from room to room, as the potted tree will be very heavy once it is planted and especially after it is watered. 

Being able to roll your tree is also beneficial because it can help you move the tree from spot to spot in your house as conditions change. If the tree needs more or less sun, you can move it.

You can also move it away from heat sources or air conditioning throughout the year to keep its environment at a more consistent temperature. 

Plant your tree in the container using potting soil, and water it thoroughly right after planting.

From there, the care of your apple tree is much like it would be with an outdoor tree, with one huge and very important exception: you have to water your tree! Don’t forget that this indoor tree doesn’t get rain or snow like an outdoor tree, so it depends on you for water. 

And make sure that your container tree, just like one that is outside, stays within 100 feet of another apple tree so it can produce fruit when it matures.

Unless you are keeping your container outdoors year-round, you will probably want to have multiple container trees or consider placing your container tree indoors in the winter months but outside for spring and summer. 

4. Planting An Apple Tree In Full Sun

Apple trees love the sunshine. If you live in an area where the sunshine is not too harsh, you usually cannot go wrong with planting your tree in the full sunshine. 

Apple trees need lots of sunlight to produce apples, and the most important time for a tree to get sun is in the morning when the drying properties of sunlight will help keep disease at bay. 

To find a good location, scout areas around your house that are not shaded for most of the day. Choose a sunny day when the cloud cover is unlikely to affect how you see the shade and sun near your house.

If one of the spots you located is far enough away from other trees but close enough to that second apple tree needed for your new tree to produce fruit, you may have found the perfect spot!

5. Planting An Apple Tree In Partial Shade

This one is a specific location tip for those who live in harsh, dry, sunny climates like the southwest United States. The sun in these parts of the country can be too sunny for many plants, even apple trees that normally love full sun. 

If you live somewhere with very harsh sun or you live at a high elevation where the UV rays are significantly more intense than in other parts of the country, you should consider providing some partial shade for your apple tree (and for most of your plants except those native to the area where you live). 

How To Plant An Apple Tree In The Shade

To choose a location that will provide a healthy environment for your apple tree, the key is to pick somewhere that gets some sun but not all the sun all day.

For many people, this means planting the apple tree in a location that will be shaded by your house. It is best for your apple tree to get sunshine in the morning hours and to have shade in the harsh afternoon sun. 

Determining Where To Plant Your Apple Tree For The Best Shade

To figure out where to plant your tree, you will need to do a little detective work. Before you plant anything, take some time to observe the sun at your home. Step outside and walk around a little bit in the morning. Where is the sun?

Make note of the sunniest locations. Then go back outside again in the afternoon on the same day and check the spots you marked earlier that morning.

It is important to do this on a day when there is no cloud cover, as that can affect how the shady and sunny spots of your yard look. If you find the weather has changed throughout the day, it might be worth it to start over another day when you are sure to get an accurate picture of the sun and shade around your home. 

If you find a spot that was sunny that morning but is now in the shade, you may have found the perfect location for planting your apple tree. 

How To Plant An Apple Tree After You’ve Chosen The Best Spot

Now that you have chosen a location for your apple tree, it is time to get to planting! If you have never planted a tree before (or even if you have!), you might find the process a little daunting.

Never fear; we are here to help you learn how to plant a tree with some quick tips that will make the process simple and set your tree up for health and success. 

When To Plant Your Apple Tree

Before you buy your new apple tree seeds, sapling, or seedling, think about the time of year you are going to plant it.

Because you can damage or even kill the tree by waiting too long to plant it, it is best to make sure you have everything in order, including the location of planting and time of year, before you even purchase the tree. 

The best time to plant your apple tree depends to some extent on where you live. Different parts of the country can experience wildly different climates regarding temperature, humidity, precipitation, and elevation. You should consider where you live before you decide what time of year to plant. 

In general, you’ll want to plan your apple tree either in the early Spring just as the ground thaws, OR you’ll want to plant it in the late Fall just before the ground freezes. Either option gives the tree’s roots ample time to get established with minimal pest damage.

Steps For Planting Your Apple Tree

To best set your apple tree up for success, you can use this checklist as you go through the planting process. This way, you won’t miss any steps and everything will be clear as you work on planting your apple tree. 

STEPS	TIPS
Dig a hole	Make sure the hole is deep enough for the entire root ball of the tree, but not any deeper.
Place the tree	The roots should be buried, but the area just above the roots of the tree should be visible.
Fill the hole	Pack the soil in and then evaluate to see if you need to add more. The replaced soil should be even with the surrounding ground.
Water your tree	Make sure to thoroughly water the tree once you have replaced the soil. The ground should be fully saturated.
Skip the fertilizer	It may seem like a good idea, but it can hurt a young tree!

Using Fertilizer Or Fertilized Soil For Your New Apple Tree

It might seem like using fertilizer is a good idea for a new tree, as it might provide extra nutrients and help the tree grow better and faster. But fertilizer is usually actually bad for young apple trees.

Fertilizer that is used on new trees can burn the roots, causing the tree’s growth to slow or stop. So don’t use fertilizer on your brand new, young apple tree! When you plant your tree, fill the hole with only replaced soil and water. 

When And How To Fertilize An Apple Tree

You can, however, and probably should, use fertilizer on mature apple trees. So once your tree has established itself and is mature, it’s a good idea to add fertilizer.

If you use fertilizer, consider using one specifically made for fruit trees, like this Down to Earth Organic Fruit Tree Fertilizer Mix. You can also supplement the soil around the tree while you are planting with fertilized soil like Miracle Gro Garden Soil for Trees and Shrubs. 

We recommend adding fertilizer twice a year, starting the year after you plant the tree. Put the fertilizer away from the trunk, though, starting at least 18 inches away from the trunk. Fertilizer is placed under the branches but not at the literal base of the tree. 

Using products like these can give your apple tree an extra boost as it produces fruit. But read the directions first, and look into the specifications for the type of apple tree you have chosen before you apply fertilizer or fertilizing soil. And, as always, keep fertilizers and fertilizer soil away from children and pets. 

That’s A Wrap!

Now you are ready to choose a location for your new apple tree and plant it when the time is right. 

Be sure that you don’t buy your tree too early, as you want to plant it as soon as you can rather than leave it in its temporary container or bag for very long. Ideally, try to plant a new tree within a day or two of purchasing it, whether it is a larger tree or a sapling. 

Younger trees need to be planted even sooner, though, as they are more vulnerable than more established trees. 

Keep in mind that, if you want a head start, you can choose to purchase a tree that has already grown quite a bit. Some gardening sources even provide trees that are already several feet tall or may even already bear some fruit. If you are in a hurry to grow your apples, you can start there. 

It is more cost-efficient, though, to start with a younger tree like a seedling or sapling. You will have to wait longer to see apples, but it might be more satisfying to grow your tree from a very young age. 

And if you are struggling to decide exactly what type of apple tree you want to plant, check out our post on the easiest apple tree varieties to grow! 

Happy planting!

References

Maggs, D. H. (1963). The reduction in growth of apple trees brought about by fruiting. Journal of Horticultural Science, 38(2), 119-128.

Quinlan, J. D., & Preston, A. P. (1971). The influence of shoot competition on fruit retention and cropping of apple trees. Journal of Horticultural Science, 46(4), 525-534.

Roussos, P. A., & Gasparatos, D. (2009). Apple tree growth and overall fruit quality under organic and conventional orchard management. Scientia Horticulturae, 123(2), 247-252.

Merwin, I. A., & Stiles, W. C. (1994). Orchard groundcover management impacts on apple tree growth and yield, and nutrient availability and uptake. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science, 119(2), 209-215.

Apple trees are an amazing addition to the yard that provide beautiful spring blossoms, summer shade, and fall fruit harvests. Whether you have an established apple tree or you’re thinking of planting one, you may be wondering what the best apple tree fertilizers are for your needs!

The most important nutrients in apple tree fertilizers are nitrogen, potassium, and calcium. The best apple tree fertilizer types are:

• General-purpose fertilizer
• Sulfate of potash (0-0-50)
• Potash-magnesium (0-0-22)
• Organic fertilizer
• Fertilizer spikes
• Liquid fertilizer
• Boron (only needed every 3-4 years)

Fertilizers are an important part of keeping your apple tree healthy. Below, we’ll go over the BEST apple tree fertilizers and give you some tips on how (and when) to use them!

How Does Fertilizer Help Apple Trees?

All trees require 16 essential nutrients to grow, produce fruits and flowers, and generally remain healthy. While this is true of all trees, each tree species relies a little more heavily on certain nutrients.

Apple trees require lots and lots of nitrogen, potassium, and calcium. These nutrients are used to create energy that is used to make fruits, flowers, new shoots, and root growth.

As an apple tree uses the nutrients from the soil, they are not always replaced as quickly as they are taken up. That’s where fertilizers come into play. 

Fruit Production Requires A Lot Of Nutrients

Not all trees require fertilizer, but apple trees and fruit trees in general usually need an application of fertilizer once or twice a year.

The reason is fruit production. Growing fruit requires a LOT of energy and nutrients! During the growing season, these nutrients are used faster than they can be replaced.

Fertilizers help replace the nutrients that the apple tree uses so that it can continue to grow and produce fruit without pause.

When there is a lack of nutrients in the soil, apple trees will slow fruit production and focus more on low-energy costs such as shoot growth or leaf production.

Apple Trees Are Nutrient Hogs

Apple trees can be pretty demanding of the environment where they are growing. They have five basic systems that need nutrients:

• Shoot growth
• Root growth
• Flowers
• Fruit
• Leaves

All of these systems require nutrients and water to continue growing and to stay healthy.

While almost all trees have the same five systems, apple trees are more demanding than most because they produce such large fruits.

According to Oregon State University, most fruit trees are considered ‘heavy feeders’ that displace a high volume of macronutrients. Macronutrients include nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

Each macronutrient helps the apple tree in different ways. For example, nitrogen is used more for growth while potassium is more involved in resisting pests and hardening off for winter.

As you can see, every nutrient plays a role in the health and fruit production of an apple tree, and these hogs will use every bit of nutrients they can find in the soil!

Apple Trees Must Make A Lot Of Leaves

Apples may be the most important part of the tree for most gardeners, but there’s a lot that goes into an apple tree producing a fresh, ripe apple that isn’t spoiled or sunburnt.

Leaves play a big part in the overall health of an apple tree as well as proper fruit production. To make leaves, apples need nutrients!

Fertilizers help apple trees to fill out and produce plenty of leaves. In turn, these leaves protect ripening apples from getting sunburned.

Yes, fruit can get sunburned!

According to the University of Minnesota, sunburn happens most frequently during hot, sunny weather and is more likely to affect apples on the outside of the tree than the inside. This is because the apples on the inside of the tree are protected by the leaves.

Apple Trees Need Strong Roots

Roots are an important part of every tree. We don’t usually see roots, so sometimes we forget how important they are!

Fertilizers help encourage growth both above and below the soil.

Roots are important to apple trees for a few reasons:

• Anchor the apple tree in place
• Stabilize the apple tree so it doesn’t blow over in a storm
• Absorb water
• Absorb nutrients

Adding fertilizer to the soil can help roots grow faster, thicker, deeper, and wider so that even when there is a dry spell, the tree will be able to reach a water source.

You must also make sure that your apple tree has PLENTY of sunlight.

Best Fertilizers For Apple Trees

The best way to tell what nutrients your apple tree needs is by doing a soil test. This will not only tell you what the soil is lacking, but it will also tell you the pH of your soil.

For apple trees, you want the soil to be a little bit acidic, around 6-6.5. If your soil pH is higher, you can use something like Bloom City Professional pH Down Liquid Fertilizer to bring the pH down.

