Growing Apples in the Home Orchard

Apples have been grown in the United States for centuries. Though the ancestors of the apple tree evolved in Kazakhstan, the fruits are now considered a kitchen staple by a variety of cultures around the globe (Elzebroek & Wind, 2008). Growing one’s own trees is a wonderful way to participate in the continued history of this fascinating plant while providing tasty fresh fruit for family consumption. A home grower may also be able to raise cultivars that are not readily available at grocery stores or local orchards. Plus, a well-maintained apple orchard can enhance the appearance of the home landscape through specimens, borders, and espaliered or trellised plants.

However, growing fruit is more than just planting trees and harvesting crops. Growing high-quality apples requires considerable knowledge about cultivar selection, planting sites, soil types, planting techniques, training, pruning, fertilizing, and pest management. Without sufficient and proper care, fruit quality will be poor and trees may be short-lived. This guide will outline how to plan and maintain one’s orchard.

What Apple Cultivars Should I Select?

By some estimates, more than 7,500 known cultivars of domesticated apples exist. Of course, not all cultivars are suitable for every region or grower. When selecting trees for a home apple orchard, one must consider fruit size, taste, color, culinary uses, bloom period, ripening season, disease resistance, and pollen compatibility.

Home apple growers should consider growing cultivars resistant to common diseases such as apple scab, cedar apple rust, and fire blight. A number of apple cultivars are disease resistant:

• Enterprise
• Goldrush
• Jonafree
• Liberty
• Pristine
• Redfree
• Williams’ Pride

Disease-resistant apple cultivars suggested for home orchards in Ohio are summarized in Table 1. Their cultural characteristics are also listed. Note that it is not practical to list all of the disease-resistant cultivars in this fact sheet, and new cultivars are continually being developed.

Many excellent apple cultivars are not disease resistant but are still worthy of consideration. Nonresistant cultivars can be successfully grown in home orchards if an effective disease-management program is followed. Home apple growers need to be fully aware of the work, time, and possible chemical treatments involved in disease- and pest-management programs before selecting apple cultivars that are not disease resistant.

All apple cultivars are considered self-incompatible, meaning that they cannot pollinate themselves or any flowers of the same cultivar. At least two different cultivars of apple trees need to be planted together in order to achieve maximum fruit yield and quality. In addition, the two cultivars selected need to bloom at the same time to ensure successful pollination. Some nurseries also offer apple trees that have two or more compatible cultivars grafted on the same tree

All the cultivars in Table 1 are known to be hardy in Ohio with minimal disease management. For ambitious growers willing to work alongside trees that may have less disease resistance, a multitude of cultivars have unique flavors, histories, and visual appeal that may warrant consideration. Knobbed Russet, Winesap, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Black Oxford, Northern Spy, and Calville Blanc d’Hiver are just a few of the many varieties one will never find in a grocery store but may find rewarding to grow on their own time.

Should I Grow Dwarf Trees or Standard-Size Trees?

Home apple growers may wish to grow either dwarf or semi-dwarf trees instead of standard- or full-size trees. Dwarf and semi-dwarf trees are easier to manage, and they produce fruits earlier than standard-size trees. However, some of the dwarf or semi-dwarf apple trees need to be supported since they have poor root anchorage.

Apple cultivars are usually grafted onto different rootstocks. In theory, all apple cultivars can be available in dwarf, semi-dwarf, and standard sizes since it is the rootstock that determines the tree size. Dwarf apple trees will grow to be about 10 feet tall. Semi-dwarf apple trees will reach about 15 feet in height, while standard-size trees will be at least 20 feet tall.

Where Should I Plant Apple Trees?

Apple trees need full sun for proper growth and quality fruit production. The early morning sun coming from the east is particularly important since it dries the dew from the leaves, thereby reducing the incidence of diseases. Apple planting sites should be free of spring frosts and have good air circulation. New homeowners may wish to observe their property for a few seasons to determine the best planting areas.