If the pH is less than 6, you can apply lime to help bring it up. Check the pH often after applying either lime or an acidifier to make sure you’re in the right pH range.

Once you get the pH figured out, it’s time to move on to fertilizers. 

We’ll go over the specifics below, but you can refer to this table as a general overview of all the different kinds of fertilizers:

General Purpose Fertilizers Work Great

Not everyone has the time or funds to take a soil test. Sometimes, you just want to give your apple tree a boost without worrying about specific nutrients.

We totally get it!

That’s where general-purpose fertilizers come in. They are an excellent choice if you’re not sure what kind of soil you have in the yard.

Southern Ag All Purpose Granular Fertilizer has an NPK ratio (%nitrogen, %phosphorous, %potassium) of 10-10-10 which is very typical of all-purpose fertilizers. 

This particular fertilizer comes as granules that look like small pellets. They can be spread around the dripline of your tree.

Follow the directions on the label for the proper amount to apply. This is generally equal to ½ cup for every inch of trunk diameter.

General-purpose fertilizers are great to use when your apple tree isn’t growing as fast as you’d like. According to the University of New Hampshire, any apple tree that grows less than 8 inches per year should be treated with a general-purpose fertilizer.

Potassium Sulfate Works Great For Apple Trees

We’ve established that apple trees benefit from fertilizer, but choosing the right fertilizer can be a tricky topic!

Potassium sulfate is a type of fertilizer that contains both potassium and sulfur that are ready to be absorbed by the tree as soon as it enters the soil.

Unlike general-purpose fertilizers, potassium sulfate should only be used if there is a potassium deficiency in the soil. Potassium sulfate, also called sulfate of potash, has an NPK ratio of 0-0-50, meaning it doesn’t have any nitrogen or phosphorous.

Alpha Chemical’s 5 Pounds – Potassium Sulfate comes as granules that can be applied to the soil around your apple tree to improve potassium and sulfur deficiencies.

There are a few advantages to using potassium sulfate over other potassium fertilizers:

• Contains less chloride: apple trees, along with many other fruit trees, are sensitive to the chlorides that get added to many other fertilizers.
  
• Improves yield: potassium sulfate can help increase the number of apples produced each year and provide firmer apples.
  
• Sulfur: sulfur is not as important as the 3 big macronutrients, but it’s considered a secondary nutrient that helps in seed formation and the overall health of apple trees.

Potash-Magnesium Can Work Well On Apple Trees

Potash-magnesium, also known as sul-po-mag, has an NPK ratio of 0-0-22. Again, it contains no nitrogen or phosphorous.

The difference between potash-magnesium and sulfate of potash is that this fertilizer contains magnesium. Like sulfur, magnesium is not as important as the macronutrients but it’s still considered more important than the micronutrients.

Potash-magnesium is another fertilizer that should be used only when there is a deficiency in the soil. However, even if you didn’t get a soil test, there are some tell-tale signs that you need this type of fertilizer:

• Early fruit drop: This is not uncommon on healthy apple trees, but if premature fruit drop occurs in combination with other signs, it may be because the soil is deficient in magnesium.
  
• Tiny fruit: If your apples look more like grapes than apples, there may be a magnesium deficiency.
  
• Early ripening: Apples should be ripe enough to pick around September, give or take a month. If your apples appear to ripen in the middle of summer, it may be due to a lack of magnesium.

If you’re noticing any of these signs on your beloved apple tree, it might be time to stock up on some sul-po-mag!

Greenway Biotech’s Sul-Po-Mag 0-0-21.5 Sulfate of Potash Magnesia comes in a 3-pound bag with crystal granules that appear similar to coarse salt.

Read the label and directions for the proper amount to apply to your apple tree.

Organic Fertilizers Can Be Used For Apple Trees

Most of the fertilizers we’ve talked about so far are inorganic, meaning, they’re synthesized in a lab or factory.

Organic fertilizers are made from natural things like plants, animals, and animal waste. They’re a great choice if you want to skip all the synthetic and chemical fertilizers out there and go for a more natural approach.

Down To Earth’s Organic Fruit Tree Fertilizer Mix is designed specifically for fruit trees. It has an NPK ratio of 6-2-4 and comes in a 5lb box made of recycled cardboard.

Some of the ingredients in this fertilizer include natural items like:

• Feather meal
• Fish bone meal
• Calcium carbonate
• Alfalfa meal
• Kelp meal

This specific fertilizer also contains calcium and magnesium, two nutrients that are essential to the health of your apple tree.

Fertilizer Spikes Are An Easy Option

Fertilizers can be annoying to deal with. The granules must be spread around the dripline and can be dusty while liquid fertilizers must be added to water.

Fertilizer spikes are probably the simplest of ways to fertilize. You simply place the spikes in the ground and let them slowly dissolve in the soil, providing your apple tree with nutrients over a longer period.

Spikes are a good choice if you’d rather employ a ‘set and forget’ method of fertilizing. Miracle-Gro’s Fruit & Citrus Plant Food Spikes come with 12 spikes. The number of spikes needed will depend on the diameter of your apple tree’s drip line.

For example, an apple tree with a 10-foot diameter drip line will need 7 spikes according to the package directions.

The NPK ratio of these spikes is 15-5-10, which is close to a general-purpose fertilizer but has the added benefit of slowly releasing the nutrients over time instead of a quick burst.

The only time fertilizer spikes are not the best option would be if you have a specific nutrient deficiency or if you want a quick fix. These spikes are meant to be slow-releasing and will not fix a severe nutrient deficiency anytime soon!

Liquid Fertilizer Is A Good Option

Fertilizers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some are in pellet form, others crystal, and still, others come in liquid form.

Liquid fertilizers are meant to be diluted with water and applied to the soil or sometimes directly to the leaves of your apple tree. These types of fertilizers are water soluble, meaning they can be absorbed directly into the tree for a quick boost of nutrients.

Liquid fertilizers are a good choice if you notice a specific nutrient deficiency in your apple tree and want a fertilizer option that will be immediately available to your tree. 

In essence, liquid fertilizers are a “quick fix’”fertilizer.

AgroThrive Fruit and Flower Organic Liquid Fertilizer comes in a 32 oz bottle and has an NPK ratio of 3-3-5. This fertilizer must first be diluted with water before applying it to the soil.

Honorable Mention: You Might Need Boron!

While boron isn’t exactly a fertilizer, it’s worth mentioning that apple trees, specifically, will need a boost of boron once every 3-4 years.

If you’re opening your apples and seeing small, round, brown splotches in the flesh, your apple tree is deficient in boron. To fix this issue, it’s recommended to spread 1 cup of borax every 3-4 years or when you notice brown spots inside your apples.

How And When To Fertilize Your Apple Tree

Knowing how to use your fertilizer is almost as important as choosing the right fertilizer. Most commercial fertilizers will come with directions on the package label, so be sure to give those a look before using them on your apple tree.

According to Clemson University, the main roots that use fertilizer will typically be located in the top 10 to 14 inches of soil. This is a good thing to keep in mind as you do not need the fertilizer to sink deeply into the soil.

Additionally, if you’d like some suggestions, here are some of the easiest apple tree varieties to grow!

Water After Fertilizing

No matter which kind of fertilizer you decide to go with, it’s a good idea to water the soil after you apply it to the soil.

Watering will help work the fertilizer into the soil so that it becomes available to the roots of your apple tree.

If you don’t water the soil soon after fertilizing, it’s possible for the fertilizer to either blow away or react with the elements in the air and morph into something unusable by your apple tree.

Alternatively, you can wait to use fertilizer until you know it will rain and let nature take care of it!

Create A Regular Fertilizing Schedule

Getting on a regular fertilizing schedule will help keep your apple tree healthy.

Apple trees should be fertilized twice a year. It’s recommended to apply once in April and again in June.

Fertilizer applied in April should be before the tree begins to bloom. The fertilizer will help give your apple tree the nutrients it needs to produce flowers without running out of the nutrients it has stored up since winter.

The application of fertilizer in early June will help with fruit production. Apples take a lot of nutrients to make! Fertilizers will help your apple tree obtain the necessary nutrients to make those delicious red apples!

By applying fertilizers on a regular schedule, you’ll be providing your apple tree with the nutrients it needs at the right time.

Do Apple Trees Need Fertilizer Every Year?

So far, we’ve talked a lot about all the different fertilizers for apple trees and how to apply them, but we never talked about IF you should apply them.

Under normal circumstances, an application of fertilizer twice per year is great for your apple tree. However, there are some instances when you do not need to apply any fertilizer to your apple tree.

Identifying when and if you need fertilizer can be just as important to your apple tree’s health.

Apple Tree Growth Is An Indicator 

The overall growth of your apple tree is an excellent indicator of the need for fertilizer. If you apply fertilizer when the tree already has enough nutrients, you could risk root burn or an apple tree that focuses more on producing leaves than fruits.

If your apple tree is exceeding 8 inches of growth per year, you typically will not need to fertilize it unless it is showing specific deficiency symptoms.

When your apple tree is growing less than 8 inches per year, it’s a safe bet that a dual application of fertilizer will do it some good!

Look For Signs Of Deficiencies

Trees are pretty good at letting us know when they’re not getting enough nutrients or water from the environment.

Apple trees have a few telltale signs that they are lacking in certain nutrients:

• Yellowing leaves: leaves that have a yellow or bronze outer edge are likely lacking in potassium or magnesium.
  
• Pale leaves: pale leaves are an indication of nitrogen deficiency.
  
• Stunted growth: If your apple tree is slow-growing, it may be due to a nitrogen deficiency.
  
• Low fruit yield: this could be due to a lack of several different nutrients.
  
• Weird-shaped fruit: This is most likely caused by a boron deficiency.

If you notice anything off about your apple tree, it may need a fertilizer application. If the symptoms come on suddenly, a liquid fertilizer might be your best choice as this will be absorbed quickly by your apple tree.

Other slower-developing symptoms may be treated with an all-purpose fertilizer or a slow-release fertilizer such as spikes or potassium sulfate.

It’s not recommended to apply fertilizer too early or too late in the season. This can prevent apple trees from hardening off for the winter and will do more harm than good.

That’s A Wrap!

Apple trees make a great addition to the yard and can provide you and your family with more fruit than you could possibly eat each year!

Fruit production depends a lot on how many nutrients are available to your apple tree. Applying fertilizer regularly can help ensure your apple tree thrives each and every year!

While it may seem like you have endless options when it comes to fertilizers, which one you choose is largely based on the needs of your apple tree.

A soil test can help reveal what kind of nutrients are present in your yard and what kind of fertilizer might be best for your apple tree.

You can always talk with your local arborist who may have an idea of what the soil in your local area is like and they can recommend a good fertilizer to use for your apple tree!

If you have an old tree, take a look at the reasons why you may need to cut down your apple tree, along with the best time to do it!

References

Aguirre, P. B., Al-Hinai, Y. K., Roper, T. R., & Krueger, A. R. (2001). Apple Tree Rootstock and Fertilizer Application Timing Affect Nitrogen Uptake, HortScience HortSci, 36(7), 1202-1205.

Kopytko, P., Karpenko, V., Yakovenko, R., & Mostoviak, I. (2017). Soil fertility and productivity of apple orchard under a long-term use of different fertilizer systems. Agronomy Research, 15(2), 444-455.

Li, J., Liu, Y., Tang, Y. et al. Optimizing Fertilizer Management Based on Controlled-Release Fertilizer to Improve Yield, Quality, and Reduce Fertilizer Application on Apples. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 22, 393–405 (2022).

Murtić, S., Oljača, R., Koleška, I., Čivić, H. (2017). Apple Quality and Calcium Content as Affected by Fertilizer Treatment. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 26(5), 2107-2111.

Do apple trees need full sun? Yes, indeed they do; to grow big, juicy, tasty apples, the tree needs plenty of sunlight. Not any sunlight will do though, if your climate is exceptionally hot, you may need to plant them where they receive cooler morning light.

Without enough sunlight, apples can turn out bland, woody, and just unpleasant. Not enough sunlight can even prevent the tree from fruiting at all. Apple trees need sunlight to encourage growth, keep the tree strong, energy production, and for better tasting fruit.

These trees love the sun, but when the sun is too hot it can damage the fruits or the tree. Let’s go ahead and delve into the great wide world of apple trees and why they grow best in full sun.

1. Sunlight Encourages Growth Of Flowers And Apples

For an apple tree to produce those big, fat, fleshy fruits, it needs the sun to tell it to grow.

When the apple tree doesn’t get enough sunlight, it won’t produce flowers. When there are no flowers, then there won’t be any apples.

As fall begins to set in and the days shorten, the plant goes into flowering mode. As the earth tilts away from the sun, the light loses some intensity and the plant knows it’s time to flower. Apples are the opposite, but the same principle applies.

When the day’s sunlight increases, the apple tree notices and starts to flower. Without the increased sunlight, the tree won’t produce flowers. No flowers equal no apples.

2. Apple Production Requires Energy

We eat for energy—and because food tastes so darn good. Apples are a good source of energy as they contain a lot of natural sugars, plenty of fiber, and many other essential nutrients.

To produce a canopy full of these energy pods, the tree needs a lot of energy. Trees get their energy from photosynthesis which requires plenty of sunlight.

The tree’s leaves turn sunlight into sugars and energy, and when apple trees produce an excess of energy, they can store it in the apples.

Without plenty of sunlight, the tree won’t have those extra stores of sugar. This results in apples that end up either small and bland, or they won’t produce at all.

3. Apples Need Sunlight To Taste Good

When apple trees are shaded, or they don’t get at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day, the fruit ends up suffering. The tree may look beautiful and have a very healthy canopy of leaves, but the apples look small and weak.

When apples are grown in the shade their texture isn’t ideal. Shady apples can become hard, tasteless or bitter, and “woody.” Have you ever picked a small apple off the tree when you were younger, and bit into it only to feel like you were chewing a stick or rock?

If you’ve experienced this before, it’s most likely because the tree was growing in a shady area. Limited sunlight can also cause the apples to taste bland or too tart.

The sunlight is what creates the sweet sugars, and when they’re absent, you have an unappealing apple.

4. Sunlight Keeps Apple Trees Strong

When trees get everything they need to keep them healthy such as good soil, fertilizer, adequate water, and plenty of sunshine, they’re better equipped to handle problems. Wherever plants grow, bugs and pests will show up.

When an apple tree gets plenty of sunlight it tends to be stronger, which deters most insect pests, and helps the tree deal with fungus and infection, thus, strong, healthy trees are better able to deal with pests and sickness without much problem.

Apple trees that get plenty of sunlight are also better able to deal with pruning and can bounce back from damage. Heavy storms or high winds can cause branches to break, but stronger trees can bounce back and resist secondary problems resulting from damage.

5. Apple Trees Grow Faster In Full Sunlight

Apple trees planted in shady areas will still grow, but they won’t grow as fast. If you’re planting a sapling in hopes of getting apples from it soon, you need to make sure it gets plenty of sunlight, or you’ll be waiting much longer.

According to the University of Minnesota Extension, when apple trees get enough sunlight and nutrients, they can grow 12 to 18 inches per year.

If the apple tree is planted somewhere in the shade, then its growth will be stunted and it will grow much slower.

Can Apple Trees Get Too Much Sunlight?

Apple trees need at least 6 to 8 hours of full, unfiltered sunlight, but they do best when they get 10 to 12 hours per day.

But depending on the climate, too much sunlight can be harmful. These trees do love the sun, but they don’t handle extreme heat very well.

Head on over to our article about apple trees and their sun requirements, to learn more in-depth information! The reality is, yes they do need full sun – but there are limitations and things you need to address to ensure the health of your apple tree.

Too Much Sun Can Cause Sunburn On Trees!

If you live in a climate that sees extreme heat during much of the summer, then you’ll want to plant your tree somewhere it gets mild morning sun, and not the blistering hot afternoon sun.

According to the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, sunburn can damage the bark, foliage, and fruit, especially when the soil is dry, and temperatures are high. Newer plants with thin bark and new root systems are most susceptible.

Apple trees are susceptible to sunburn in excessive heat, especially young, newer plantings.

How To Combat Sunburn On Your Apple Trees

If you live in an area that experiences dry, very hot summers, here are a few tips to help prevent sunburn on your apple trees.

1. Plant your apple trees where they get morning sunlight, and are protected from the hot afternoon sun.
2. Look for eastern or northern-facing areas as the morning sun still delivers enough sunlight, but isn’t as intense as the afternoon sun.
3. Find a spot with some filtered afternoon sunlight so the tree isn’t getting cooked later in the day.

Another way to help prevent sunburn is to wrap your tree in a reflective or white wrap. Dewitt 3-Inch by 50-Foot Tree Wrap White is a great way to protect the tender new bark of an apple sapling. The white tape helps to keep the trunk cool and protects against sunburn.

Of course if your apple tree is too damages or isn’t producing enough fruit, this could be a reason to cut your apple tree down.

Apple Sunscald Can Happen In The Winter

What the heck is sunscalding you ask? The short answer is; it’s basically a sunburn in the winter.

What happens is moisture or sap underneath the tree’s bark freezes during a cold spell, then the sun comes out and thaws the moisture. While this doesn’t harm the tree, if the sap then refreezes, the expansion can cause cell and tissue damage to the tree.

Symptoms of sunscald include loose, flaking bark, or dried, cracked, exposed wood underneath, or on the west side of the tree. It can be on the trunk or branches.

Wrapping your tree can work to help prevent this as well!

Can Apple Trees Get Too Much (Or Too Little) Sun On Cloudy Days?

A few cloudy days won’t harm your apple tree. They are still getting some sunlight, even if the clouds cover every inch of the sky for as far as you can see. The sun isn’t as intense with the cloud cover but it’s better than nothing.

A handful of cloudy days won’t cause any harm to your trees. They may slow down growth for a little bit, but it will be so incremental that you’ll not notice it.

Now, if you live in an area that routinely has more cloudy days than sunny ones, your apple trees will be affected. In this case, you’ll need to figure out what part of your property gets the most sun and make the most of it when you do get sunny days.

However, there are some really easy-growing apple tree variations that we recommend trying, and hey, some may even be better for cloudy days! Head on over to our article about the easiest growing apple trees for more information!

Try Out Reflective Mulch On Cloudy Days!

Before you ask what that is, let me go ahead and explain. Reflective mulch may be self-explanatory, but it’s actually not silver-painted wood chips or anything of that nature (it’s what my mind thought of when I first heard of it).

Reflective mulch is basically a polyethylene plastic sheeting that reflects the sunlight back up to the bottom of the plants. It has been proven to help vegetable crops and smaller garden crops grow better and fight off certain pests.

The applications have recently been applied to orchards with positive results. Apple trees that get a treatment of reflective mulch end up getting more viable apples. So, if you live in an area that has a lot of overcast days, you might try this out.

Silver Metallic Plastic Mulch 4 Ft X 50 Ft is one option to really reflect the light back up into the tree. This way when the clouds are out, your tree is getting double the sunlight. Apples may grow bigger and tastier with this reflective mulch.

You Can Also DIY It!

For those of you who like to stay on a budget or are avid DIY’ers, you can make your own reflective mulch.

Just get a few old cardboard boxes and wrap them in aluminum foil. Then take your foil-lined cardboard and stake them down underneath your tree.

These methods may help you to grow apples in cloudy environments, just keep an eye on your trees if the sun returns and tries to make up for all the cloudy days.

Can You Grow Apple Trees Indoors?

This is sort of a trick question because you certainly can grow apple trees indoors. Yes, there’s a “but” coming, apple trees can be grown indoors, but you may not get any apples.

First, most apples need a pollinator that gathers pollen from a separate apple tree to get fruit. That’s why when you plant apple trees, you typically need at least two different varieties. Crabapple trees will even work as a cross-pollinator.

There are apple trees that don’t need another tree, but the flowers still need to be pollinated. That’s usually pretty difficult to attain while the trees are indoors. You can be the pollinator, but that’s difficult.

Steps To Growing Apple Trees Indoors

When attempting to grow apple trees indoors and you want to have them produce fruit, there are a few things to consider.

The first is height. Apple trees can grow over 20 feet, so you’ll want to find a dwarf variety.

If you’d like to grow apple trees in your yard, I encourage you to read our apple tree growing guide here!

1. You Need The Right Tree

Secondly, you’ll need to address pollination.

You can do this by purchasing a different variety of dwarf apple trees, or by getting a self-pollinating, dwarf, apple tree. That may prove to be a little difficult.

2. Address The Lighting

As we have discussed, sunlight is essential, not only for the plant but for apple production as well.

If you have a sunroom or a large window that gets plenty of light you might be able to get your indoor apple tree to fruit, the northern-facing window may be the best option!

The sunlight won’t get so hot from these directions, but you’ll need to make sure your apple tree is getting at least 8 hours of sunlight. If you don’t see fruit on your tree for over three years, and it’s mature enough to start fruiting, you’ll have to put it outside.

3. Put Your Apple Tree On The Patio

Even though it’s in a pot and getting plenty of sunlight inside, putting your apple tree outdoors during the late spring, and summer will help it get enough sunlight.

When the tree is flowering it will help attract butterflies, honeybees, and other pollinators, which are essential to getting big apples.

Just watch the tree’s water needs as the soil will dry out faster outside. As the tree starts producing fruit, water needs increase as well.

There We Have It!

That’s why apple trees grow best in full sun!

Apple trees need full sunlight to:

• Produce flowers and fruit
• To create enough energy to grow apples
• To make sure the apples still taste delicious
• To keep the trees strong and healthy
• To increase the growth rate

A few cloudy days won’t hurt your apple trees or their production, but extended sunless days will. Too much or too intense sun can also negatively affect your apple trees.

You can also grow apple trees indoors, though producing apples may take some extra steps. Make sure you address pollination (have more than one tree), get a tree that won’t grow through your ceiling (dwarf variety), and give it enough sunlight.

Now that you know what your apple trees need, get out there, channel your inner Johnny Appleseed, and plant some apple trees.

References:

Rom, Curt R. “Light thresholds for apple tree canopy growth and development.” HortScience 26.8 (1991): 989-992.

Rom, Curt R. “Light distribution in and photosynthesis of apple tree canopies.” III International Workshop on Temperate Zone Fruits in the Tropics and Subtropics 279. 1988.

Mika, Augustyn, et al. “Effects of orchard mulching with reflective mulch on apple tree canopy irradiation and fruit quality.” Journal of Fruit and Ornamental Plant Research 15 (2007): 41.

Volz, Richard K., D. Stuart Tustin, and Ian B. Ferguson. “Pollination effects on fruit mineral composition, seeds and cropping characteristics of ‘Braeburn’apple trees.” Scientia horticulturae 66.3-4 (1996): 169-180.

Apple trees can be some of the best types of trees to grow. But with more than 2,000 types of apple trees in the United States, choosing a variety can be really difficult.

Some of the easiest types of apple trees to grow include granny smith, red delicious, gala, golden delicious, cripps pink, braeburn, honeycrisp, fuji, McIntosh, and crabapple. Many apple tree varieties grow well in a number of varying climates and types of conditions, including cold temperatures.

Read on to learn about the easiest types of apple trees to grow along with some tips to help you grow your apple tree to its fullest potential. Let’s get to it!