Apple trees grow well in a wide range of soil types. They prefer soils with a texture of sandy loam to sandy clay loam. Good soil drainage is also critical for successful apple production. The ideal soil pH for apple trees is around 6.5.

When and How Should I Plant Apple Trees?

Apple trees can be purchased through mail-order catalogs as one-year-old, bare-root whips and single-stem trees without side branches. They can also be purchased from local nurseries or garden centers as container-grown trees, but a much greater selection of apple cultivars is available through catalogs.

Home apple producers growing apple trees from whips should order apple trees for spring planting in March or April. When plants arrive, do not allow the roots to dry out. It may be best to “heel in” the plants until the soil is dry enough to prepare for proper planting. To heel in the plants, dig a small trench and cover the plants with 2 to 3 inches of soil.

Before planting, soak the tree roots in water for half an hour. Dig a deep, wide hole to accommodate the root system. Spread the roots before filling the hole. Hold the tree in place so the bud union is 2 to 3 inches above ground level. Otherwise, the scion or cultivar will form roots, and dwarf or semi-dwarf trees will become standard-size trees. Cover the roots and subsoil with topsoil. Before the hole is completely filled with soil, add 2 gallons of water. After planting, apply water at the rate of 2 to 3 gallons per tree every two to three weeks.

Keep an area at least 12 inches away from the tree trunk free of grasses and weeds. Mulch applied 2 to 3 inches deep over the root zone can help control weeds and conserve soil moisture.

Home apple growers planting container-grown trees can plant these trees at any time during the growing season as long as sufficient water is supplied. The depth of planting is dependent on the soil type or texture. In sandy loam soils that drain well, plants should be positioned in the planting hole at the level they were originally grown in the nursery. Most soils in Ohio are not well-drained. They usually consist of silt and clay particles, causing drainage to be less than desirable. In soils that drain poorly, plant trees higher than they were planted in the nursery. More air needs to reach the root system when soils drain poorly. In these soil conditions, plants can be placed from 2 to 4 inches higher than they were grown in the nursery.

The width of the planting hole should be at least two or three times the diameter of the root ball. After placing the container-grown tree in the planting hole, backfill with soil. Apply water at the rate of 2 to 3 gallons per tree every two to three weeks. Mulch 2–3 inches deep.

Plant dwarf trees about 8 feet apart in the row and allow 14 feet between rows. Semi-dwarf trees should be spaced 10 feet apart in the row with 16 feet between rows.

How Do I Prune and Train Young Apple Trees?

Bare-root whips need to be pruned and trained to develop into properly shaped trees. Container-grown apple trees are normally two- to three-year-old trees. These trees need lime spreading and light pruning.

Bare-root trees should be cut or “headed” back to 24–28 inches above ground at planting. All broken or damaged limbs should be removed. This procedure allows branches to form at desired heights, improves the strength of the tree, and provides a balance between its top and roots.

As the branches reach 4–6 inches in length, spring-loaded clothespins can be used to form proper crotch angles (Figure 3). These clothespins should be removed at the end of the first season. Branches that begin to grow at 18 inches or lower can be cut off during the summer.

After the first and the second year of growth, remove all lateral branches below 18 inches or below the first lateral. Remove limbs that have narrow crotch angles (less than 45 degrees). Branches with narrow crotch angles are more likely to break under the weight of fruit.

Apple trees are typically trained to the central-leader system which allows three to four groups of four branches to develop for a standard-sized tree. The central leader is cut in February or March at 18 inches to 24 inches above the last group of limbs to ensure the development of more limbs (Figure 4).

A two- or three-year-old apple tree needs limb spreading room to achieve a tree shape wide at the bottom and tapering to a point as shown in Figure 5.

During the third and fourth years, remove all unwanted branches from central leaders and continue to spread limbs as necessary. The central leader will eventually be cut back into second-year wood to bring the central leader into balance with the rest of the tree. Maintain a central leader and pyramidal form into maturity. Never allow an upper tier to shade out or outgrow lower limbs.