Getting Started Before You Plant Your Apple Tree

One very important factor that you must keep in mind when planting any apple tree is that apple trees, no matter the variety, are only able to produce apples if they are in somewhat close proximity to another type of apple tree for pollination.

The general rule is that your apple tree must be within about 100 feet of another apple tree, and it cannot be the same variety as the apple tree in question.

Crabapples, which are fairly common in many neighborhoods in the United States, count, so if there is a crabapple tree near your new apple tree, you are in luck!

We have a beautiful crab apple tree at our family home – here’s a picture of it below. It’s been here for as long as I can remember!

The crabapple tree is off to the right side! Now, back to what we were talking about here.

If you scope out the surroundings and do not find any other apple trees around, you will need to plant a second apple tree along with the one you had planned.

If you have the room, you can simply choose a second variety of apple tree and plant it next to your new one, or you can put it in another part of your yard or garden, as long as it is not too far away. Again, your goal is to have the trees within 100 feet of each other.

If you are short on space, you can consider downsizing one or both trees to dwarf apple trees, which are quite popular and produce fruit even faster than standard-sized apple trees. 

Whichever method you choose, keep this in mind before you start planting so you can make sure you have everything ready for your tree’s first season of bearing fruit. You can even choose two varieties from this list to make things easy on yourself. 

Some Differences Between Types Of Apple Trees

It may seem that, when choosing an apple tree variety, you really only have to consider the type of apple it produces. After all, many people have a favorite type of apple.

Some people like the super sweet varieties and some people prefer the more sour and tart apples. Some people like their apples to have that almost mealy quality, while some people prefer their apples to be crisp.

Also, some types of apples are better in different types of baked goods than others. Many people, for example, prefer the crisp tartness of Granny Smith apples for baking apple pies, while some prefer the softer varieties of apples like Red Delicious for treats like apple butter.

If you ever have the chance, check out Snap-Dragon apples, they’re SO good!

Choosing a type of tree based on the type of apple you want to grow is certainly a great place to start, and it’s something you should keep in mind as you make your selection.

For example, different varieties of apple trees can endure varying levels of frost. Also, different varieties of apple trees can be different in how their limbs and branches are shaped or in how dense the leaves and branches are at the crown of the apple tree. 

Now onto the good stuff. We’ve rounded up 10 varieties of apple trees that are among the easiest to grow. Read on as we discuss each type, including what makes it different from other types of apple trees!

The Easiest Apple Trees To Grow In Your Yard Or Home Orchard

If you are considering planting an apple tree near your home for personal use, you probably are not as concerned with the commercial viability of the tree or trees you choose.

You ARE probably concerned with planting a tree that is easy to care for and produces delicious apples every fall. So without further-ado, here are some of the easiest apple varieties to grow at home.

If you’re interested, I recommend bookmarking our page on how to grow apples In your yard once you pick a variety!

Granny Smith Apple Trees

Granny Smith is one of the most popular varieties of apple, and it is one that you will almost always find stocked in any grocery store across the United States. 

The crisp, tart apples with green peel are great alone or in pies, and the trees that produce them are among some of the most popular varieties of apple tree. Granny Smith apples are many people’s favorites because of that sour taste and crisp texture. 

The crispness of Granny Smith apples also helps them hold up well when being baked in that they don’t fall apart or become too soggy. If you plan to do a lot of baking with the harvest of your new mini orchard, this might be a perfect addition. 

Granny Smith apples are usually ready to pick and eat in the late fall, around Halloween. This is another reason to consider this variety of apple, as it is one of the later varieties in regard to the time of year it is ready for be picked. 

Red Delicious Apple Trees

The red delicious apple might be the quintessential apple. The characteristic red peel that gives this apple its name is also what makes it look like the iconic apple that is seen so much in our culture. 

What kind of apple is in practically every cartoon? They usually look a lot like a red delicious! And every illustration of an apple used to represent school days looks like that iconic bright red apple, the red delicious. 

Red delicious apples are not as crisp or as tart as Granny Smith apples, and they are quite a bit sweeter. 

There can be different strains of the same variety of apple tree, and there are at least 250 strains of red delicious apple trees.

According to the National Parks Service, there are more red delicious apples grown in the United States than any other type of apple. 

This popularity may be indicative not only of how much people like this particular type of apple, but also of how easy it is to grow red delicious apples in varying parts of the country. 

Gala Apple Trees

Like Braeburn apples, Gala apples also come from New Zealand. According to Connecticut Apples, these apples are ready for harvest earlier than some other varieties, and can be picked in late September.

If you are in a hurry to harvest some apples, this variety might be a good choice because it is one of the types of apples that is ready the soonest each fall. 

Gala apples are sweet but they are also crips, so they capture some of the qualities of multiple other types of varieties, which likely contributes to their popularity. They are easy to find in grocery stores and would likely be a popular fruit for you to grow at your own home. 

Golden Delicious Apple Trees

Golden delicious apples may sound as though they are a different colored variety from red delicious apples, but, according to the National Parks Service, they are actually not connected to red delicious apples by anything except their name and the fact that both are types of apples. 

These apples, as their name indicates, have a golden yellow peel once they are ripe. They are sweet apples that are not very crisp. These are great apples for baking and making cider. 

Cripps Pink Apple Trees

Cripps Pink apples are also sometimes called Pink Lady apples.

These apples actually originated in Australia and get their name, like so many other apples, from the color of their peel, which is such a pale red that it looks pink!

Cripps pink apples are fairly tart with a touch of sweetness to their flavor, and they are great for a number of purposes, so this might be a good fit for your personal orchard. 

Braeburn Apple Trees

If you find it difficult to decide between a tart apple and a sweet one, the Braeburn apple might be perfect for you. These apples are known for their combination flavor of sweet and tart. 

Braeburn apples originated in New Zealand, but now they are grown in many parts of the United States, including in backyards like yours. According to the National Parks Service, Braeburn apples first arrived in North America in 1952, and they were a hit. 

If you want a type of apple that is good to eat on its own or that also works in baked goods, apple butter, or even cider, consider the Braeburn apple for its multiple purposes. 

Honeycrisp Apple Trees

The honeycrisp apple is the state fruit of Minnesota. According to the state of Minnesota, honeycrisp apples are the produce of a project at the University of Minnesota that sought to create a new type of apple that could withstand both very cold temperatures, like those found frequently in Minnesota, and still produce great apples.

The result is the honeycrisp apple, which can now be purchased in grocery stores all over the United States.

Honeycrisp apples, true to their name, are both sweet and crisp. They ripen in the earlier part of the fall. They are generally one of the most expensive apples because they are HUGE. While the price per pound is average, the average weight of a honeycrisp apple is usually double that of normal varieties.

Fuji Apple Trees

The Fuji apple, as its name implies, is actually native to Japan. Fuji apples are made in part from red delicious apples.

Fuji apples are somewhat similar to red delicious apples, and they have a sweet flavor. This might be a great choice if you want to use your fruit to make apple juice! 

McIntosh Apple Trees

If you’ve ever smelled one of the most iconic fall scents from a famous candle company, you might be familiar with McIntosh apples.

McIntosh apples originated in Ontario, Canada, in the early 19th century, and they have a long harvest season because they do not all ripen at the same time, even on the same tree. 

Crabapple Trees

While this may not be the tree you choose to grow for edible fruit, it can still be a great apple tree to include in your yard or garden.

For one thing, crabapple trees are super easy to grow and they can provide that pollination that is necessary for another type of apple tree to bear edible fruit each year. 

Crabapples have a somewhat bad reputation for being non-edible, but they are actually totally edible. They are just much smaller than other apple varieties, so they usually end up discarded on the ground or eaten by wildlife like deer or squirrels. Only the actual fruit is edible.

Some Tips About Choosing Apple Trees For Extreme Climates

Some apple trees do not necessarily fall into the category of easy to grow if you live in a more extreme climate, like one that is very cold or one that is very dry.

Here are some quick tips for types of apple trees you might consider if you live in one of these types of more extreme environments.

Apple Trees Better Suited To Very Cold Climates

There are a few varieties of apple trees that will be a little easier to grow if you live in a very cold climate.

These varieties include apple trees like Beacon apples, State Fair apples, and the appropriately named Snow apples. 

Honeycrisp apples also do fairly well in cold climates, so that is one from our list that you might consider if you live somewhere cold. The University of Maine recommends that you do not try to grow some types in cold climates, though, such as Granny Smith apples. 

Apple Trees Better Suited To Very Dry Climates

If you live somewhere very dry, like in the southwest or a desert environment, you might want to consider some other types of apple trees that grow a little better in these types of conditions.

Dry climates can also work well for some of the more popular types, as well. For example, Some varieties that cross over from our list to the list provided by the Utah State University Extension for good dry climate apples include Gala apples, Honeycrisp apples, Fuji apples, and Golden Delicious apples. 

Some of other types for dry climates include Cameo apple trees, Ideared apples, and Mutsu apples

Apple trees are also one of the best fruit trees for rocky soil, which you’ll find in drier climates.

Tips For Growing Healthy Apple Trees

Now that you have chosen a variety or two of apple trees to plant, you might want to consider some of these tips to help you grow a strong, healthy tree that produces a lot of fruit year after year. 

Make Sure Your Apple Tree’s Soil Is Well Drained

Apple trees do need to be well watered, but it is also very important that they are not left for any length of time in standing water. There are a number of ways to check this if you want to make sure that you are not accidentally suffocating your apple tree. 

One tool that might be useful is a moisture gauge for the soil under your apple tree, like this Soil Moisture Sensor Meter that you simply place in the ground to help you see how much moisture is in the soil.

If you have soil with a lot of clay in it, that can be a big problem for water drainage.

One solution is to mix some sandy soil with the soil under your tree, which you can do before you plant the apple tree (and this is probably the easiest method) or even after you have planted the tree, if you discover that water drainage is a problem.

Also, make sure that you only grow certain plants under your apple tree if you plan on doing that as well.

Make Sure Your Apple Tree Gets Enough Sunlight

Apple trees need full sun to reach their full potential. This means that they ideally would receive at least 8 hours of sunlight every day.

To read more about the details of how to provide the best sunlight for your apple tree, check out our post on why your apple tree needs full sun (and where to plant it). 

To give your tree an added boost, consider adding a fruit tree fertilizer. You should not do this when you first plant the tree but wait until it has been established for a while.

At that point, though, you can add fertilizer on a regular basis (usually once or twice a year) that can help boost not only your tree’s growth but also its fruit production.

One such product you might like to try is Dr. Earth Natural Wonder Organic Fruit Tree Fertilizer. This fertilizer is, as the name states, organic!

That’s A Wrap!

Now that you have learned more about ten of the easiest kinds of apple trees to grow and the types of apples they produce, you can make an informed decision about which type of apple tree or trees you want to plant in your yard.

Just remember to plant your trees in full sunlight, make sure their soil is well drained, and consider adding some fertilizer over the years. Then get ready to enjoy your fall apple harvest every year!

If you have an old apple tree that needs to make room for a new apple tree in your yard, read our guide on the reasons to cut down your apple tree!

References

Haynes, R. J., & Goh, K. M. (1980). Variation in the nutrient content of leaves and fruit with season and crown position for two apple varieties. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research, 31(4), 739-748.

Nenko, N. I., Kisileva, G. K., Ulyanovskaya, E. V., & Karavaeva, A. V. (2018). Winter resistance of the apple-tree varieties in the south of Russia. Austrian Journal of Technical and Natural Sciences, (3-4), 3-10.

Apple trees can make a wonderful addition to any yard or garden. They look great, they provide shade, and, perhaps most importantly, they grow delicious apples! If you have been thinking about planting an apple tree, you might have wondered whether you should plant it in a place with lots of sunlight or with some type of shade from another tree’s canopy or the cover of a building.