How Do I Prune Mature Apple Trees?

Apple trees should be pruned annually in February or March. Home apple growers are encouraged to attend fruit-tree pruning clinics offered through many local Extension offices.

How Do I Prune Old and Neglected Apple Trees?

Pruning neglected trees normally requires the removal of many large limbs. Try to picture what a pruned tree should look like and decide which limbs should be removed. Remove two to three large limbs each year and bring the tree back to shape in three years rather than in one year; cutting too many branches at once can endanger the health of the tree. Cut large limbs flush with the bark of a lower limb.

How Do I Fertilize My Apple Trees?

Apple trees should be fertilized each year in the spring. For optimum tree growth and fruit quality, conduct a soil test every two to three years to determine the appropriate fertilizer and application rates. Refer to Table 2 for suggested fertilizer application rates. Apply the recommended fertilizer as a broadcast over the area under the tree drip line.

How Can I Tell If My Apples Are Ripe?

Apples reach maturity at various times, depending on variety and climate. Apples are not harvested at a specific date. Instead, observe your apples as they grow and inspect the fruit for certain changes that indicate maturity. The “ground” or base skin-color of the apple changes from green to yellow as the fruit matures. Flesh color also loses its greenish tint and turns yellow or white. When the apples look mature, take a bite! A mature fruit will be crisp and juicy. A pleasing taste is the final indicator of fruit maturity.

Why Do My Apple Trees Fail to Produce Fruit?

Apple trees fail to produce fruit for many reasons. Some of these reasons include a lack of time to reach bearing age, a lack of compatible pollinating cultivars, an absence of pollinator insects, an attack by pest insects and diseases, too much shade, unfavorable weather, improper pruning, and apllications of too much nitrogen. Additionally, some cultivars are known to produce varying amounts of fruit in alternating years, a growth habit known as biennial bearing. If your apple trees are not producing fruit, take careful consideration of a multitude of environmental factors before deciding whether or not to remove the trees.

Should I Spray My Apple Trees?

Apples have many diseases and insect pests. Some common diseases that attack apple trees are apple scab, powdery mildew, black rot and frogeye leaf spot, rusts, collar rot, sooty blotch and fly speck, and fire blight. Some common insects and mites attacking apples are apple maggot, codling moth, plum curculio, San Jose scale, European red mite, and aphids. The apple cultivars listed in Table 1 are not resistant to insects or mites. Pesticides (insecticides and herbicides) may be required for quality apple production. Because home growers are not growing fruit for commercial sale and are often growing in areas frequented by children and pets, pesticides may also be unnecessary, depending on how much the trees are being damaged and the production goals of the grower. In some cases integrated pest management techniques may be enough to keep the diseases or insects at reasonable levels.

Refer to OSU Extension Bulletin 780, Controlling Disease and Insects in Home Fruit Planting (Ellis & Welty, 2010), for more information on disease and insect management. Home fruit growers are also encouraged to purchase a copy of OSU Extension Bulletin #940, Midwest Home Fruit Production Guide (Gao, et al., 2017) and other fruit related bulletins from OSU Extension Publishing (extensionpubs.osu.edu) for more practical tips on fruit growing.

References

Ellis, M. A., & Welty, C. (2010). Controlling disease and insects in home fruit plantings(Bulletin 780). The Ohio State University.
extensionpubs.osu.edu/controlling-diseases-and-insects-in-home-fruit-plantings

Elzebroek, A., & Wind, K. (2008). Guide to cultivated plants. CABI.
cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/book/10.1079/9781845933562.0000

Gao, G., Becker, R., Brown, M., Ellis, M., Prochaska, S., Welty, C., & Williams, R. (2017). Midwest Home Fruit Production Guide (Bulletin 940). The Ohio State University.
extensionpubs.osu.edu/midwest-home-fruit-production-guide

Originally written January 12, 2017 by Gary Gao, Professor and Small Fruit Specialist, The Ohio State University.