Though apple trees can tolerate some shade, they grow fastest and strongest in full sun. Apple trees are healthiest when they get at least eight hours of direct sunlight every day. Abundant sunshine is necessary for the best chance of growing lots of healthy apples on your apple tree each year.

Read on for some tips about how to choose a spot, how to make sure your apple tree continues to receive full sun throughout its life, and whether the climate of your home will have a dramatic impact on the growth and fruit production of your apple tree.

How To Determine If Your Environment Is Right For An Apple Tree

It takes a lot of energy for a tree to grow strong and to produce a lot of fruit, like apples. And the way that trees get their energy is through the process of photosynthesis, which is most simply defined as the way that plants convert sunlight into energy.

In order to have a lot of energy, a plant needs a lot of sunlight, and this is definitely something your apple tree will need if it is going to grow well and produce a large number of apples every fall. 

According to the Clemson’s Home and Garden Information Center, if you want your apple tree to thrive and produce a lot of healthy apples every year, you should make sure it gets a lot of sun for as much of the day as possible.

The first thing to consider when deciding whether or not to plant an apple tree is whether you live in an environment that is going to be conducive to a healthy apple tree and healthy fruit.

If you live in a very cloudy place or a very cold place, this can get a little tricky. But that doesn’t mean you need to abandon the whole idea. It turns out that apples grow really well in many cold climates, so no matter where you live, the temperature may not be an issue.

Read on for the details about how to determine if your climate and environment will be good for a new apple tree!

Growing An Apple Tree In A Cloudy Location

Apple trees love full sun, so you might be wondering if an apple tree is a good option for those who live in very cloudy places with lots of rainfall and not too much regular sunshine.

The sad reality is that, while apple trees can survive in these types of environments, they do not grow as well if there is a lot of consistent rain or cloud cover. 

Apple trees need full sunlight at least some of the time, so if you do not live somewhere with at least a medium number of sunny days, you might want to consider a different type of tree.

You can try growing an apple tree, and it will probably survive, but you should be prepared for its growth to be slower and for it to produce less fruit in the summer and fall than its counterparts that live in sunnier places.

If you want to try growing an apple tree in a cloudy place, try to find the most sunlight possible near your home. This usually means looking for a spot that gets southern light exposure, as that will stay the sunniest the longest.

To find the best spot, go outside during different times of the day on the same day and see where there is shade and where there is sun. Choose a sunny day to do this if you can, as this will optimize the sunlight your tree receives both on rare sunny days and on days that are cloudy, as some sunshine does make its way through those clouds.

Even if you live somewhere with a lot of cloud cover or even a lot of rain, you can still plant an apple tree.

Keep in mind, though, that the fruit production of a tree grown under a lot of cloud cover or without abundant sunshine will produce little to no fruit. So try to expect this so you won’t be too disappointed in the autumn.

Growing An Apple Tree In A Cold Climate

You might think that, because apple trees love sunshine and do not grow as well in cloudy places, they might not grow well in cold places.

But, actually, that is not the case at all! Apple trees can grow very well and even thrive in cold environments as long as they get enough light. 

Apple trees are hardy trees when it is cold out, so don’t think that a need for sunshine is the same as a need for warmth. There are some varieties of apple trees that grow better in cold climates than others, and many of these are famous for the cold climates in which they first originated or are most often grown.

For example, the Wolf River apple gets its name from (as you might guess) the Wolf River, which is in Wisconsin, a notoriously chilly state. Wisconsin, in fact, has a lot of apple orchards and grows a number of varieties despite its cold winter temperatures. 

Surprisingly, the state that produces the most apples is Washington—a state that is known for both cool weather and clouds! According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Washington State, in fact, is responsible for more than half of the apples the United States grows every year!

Other states that weigh in on a significant percentage of United States apple production are MIchigan and New York (my hometown state!), another set of states with cool autumns and cold winters.

If you are curious about the temperature of your yard’s soil at any time, though, you can use a thermometer designed for soil temperature, like this one from the Urban Worm Store, to tell you exactly how warm or cold the soil is at any given time.

If you do live somewhere cold, there are some tips that can help you take the best care of your apple tree.

For example, according to Michigan State University, you can plant your apple tree on a hill that isn’t too steep. This method actually helps keep cold air from lingering near your tree, and this in turn means that it is less likely that frost or freezing temperatures will harm your apple tree.

Keep in mind that there are many apple tree varieties that not only survive cold temperatures and even snow, ice, and freezing soil, but they thrive in it and produce a great deal of fruit every child autumn. So don’t let cold weather deter you from planting an apple tree.

Finding The Best Spot For Planting Your Apple Tree

Once you have determined whether your house, garden, or orchard is well suited for an apple tree, it’s time to choose a spot to plant it.

Whether you live in a shade climate, a sunny climate, or something in between the two, you should choose a sunny day to pick the spot for your apple tree. This will give you the best sense of how to locate the optimate sunny spot for planting your apple tree.  

How To Scout For A Sunny Apple Tree Planting Spot

Choose a sunny day. If you scout for a spot on a cloudy day, you might be left guessing about how much sun a certain area of your yard or garden actually gets throughout the day.

If you look at your yard on a day that the sun is out all day or most of the day, you will be able to clearly see the amount of sunlight on any given part of your yard throughout the day.

You will need to start early, as soon as sunlight starts to hit your yard directly. Note which areas of the yard or garden are sunniest early in the morning.

Morning light tends to be better for most plants than afternoon light, but apple trees want so much light that afternoon shade is not necessary or even desirable. So it doesn’t matter whether your yard gets more light in the morning or afternoon. The overall goal when planting an apple tree is just as much light as possible.

But finding morning sunlight is very important. The Utah State University Extension Office notes that morning sunlight is very useful for helping your apple tree dry if it has been rained on overnight or dew has collected outside.

Apple trees do not like to sit in a lot of water, so drainage is very important to keep their roots healthy. Morning sunlight can help with this.

Once you have spotted the morning sunlight, keep notes throughout the day. Maybe some light changes depending on the shadows cast by your house, garage, or outdoor building.

It is possible that other trees are not in the way in the morning, but later in the day they start to cast a shadow over your potential planting spot. These are the things you want to note so you can try to find a spot that adjusts for these potential shady problems.

Pay careful attention to the light at the end of the day. Most apple trees will grow even better if they are still getting some sunlight in the late afternoon, so if you find a spot that is sunny in the morning and still getting light as the sun starts to set, you may have found the perfect spot.

Fortunately, you don’t need to worry about shade underneath the tree. Here are the best plants to plant under an apple tree! (Hint: they tolerate shade!)

Some Things To Watch Out For As You Check Sunlight In Your Yard

As you are tracking the sunlight throughout the day, keep in mind the time of year. The sun may set early if you are scouting in the fall or winter, so you will then just have to try to project where the light may fall if the sun were up longer.

Another thing to look for is the age and size of the trees near where you want to plant your apple tree. If you have a young tree, a seedling, or a sapling planted in your yard, you will only be seeing the current shade it casts, not the shade that will change every year as your young tree grows bigger and bigger.

Try to consider the potential size of that tree’s canopy and plan for it as a mature tree, to make sure it will not eventually cast too much shade on your apple tree.

Even a little bit of shade can have a big impact on your apple tree, causing it to grow more slowly and produce fewer apples.

So pay careful attention to this step so you can set your apple tree up for success from the very beginning.

If you want to make sure you are getting an accurate idea of the amount of light any place in your yard or garden is getting throughout the day, you can try a tool that measures sunlight.

This 3-in-1 Soil Tester, Plant Moisture Meter Light and PH Tester, for instance, tells you how much sunshine a plant gets throughout the day.

You can try it on a spot that doesn’t have anything planted in it yet to help you determine how much light an apple tree might get if you planted it there. 

You Need At Least 2 Apple Trees To Grow Apples

This tip doesn’t have anything to do with sunlight, but it can determine whether your apple tree produces a lot of apples or none at all.

Apple trees can only produce full fruit if they are planted within about 100 feet of another apple tree–and, it is very important to note, that second apple tree cannot be the same variety as the one you are planting. This is because apple trees require the pollen from other nearby apple trees in order to grow fruit!

So, for example, if you are planting a Mcintosh apple tree, you have to make sure it is planted fairly close to another apple tree that is not a Mcintosh. It can be anything else, though, including a crabapple.

One of the easiest ways to solve this problem is to scout your neighborhood or even your own yard or garden to see if there are any other apple trees around, including crabapples.

If you find one, you don’t have to worry. But if you do not find one within 100 feet, you will need to plant two apple trees.

This is not necessarily a bad problem to have! If you have the space, you can plant two standard size apple trees of two different varieties at the same time. Now you will have double the fruit in the fall!

If you do not have a lot of space, that does not mean that you have to abandon the whole idea, though. You can simply change the size of the apple tree you plan to plant.

Apple trees are frequently available in dwarf varieties, which are just smaller-sized apple trees. While they might be smaller, they still produce a lot of fruit, and, as a bonus, they tend to mature to fruit growing age faster than standard-sized trees. So you might have apples even earlier if you plant dwarf trees anyway.

If you are very ambitious about growing apples and are planning to start your own small orchard, something to consider is how to enhance the pollination of your apple tree or trees.

According to North Carolina Historic Sites, some orchards make use of actual beehives in the orchard or garden as a way to encourage more pollination by way of bees!

If beekeeping is not in your future, though, planting your apple tree in relatively close proximity to another type of apple tree is a simple way to ensure fruit every year. 

Make Sure To Prune Yearly And Keep Your Apple Tree Irrigated

Now, keep in mind that it’s very important to prune your apple tree each year, as this will help clear out dead branches, making way for new ones to bear fruit in the fall.

The best time to prune an apple tree is in the winter or perhaps early spring, though this is something you don’t need to worry about until the tree has grown enough to be pruned. Just keep it in mind for your future growing tree.

Also, remember to consider the soil in which you plant your apple tree. Apple trees do not do well in standing water, so soil with a lot of clay in it can be problematic. Sandy soil can help, and you can even add some to your planting area if needed.

The key is to keep the soil around your apple tree well watered but also well drained. Too much water can deprive the apple tree’s roots of oxygen.

If your apple tree is diseased or damaged, however, pruning will not be enough. If any of these reasons to cut down your apple tree apply, it might be better to give it the axe.

That’s A Wrap!

You’ve considered your climate, the common temperatures of your region throughout the year, and the amount of cloud cover your yard tends to get throughout the various seasons.

You’ve looked at the sunlight in your yard and considered the potential shade from buildings, structures, and other trees, including those that have not yet grown to maturity.

You’ve checked for another variety of apple tree within 100 feet of your chosen planting spot, or you have planned to plant two different types of apple tree in your yard.

Once this checklist is complete, you are ready to plant your new apple tree! If you need some pointers, check out how to grow apples in your yard (and how long they take).

Happy planting, and enjoy those apples!

References

Barden, J. A. (1977). Apple Tree Growth, Net Photosynthesis, Dark Respiration, and Specific Leaf Weight as Affected by Continuous and Intermittent Shade1. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science, 102(4), 391-394.

Lakso, A. N., & Musselman, R. C. (1976). Effects of Cloudiness on Interior Diffuse Light in Apple Trees1. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science, 101(6), 642-644.

Rom, C. R. (1991). Light thresholds for apple tree canopy growth and development. HortScience, 26(8), 989-992.

Apple butter, applesauce, and apple pie are all fantastic reasons to have an apple tree in your yard. But what happens when your apple tree isn’t doing as well as expected? When is it time to cut it down and start over again?

It’s time to cut down your apple tree if it’s damaged, attracting pests, or the tree is dying. Homegrown mature apple trees can produce around 600 apples per year under proper conditions. These apples can attract a variety of wildlife including deer, birds, squirrels, chipmunks, and raccoons.

Interested in learning more about when it’s time to say goodbye to your apple trees? Read on below for our suggestions on the best way to cut down your apple tree and our recommendations to help you get the job done quickly.

Here’s Why You Should Cut Down Your Apple Tree

Contrary to popular belief, trimming or cutting down your apple tree may be the best thing for it! Regular trimming of branches can help encourage healthy growth, ensuring your tree has a long and happy life ahead of it.

As you’ll read in the next section, even cutting the tree down entirely doesn’t mean your apple-picking days are done forever.

Trimming or cutting your tree may be a good option if your tree is damaged, dying, or if it’s grown too tall to harvest from easily. You also may want to consider cutting down the tree if it’s past the point of rescue, if it’s dangerous, or if it is causing other damage to your property.

Here are the reasons you specifically should consider cutting down your apple tree:

1. To Remove Dying Branches

In their article “Rejuvenating Old Apple Trees,” The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection states that if a trunk is split into two or it lacks more than a few branches that look healthy and growing, it may be time to cut down the tree entirely.

However, if most of the tree is still healthy, it’s likely the afflicted parts simply need to be removed, so it has a chance to truly thrive. Therefore, it’s essential to inspect your tree regularly, so you can catch any signs of browning branches or affected fruit early and treat them appropriately before they spread.

Once you cut down any affected branches, you’ll want to discard any trimmed limbs by burning or transporting them elsewhere.

2. To Remove Tree Damage

If something has physically damaged your tree, it’s better to remove any damaged portions early before issues or pests cause issues.

If there is significant damage, at best, damaged limbs won’t produce fruit. At worst, they may fall off without warning, acting as a future danger to anyone who may pass beneath them.

Trees may become damaged from storms, long-term problems, or even from animals. Deer, in particular, love to make a snack of the fruit and bark or to chew on tender young saplings.

If you find deer are making quick work of your orchard, you might want to use a product like the Voglund Nursery Mesh Tree Bark Protector to prevent any damage from occurring to the trunk, especially when the tree is young.

If your tree is damaged, it’s worth your time and energy to remove any limbs (or the whole tree, if necessary), to prevent any future dangers and to help encourage healthy growth.

An apple tree that doesn’t need to waste its resources on damaged sections can better concentrate on growing strong new branches.

3. To Reduce Excessive Growth

An apple tree canopy that grows unchecked makes life harder for both the tree and you. For example, a tree with limbs too close together can be hard to prune.

It also may be difficult to reach areas to spray for pesticides, and you might have a tough time picking and harvesting fruit.

Consider using the Tabor Tools Bypass Lopper for your pruning needs. Meant for heavier branches, this tool will make quick work of overcrowded areas, allowing you to safely and easily remove excessive growth without a fuss.

4. To Encourage More Apples To Grow

A tree packed full of branches and apples may be a beautiful sight, but it’s not always in the tree’s best interest to allow new growth to go wild.

Interior areas of the trees that see little light see higher rates of problems, more pests, and fewer happy, healthy apples overall. That’s why it’s best to trim any tall vertical branches, drooping limbs, or new growth causing significant amounts of shade.

One study by the Institute of Horticulture even showed that reducing the amount of fruit in an area can lead to larger apples being grown, meaning that by cutting back your apple tree, you’ll soon be on your way to swimming in pies and cider!

In addition, older trees produce less plentiful and lower quality fruit, so cutting down a portion of your older trees can help extend its growing years by allowing the tree to concentrate its energy and resources.

Usually, these older trees are used for pie fruit / filler anyways rather than snacking apples.

5. To Create New And Strong Limbs

While removing limbs from your apple tree may seem counter-productive, you’re doing your leafed friend a favor!

Thinning out a tree allows additional sunlight to reach the interior of the plant, and removing smaller limbs can help your tree devote resources toward growing and producing additional fruit.

If you’re worried about your tree looking too bare, don’t be too concerned. Oregon State University reports that cutting down a portion of an apple tree can help encourage entirely new limbs to grow.

Just a tip: After trimming and pruning away excess limbs, expect any new branches that appear to take two years to produce fruit.

6. Your Apple Tree Is Too Tall

Apple trees will happily grow upwards as long as they have the food and the sunlight to do so. And while a tall apple tree may look great, it can be a real pain for someone who wants to harvest apples on the upper branches.

If an apple tree grows too tall, the fruit may quickly get out of reach of even the tallest ladder. That’s why it’s crucial to cut down part of the vertical growth of your apple tree so that you can fully harvest it each year.

Although one study by the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station suggests trimming a tree may initially affect how many apples are produced during the sapling’s early years, by 10-12 years old, the tree will not show any effects of the pruning, and it will be much more accessible to whoever is doing the picking.

In general, 12 feet of height is a good amount to aim for. If you need to trim up high, consider using a product like the Fiskars Extendable Tree Pruning Stick to reach those out-of-the-way branches easily.

7. The Apple Tree Is Too Old

North Dakota State University states that although an apple tree’s greatest fruit production peaks around 25 years, a tree can continue to produce and live up to 100 years!

Don’t expect buckets full of apples as the tree reaches the end of its life, however. Instead, as the tree grows older and the apple productivity drops, you may be better off cutting down the tree as a whole and replacing it with a younger sapling.

8. The Tree’s Root System is Too Shallow

If an apple tree grows in a less-than-ideal area (such as in a dark, forested place), it may develop a root system that lies just below the surface. Shallow roots mean the tree will be very susceptible to strong winds, making it a potential problem in the event of a particularly heavy nor’easter or hurricane.

Trees with shallow root systems because of poor growing conditions will need to be cut down and removed. They can easily fall over onto sheds, cars, or even your house and should be cut down before they cause damage or hurt someone.

9. The Root System Is Causing Damage

Just like a tree in a dark forest can cause a root system that stays at the surface level, a thick carpet of grass growing right up to an apple tree trunk can cause a root system that is unnecessarily deep.

So, although it may look pretty in your front yard, this type of tree can cause problems in your home that may go unnoticed until it’s too late.

Tree roots that travel deep into the ground affect pipes and wiring that run underground into your home. They can puncture sewer lines, causing plumbing backups and slow draining pipes.

These can all be costly issues to fix, so if your tree is in the same areas as your water, sewage, or gas pipes, it may be time to cut it down.

10. The Tree Is No Longer Producing Fruit

If your apple tree is no longer alive, the structure of the tree itself is at risk of falling down or being knocked over in the first big storm of the season.

It also may be at risk of losing limbs, causing excessive debris in your yard and even falling.

If your apple tree isn’t producing fruit and shows no signs of new growth, it may be dead, and you should consider cutting it down.

Important Considerations For Trimming Your Apple Tree

If you decide to cut down your tree, there are a few important things to know before you start.

The way you trim the tree (and when you do it) is essential to the future health of your tree.

Whether it’s an older or it’s a new sapling, it is important. Trimming can also affect future fruit productivity, so it’s good to be aware of the following points before you begin:

Your Apple Tree May (Or May Not) Grow Back After Being Cut Down

The good news is, even if you need to cut down the apple tree to the roots, your apple tree can grow back!

If enough of the root system is left over, an apple tree can come back and produce again (although it may take a lot of time to reach its former height).

It May Take Some Time To Produce Apple Again

Be aware that if an apple tree is cut down to the main stump, it must first grow its limbs back. Therefore, it may be five or more years until you see the first harvest, depending on how much was cut down.

Even if you’ve only trimmed and pruned, don’t expect apples to appear like magic overnight on recently grown limbs. New branches must grow for about two years before they produce any fruit.

That’s why it’s best to keep the tree regularly pruned, so you consistently have a mix of old and new growth in your tree and your fruit production isn’t severely affected.

The Tree’s Shape Is Up To You!

Although most apple trees naturally adopt an umbrella-like appearance, the ultimate shape is entirely in your hands!

For example, you may choose to thin the top of the tree as it grows, encouraging the tree to grow horizontally and spread out. This can make it easier to pick fruit, prune limbs, and spray the apples if you choose to do so.

Just make sure to properly prune and thin apples if you do go this route!

When (And How) Should I Take Down My Apple Tree?

So what’s the key to helping your apple tree thrive in the future? Trimming at the right time and cutting down the right amount!

Read on below for our recommendations on how to keep your apple tree producing long into the future:

Trim When The Tree Isn’t Growing

If you’re going to trim or cut back your apple tree, it’s best to target the dormant period during the late winter or early spring. This will help reduce the stress on the tree during the growing season and also help you stress the tree when insects and apple tree long-term issues are less of a risk.

The exception to this? If you’re looking to cut back limbs that aren’t producing well, do so in the summer, when you can see how much fruit is on each branch.

Only Take Down One-Third (Or Less) Of The Tree

You can safely cut down one-third of your apple tree each year, and the tree will continue to grow and produce each spring with no issues.

That’s one-third of the healthy tree and doesn’t take into consideration any dying or damage branches. These should all be trimmed and pruned as well.

If you’re looking for tips on general pruning for the health of the tree, you’ll want to encourage as much sunlight to reach each tree branch as possible. To do this, trim upper branches and branches near the center, and make sure limbs aren’t blocking one another from getting a healthy dose of sunlight!

That’s A Wrap!

There are plenty of reasons to cut down your apple trees. You may choose to remove or heavily prune them because they are on their way out, browning, or damage or because your tree has simply gotten too big to handle. You also may be interested in pruning your tree to encourage better fruit production or a healthier tree overall.

Whatever your reason, by trimming and cutting it down at the appropriate times of the year and having a good pruning plan, you can ensure years of healthy growth and large harvests are ahead of you!

If you’re interested in keeping your apple tree, take a look at our guide on what plants you can plant under your apple tree to help its asthetic- it’s a doozy!

Resources:

Robinson, Terence L., Alan N. Lakso, and Zhongbo Ren. “Modifying apple tree canopies for improved production efficiency.” HortScience 26.8 (1991): 1005-1012.

Talbert, Thomas Jesse. “Results of some young apple tree pruning experiments.” Research Bulletin. Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station 313 (1940).

Valiuškaitė, Alma, et al. “The effect of sustainable plant protection and apple tree management on fruit quality and yield.” Zemdirbyste-agriculture 104.4 (2017).

Grafting a tree sounds like a difficult, labor-intensive, highly skilled endeavor, but it doesn’t have to be. It does require a little bit of knowledge along with a few specific tools, but it can be done if you follow a few simple steps. Grafting a tree also needs to be done in late winter, before the trees transition out of their dormant state.

When attempting to graft a tree, it’s best to wait until late winter or early spring while the scions and rootstock are still in their dormant phase. While budding is usually performed during the growing season, most grafting is done in winter and results in the best success.

The preferred time to graft most trees is in the late winter, before the temperature starts to warm up, and before the trees start to bud. The reason being, because as the tree enters the growth stage, it can heal faster, and has more time to grow before going dormant again. Keep reading to learn the steps to graft your tree!

Check Your Equipment Before Getting Started

The proper tools are essential for doing any job well. Though you won’t need a lot of equipment to graft trees, the proper maintenance of your equipment will make all the difference. Before you get started make sure you have these items available:

Tree Grafting Requires A Grafting Knife

A grafting knife or a razor-sharp knife works very well here.

A sharp knife is paramount for grafting because you need good, clean cuts on both your scion (the part of the tree you are going to graft, usually a short, pencil-thin branch) and rootstock (the tree that is getting the graft attached to it).

A clean wound on a tree heals better and faster compared to a jagged, rough cut, a tear, or crushed part of the tree. PUELDU Double Blades Grafting/Gardening Knife with 2 Grafting Tapes is a great option because it has one curved blade, which helps to get a clean cut, and a flat blade with a bark lifter for cleft and splice grafts.

It also comes with two rolls of tree wrap!

If you need to sharpen your knife instead of buying a new one, this Work Sharp Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener will help you put a razor’s edge on your blades. 

Sharp Bypass Garden Snips

Your scions should be about the width of a standard, wooden pencil. A sharp pair of bypass garden snips such as these Gonicc 8″ Professional Premium Titanium Bypass Pruning Shears will probably become your gardening best friend. 

These bypass shears create clean cuts on smaller branches making your grafting job that much easier.  

Tree Wrap

When you start grafting trees, you are essentially performing surgery on a tree. Once the graft is complete the wound needs to be wrapped with a high-quality tree wrap. 

This helps to keep bugs and debris out of the wound so it can heal faster and cleaner. The second reason to wrap a new graft is to add structural integrity. After all your hard work, you don’t want a mild gust of wind to break off the newly grafted branches. 

You can use something flexible such as electrical tape in a pinch, but we recommend tree wrap made specifically for trees. Dumta Nursery Grafting Tape is a great grafting tape that allows the wound to breathe while keeping water out. It’s also biodegradable, so you won’t have to remove the tape once the graft heals. 

Cut-Resistant Gloves

While working with very sharp knives, it’s always advisable to have something to protect the little “piggies”. Cut-resistant gloves such as these Cut Resistant Gloves, 3 Pairs Upgrade Safety Cutting Gloves are an essential safety precaution when working with very sharp knives. 

Fine Toothed Saw 

This tool is optional depending on the type of graft you are doing and the size of the graft. If you are grafting a larger branch that snips or loppers can’t easily cut through, you will need a fine-toothed saw for a nice, clean-cut.

Corona Tools 10-Inch RazorTOOTH Folding Saw is a great pick for branches or trunks six inches or less that need to be cut for grafting. The sharp teeth leave smooth cuts that will heal easier compared to other saws. 

A Disinfecting Solution To Clean Your Tools

To prevent cross-contamination between trees, it is advised to disinfect your cutting tools before and after you cut into the trees. Isopropyl alcohol works immediately to disinfect your tools, and it evaporates quickly which helps to prevent rust.

You don’t have to mix isopropyl alcohol or dilute it with anything!

Another solution to disinfect your tools is to use a mixture of water and bleach (according to product specifications.) Place the solution on your blades and let them dry completely before using!

The downside to bleach is it can eventually damage plastics and rubber parts on your tools. It can cause the metal to rust if it’s not cleaned and dried completely, and if you get it on our clothes, it will strip the color out. 

9 Steps To Easy Grafting! Let’s Get Started

Several different types of grafting that can be done to a tree, but we will be focusing on the whip and tongue graft, which is one of the easiest grafts, especially compared to a whole tree graft. 

Yes, you can graft an entire tree. As long as you have a strong rootstock and fresh scions available, you can graft an entirely different tree to a small stump. But that’s an advanced class, let’s start with something simple; a single branch.

Whip And Tongue Graft

This type of graft is the most popular method and is used mostly on fruit trees. Say you have an apple tree that grows beautiful red delicious apples, but you want a variety.

So you decide to graft on some gala apples, for example, now you have one apple tree that produces two types of apples every year. But, can you graft in winter? Let’s dive into grafting to learn more!

Step 1: Choose Your Grafting Site

We’re assuming you already have your rootstock and scion picked out, so we’re going to get straight into grafting. You want to make sure for a whip and tongue graft, both rootstock and scion are about the same size.

Step 2: Cut Your Scion On A Diagonal

With your sharp knife or razor knife, cut your scion on a diagonal. This cut only needs to be about one inch long.

Step 3: Make A Second Diagonal Cut

Next, you need to do another opposite, diagonal from the first cut you made. Your scion should now have a V at the bottom of it and now be about one-half inch long.

Step 4: Cut An Area Below The Buds

On your rootstock, take the bypass shears and cut an area below any buds. You want the tree to focus on the graft and grow that section.

Otherwise, the graft may not take because all the growing energy is being focused on the bud underneath the graft.

Step 5: Cut A “V” Into Your Rootstock

Now, use your sharp knife again and cut a ‘V’ into your rootstock where the scion will rest.Where your scion has a point, the rootstock needs to have an open ‘V’ base for the scion to fit into. 

What you want to see is the cambium layer lining up. The cambium layer is the layer of green growth directly underneath the bark. This is where all the growth happens on trees, so these need to line up as closely as possible.

According to NC Historic Sites, for a successful graft, each growth needs to have clean, even cuts that match up to the cambium layers. The wound is then bound with tape so it can heal. Then new cadmium cells grow together to create a layer of cells called a callus.

Step 6: Insert The Scion Into The Rootstock

Make sure you DON’T shove it in there because that could cause your rootstock to split. You want a good, snug fit, but don’t shove it in there. If there is a big gap, whittle down one end so it fits better, but really be careful not to split the branch of your rootstock.

Step 7: Wrap Both Ends Using Grafting Tape

Now that the scion and rootstock are together—you may need an extra pair of hands for this step—wrap the two ends with grafting tape. You want to make sure the tape has a snug fit, but don’t squeeze the life out of the tree.

If you have ever wrapped your wrist, knee, or other joints with a sports brace, this would be similar, only a little bit tighter. The main goals here are to keep insects and rain out while adding structure and stability to the graft with the grafting tape.

You could also take this time to label your graft. You don’t want to accidentally cut the graft off when you go to prune your trees. Plus, if you do several grafts at the same time, this helps keep everything organized.

Step 8: Maintain Your Tree!

Now, you should water your tree, and if it hasn’t been fertilized in a year or two, now would be a great time to add some extra nutrition so the tree can grow even better!

Keep checking on your tree to make sure it’s doing well. Not all grafts will take so you will have to keep an eye on the scion to see if it is starting to grow when spring rolls around.

Step 9: Check To See If The Graft Has Taken

Once you see that the graft has taken and the scion has leafed out, you might be able to take the tape off if it’s not biodegradable tape. Around mid to late summer, if the tape is not starting to come off on its own, you should go ahead and remove it.

If the tape stays on too long it can actually constrict growth and choke off the new graft. Take a look at the grafting point, it should be almost undetectable, or you might see a small scar where the cuts were made.

As long as it’s all fused, the graft is a success and you don’t have to worry about wrapping it anymore. Give yourself a nice pat on the back or congratulate yourself by cracking open a cold one!

Benefits Of Grafting

Grafting has been around for thousands of years, and if it wasn’t for this type of tree surgery, we might not be enjoying the plump, delicious, sweet, fruit we enjoy today.

If you have ever planted seeds from an apple, one, you know it takes a long time to get fruit, and two, you wouldn’t even end up with the same fruit. 

If you planted a Honeycrisp apple seed, you’d be very disappointed when the fruit that finally came about was hard, bitter, and tasted nothing like the apple the seed came from. That’s because apple seeds don’t grow the same trees or fruit. Apple trees are grafted to get a certain type of fruit.  

Grafting can be done to make a hardier tree. Say a certain type of tree is prone to root problems, you can bypass that by grafting a tree to a different, more resistant rootstock. 

According to the USDA, grafting can create a desirable market for growers and consumers by increasing resistance to diseases, nematodes, and stress. Grafting can also increase harvest yields and fruit quality. 

Grafting also adds variety. I once had a citrus tree that had five different fruits growing on it. Lemons, limes, tangerines, navel oranges, and mandarin oranges. You could do the same thing with other fruit trees, or similar flowering trees for a unique species. 

You can experiment with small branches, that way, if the graft doesn’t take, you won’t lose the entire tree, just a branch or two. 

Why Graft In Winter?

Grafting in late winter is the best time for several reasons. The trees won’t get shocked when you do a transplant on their limbs, when the growing season starts, the tree has a longer time to heal, and spring is when all the tree’s growth happens. 

If you were to start grafting in the summer or fall then the tree would not have time to completely heal before the harsh winter sets in. When the temperatures dip below freezing, a frost could set in and ruin the new grafts, making them completely unviable. Grafting in late winter or early spring counters the hard freezes that could ruin a new graft. 

During spring, trees take in a lot of water which flows through the cambium layer. The water is used to kickstart new growth and make the leaves bud out. This is what really makes a graft heal and start growing. 

Grafting in late winter gives the tree plenty of time to completely heal and get prepared for another winter chill. 

Can You Graft Trees In Summer?

There’s no law that says you can’t graft trees in the summer, but we certainly wouldn’t recommend it. The reason is that the growing season is over, and the tree won’t have enough time to heal before winter. 

Basically, doing anything to your trees such as transplanting, pruning, or grafting during the summer is just a recipe for disaster. During the summer, you should only really be watering your trees. 

What Types Of Trees Can Be Grafted Together?

Common wisdom for tree grafting is that the trees have to be similar to each other for a graft to take. Unfortunately, we won’t be seeing any Christmas trees that also grow apples—heavy sigh. Sadly, you also won’t have any success putting the lime in the coconut tree (to drink it on up). 

Apple trees can be grafted to each other, and some people have reported success in grafting pears to apple trees. Stone fruit trees can be grafted to each other. I’ve heard of peach, nectarine, plum, and cherry trees before.

Citrus trees can also be grafted together. Roses can be grafted to have different color flowers on the same tree, but in the end, the trees have to be similar to each other.

The reason is, that the cambium layers have to be similar, or they won’t line up and grow together. Completely different tree species have different growth layer structures, so that’s why they don’t work. 

Where To Get Scions

There are several places you can get viable scions:

• Friends and neighbors
• Farmer’s markets
• Local plant sales
• Online retailers
• Some nurseries—call and see. They may have a supplier they could hook you up with
• In the wild—be sure to check local laws and ordinances, sometimes it’s illegal to take from state and national forests.
• Grow them yourself

Storing Your Scions

Scions need to be cut when they are dormant and can be stored for up to three months. You want to make sure you have the previous year’s growth on the straightest branch possible. To locate the new growth, take a look at the potential scion, where the bark changes texture or color and cut just below this area. 

If you are going to store them, you’ll need a little more space to cut them off before you graft them. 

Scion wood can be stored in an unheated basement, garage, or refrigerator. The temperature needs to be between 34 ℉ and 54 ℉. Never store them in a freezer, this will ruin them. 

You’ll need a sealable bag that is big enough to hold them comfortably. Next wrap the scions in damp paper towels. They don’t need to be dripping wet, and, you should squeeze as much water out of them as possible, then put them in the refrigerator.

You’ll have to take them out, and open up the bag to exchange the air inside about once a week. These are still living plant parts and need fresh air. If you need to add some water to the paper towels, now would be the time to do that, just remember to squeeze out the excess. 

That’s All On Grafting, Folks!

Now you know all about the whip and tongue graft and how to go about it yourself. It’s best to do this type of grafting in late winter when the tree is dormant so that when spring rolls around, the tree has plenty of time to heal. 

Just remember to keep the scions and rootstock fresh, and you’ll need similar varieties of trees. I know I’d love to have a fruit salad tree, complete with apples, cherries, oranges, peaches, etc, but because the trees are so different, it’s not possible right now. 

Thanks for sticking around with us on your tree-grafting journey!

References

Goldschmidt, Eliezer E. “Plant grafting: new mechanisms, evolutionary implications.” Frontiers in plant Science 5 (2014): 727.

Errea, P. “Implications of phenolic compounds in graft incompatibility in fruit tree species.” Scientia Horticulturae 74.3 (1998): 195-205.

Ashrafzadeh, Seyedardalan. “In vitro grafting–twenty-first century’s technique for fruit tree propagation.” Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B—Soil & Plant Science 70.5 (2020): 404-405.

Melnyk, Charles W., and Elliot M. Meyerowitz. “Plant grafting.” Current Biology 25.5 (2015): R183-R188.

Rocky soil can seem like a deterrent in growing fruit trees. But thankfully it doesn’t have to be. There are 7 very hardy, delicious fruit trees that you can grow in rocky soil, with no problem. You may be pleasantly surprised by the ones that made the list!

Rocky soil can be a challenge for many gardeners. Finding the right fruit tree that will thrive in a rocky environment is key to a successful harvest. The best fruit trees for rocky soil include cherry trees, olive trees, apple trees, fig trees, peach trees, plum trees, and apricot trees.

In this guide, we will discuss the trees that will grow well in rocky soil, ways to improve soil, and how to care for them. Let’s get to it!

Why Are Rocky Soil Areas Bad for Plants?

If you have ever tried to hand-till a rocky area, you know how labor intensive this is. Now imagine plant roots. These roots can struggle at gaining the leverage they need to get deep into the ground. However, there are some pros to rocky soil.

Another disadvantage to rocky soil for fruit trees is that sometimes plants struggle at absorbing nutrients and water. Due to rockiness, water goes further into the ground, causing a lack of available resources.

Some of the pros are that some plants need rocky soil in order to survive. This is due to their adaptations to the harsher environments that typically come with rocky soil.

What Grows Well in Rocky Soil?

Rocky soil can be a challenge when gardening. Not only is it difficult to dig and it can be lacking in nutrients and too dense for the root systems of plants to thrive. This can create a challenge for many gardeners when picking the plants for them. 

Plants with more shallow root systems do well due to their ability to access water closer to the surface. They usually have fewer water requirements and are hardier than most plants. Plants such as aloe, for example, do well in these conditions.

Perennial herbs like Lavender love rockier conditions. They thrive in dry soil. Another good herb for these conditions is Rosemary.

Can You Plant Trees in Rocky Soil?

Trees can be planted in rocky soil with careful consideration. Some things to consider are:

• Climate
• Nutrient requirements for the trees
• Care requirements
• Are there any pipes under where you want to plant?
• What kind of fruit do you like to eat?

After thinking these over, begin planning locations of trees and researching the best for your climate.

Rocky soil can help even heat distribution to the roots of the trees. Check your local growing zone to make sure whatever trees you choose are compatible with your area, and research local pests as well. This will help ensure that your planting is successful. 

Researching your tree’s nutritional requirements is a must. For a tree to produce fruit, it must have its nutrient needs met. Every species is different, so knowing what it takes for your tree to be healthy is important. 

Do you know the layout of your plumbing? Chances are probably not. It is important to know where piping, wires, and anything buried around your property is. Especially plumbing. Tree roots can grow into your pipes and cause expensive damage to your home. 

Just like every other living creature, trees have specific needs based on their species. Different seasons mean different care requirements for your trees. Having knowledge of various maintenance for the tree is critical for a healthy and happy tree. 

What fruit do you and your family eat? That is a big factor in deciding what to grow. If you are only growing a few trees for personal use, it makes zero sense to pick trees nobody will eat the fruit from. 

What Fruit Trees Grow Well in Rocky Soil?

Trees have very specific needs. We now know of various kinds that will do well in rockier soils compared to others. Many factors play into this and each tree has its own care requirements and zone requirements. 

Cherry Trees Can Handle Rocky Soil

Cherry trees grow well in zones 5 through 8. They like a colder environment compared to other trees like citrus. They can live between 10 to 20 years when properly cared for. 

Aphids are a major pest for cherry trees. Along with aphids, other insects target cherry trees along with fungal diseases. Trees should be monitored and treated accordingly.

They are often loved for their beautiful blossoms and fragrance. Many people also love the fruit. Cherries grow in two types: sweet and tart. 

Tart cherries self-pollinate and sweet cherries need another tree for pollination to occur. This is a factor that should be considered. If you only want one tree, tart cherries would be the way to go.

They love well-drained soil since their roots are susceptible to rot. Rocky soil is typically good for drainage as it does not retain water as well. Cherries also, like sunny areas as well. They should be pruned in late summer and fertilized in spring.

Pruning dead branches and branches that inhibit fruit production is important to the overall health of the tree. You can use a commercial fruit tree fertilizer, like Dr. Earth 708P Organic 9 Fruit Tree Fertilizer to fertilize the tree.

Olive Trees Grow on Rocky Soil

Olives grow well in zones 8-11. Olives make a great ornamental tree as well as a fruit bearer. They love sandy, well-drained soil. This can make rocky soil a suitable environment for optimal olive growth. 

Olive trees do not like fertilizers. They do well with low nutrients. However, this does not exclude nitrogen which is needed for proper foliage development. Too little can affect the oil quality within the plant.

Olives should be brined to have the classic olive flavoring. Most olives grown on a tree will have a pit as well. 

Pruning should only be done as needed since olive trees never produce fruit in the same spots. Not pruning can make the tree more susceptible to fungal diseases. 

Olives should appear after three years. These trees typically produce fruit every other year. 

They are pretty sturdy and resilient trees. Besides the occasional issue with fungus, these trees typically do not get pests or diseases. This is a good tree for individuals who want a low-maintenance tree!

Apple Trees Will Grow in Rocky Soil

There are hundreds of varieties of apples. These are specially designed for various zones, soil compositions, uses, and many other factors. This means there should be an apple variety for you.

Apple trees do fairly well in rocky soil, especially if the soil is amended with rabbit manure. Once the tree establishes, the watering requirement is typically only 15 gallons a week. You can help decrease watering needs with a water bag, like Greenscapes Tree Watering Bags.

These trees need another tree to pollinate usually. Some individuals can self-pollinate; however, so take special consideration when choosing your varieties.

These trees love fertilizers. Some say to use manure to help feed the tree’s needs. Commercial fertilizer can work as well. Mulch around the tree to maintain moisture, keep weeds at bay and fertilize the tree. 

Pests like apple maggot flies, moths, bores, and a few others can affect apple trees. Combat these with fruit tree safe pesticides. 

Rocky Soil Won’t Deter Fig Trees

Fig trees are very hardy and resilient. They prefer sandy soil but can really live in any soil type. They grow well in zones 5-8, though anything under eight needs to be a hardier variety. They grow well in rocky soil because of their hardiness. Regular watering and mulching may be required.

Fig trees can be grown in containers and do well without regular fertilization, though if growth is slow, you can fertilize with nitrogen. Most varieties are pollinated by species-specific wasps. 

If you live in a drier climate, a weekly heavy watering may be needed. To combat this, mulch around the tree. This will also help combat weed growth as well. 

Fig trees do not get many pests or diseases. They do get nematodes, rust, and a few others. Regular maintenance will help combat this or a commercial spray like the Bonide BND022- Ready to Use Neem Oil!

Stone Fruits Grow on Rocky Soil

Stone fruits do well in rockier soils because they’re roots like to be shallow for better watering. Stone fruit varieties include: peaches, plums, and apricots. These are called stone fruits due to the pit or stone in the center of the fruit.

Zones vary between varieties but are typically zone five and above. 

Growing stone fruit trees can be a bit of a challenge without proper knowledge of their needs. Many beginners do not understand that they need a second tree to pollinate them.

These fruits can be rewarding to grow, as many enjoy eating them. The flowers on the trees are equally as beautiful and they make wonderful landscape trees. 

They vary only slightly in care requirements but usually have the same needs. The majority harvest in the late summer and need to be fertilized early spring. You can fertilize with either compost or commercial fertilizer. 

Water regularly when establishing the new tree. Moths, flies, and bores are common pests. Watch the trees for any signs of pests. These trees require less pruning than apple trees. 

How to Plant a Tree in Rocky Soil

Though, it varies based on variety on how to plant a tree, it is a simple concept. Most every tree has similar needs regarding putting it into the ground.

Here’s how to plant a tree in rocky soil:

• Choose the best spot to plant
• If planting multiple trees, figure out the correct spacing for your species
• Dig your hole twice as deep as the root ball of the tree.
• Add in a layer of compost as deep as the root ball 
• Loosen the roots and place into the hole 
• FIll hole in and pat soil down
• Add any extra compost to fill the hole 
• Mulch and water the tree well

Adding compost will help to ensure proper nutrition for your newly planted tree. This should only be done up to ground level. You should allow 2 inches from the base of the trunk and ground level. 

Mulching helps maintain moisture within the soil. You should mulch about 6 inches deep around the tree. Leave around 6 inches around the trunk bare to prevent excessive moisture around the trunk.

Making sure you dig a deep enough hole is key to ensuring proper health of your tree, if it is too shallow roots can be exposed during soil erosion. Roots being exposed to the surface can cause a tree to fall as they do not have enough land to hold them in place; too deep can cause rot and improper air flow.

To choose the best spot for your tree, consider a few factors: sunlight, any pipes nearby, windiness, and finally how the tree will look in that spot. Thoughtful planning is key to successful growth. A tree is like any other living thing and needs specific things to thrive.

Caring for a Newly Planted Fruit Tree

The first year after planting a new tree is crucial to helping the tree establish itself. Every species is different so additional research based on your species is needed.

Make sure your tree has adequate water for the first year. This is crucial to ensuring proper root development. A new tree can need up to 20 gallons of water a week.  

Make sure to prune any bad limbs. Though be conservative with any pruning to prevent stunting growth. Wait until the tree is well established to do any major pruning.

Pruning established trees is important for airflow; improper air flow can cause too much moisture on the leaves and subsequently fungal infections.

Watch the tree to make sure it does not need any added support. Sometimes saplings can be blown by the wind. If this happens, you may need to add stakes to help support the tree as it roots itself in.

How Can I Fix Rocky Soil?

Soil erosion and the lack of fertile soil in the United States is a growing problem. Amending soil to become a healthier growing medium is easier than you think. 

Familiarize yourself with soil types to correctly identify soil types you may have. Different soils require different things to help fix any issues.

The first thing you should do is take your soil for a soil test. Your local extension office can provide information on their free soil testing. Once the test comes back, you will know the composition within your soil.

If you do not want to take your soil to be tested by the extension office, there are some at home kits available online like the Luster Leaf 1601 Rapitest Test Kit. This will give you an answer quickly!

Testing is important for every gardener. Like our bodies, plants need a certain ratio of everything; too much of something can harm them and too little can do the same. 

The next step is to build compost. Compost is important in creating fertile soil. Layering the compost around is important. Continue mulching and adding compost until you have feet of fertile soil. 

You can also purchase compost locally or online, such as Michigan Peat 5240 Garden Magic Compost and Manure. Soil additives are also available online once you determine the requirements your soil needs. These will help you balance out your nutrients and pH. 

That’s a Wrap!

Fruit trees are a great investment for homeowners! They improve property values and the quality of your overall life by providing fresh produce. There are many factors you should take in before investing in a tree.

Some of these factors include location, climate, and your personal preferences. Take careful consideration when deciding the best trees for you, including your soil type. 

Some plants and trees do well in rocky soil. Choosing the best tree for your soil type helps to ensure you have the best outcome for production of fruit. Providing the best conditions optimizes the health of your tree. 

Making sure you amend your soil can help combat any rockiness within your soil. This will also help feed your trees and help them grow. 

References 

Davis, J.G., and D. Whiting. “Choosing a Soil Amendment – 7.235.” Extension, 2013, extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/choosing-a-soil-amendment/.

“Olives – Gardening Solutions – University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.” Gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu, gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/fruits/olives.html. Accessed 5 Nov. 2021.

“Soil Types.” Murraystate.edu, 2016, www.murraystate.edu/headermenu/Offices/esh/OccupationalSafetyHealth/TrenchingShoring/SoilTypes.aspx

Roussos, P. A., & Gasparatos, D. (2009). Apple tree growth and overall fruit quality under organic and conventional orchard management. Scientia Horticulturae, 123(2), 247-252.