Apple trees are perhaps one of the easiest tree to grow in the united states. They often grow well and can produce fruit in grow zones 3-8 which covers most areas regardless of variety. Planting an apple tree can be a big decision though. Despite the ease of growing an apple tree, it can be a long term plan that plays out of many many years and you’re likely not going to move the tree once It’s planted. Once you’ve made up your mind that you want an apple tree, the next step is to think about where to plant it, and how to plant it in the first place.
Picking a Location
The first thing you are looking for in a tree location will be one that gets full sunlight. Ideally you will choose a northern spot on your property as well as you want it to get good sun coverage throughout the year. A southern exposure can encourage your tree to bloom too early which can decrease your yields if you are growing it for fruit, but if you are growing the tree ornimentally it will give you flowers earlier on in the year.
Once you’ve found a spot that gets at least 6 hours of direct sunlight next you’ll want to look at your soil. Apple trees like a well drained soil rich in organic matter so it will stay moist, but not wet. If you soil is prone to being clay bound then you may have too much standing water which can lead to plant diseases like root rot. Beyond the drainage conditions you also want a soil pH of 6.0-6.5, be sure to test the pH of your soil before planting and adjust as necessary.
If the spot you found doesn’t have good soil, you can excavate and rework it, but it is a lot of work considering how deep you need to go. Often it is easier to choose a new location.
Next you’ll want to consider the space the tree will have. A full size tree will need 15-20 feet of space around it to grow properly. Their are dwarf apple tree varieties that are much smaller, but if you are growing for fruit we would recommend growing a full sized variety.
Next you’ll want to consider pollination. Yes really. Pollination is an important factor when it comes to getting fruit out of your apple trees. Apple trees do not self pollinate, so they require cross pollination from bees or other insects. If you are in a location without any other apple trees, the chances of your tree bearing good fruit go down dramatically, consider planting two trees if there are not any other apple trees within 2,000 feet to help ensure good cross pollination that relies less on chance. Important: You must plant two different apple tree varieties!
With all that settled, you should have chosen at least one location for your apple tree(s). Now it’s time for to prepare for planting!
Preparing and Planting Your Apple Tree
You can get your young apple trees in a few ways, but we’re going to recommend that you do bare root delivery. This can actually be done in a lot of ways and sometimes you can even get a tree shipped to you in a box! We prefer to get a bare root tree delivered from a local nursery for a few reasons, but that’s not available to everyone. If you can get one locally, you’re both supporting local business and the tree will have gone through less hardship in transport.
When your tree arrives you should get planting instructions from your nursery, but generally you will want to steps along these lines:
- After unpacking your tree, soak the root system for 3-6 hours and do not allow the roots to dry out.
- Prepare your planting location by digging a 2 foot deep hole that is two times the diameter of the root system. Depending on your tree this can be a rather large hole.
- Loosen the soil on the sides and bottom of the hole which can help allows for further root growth.
- Plant your tree into the hole, spreading the roots as much as possible (avoid any twisted roots if possible) and fill in with soil lightly tamping down any air pockets.
- Ensure the graft union is at least 2 inches above the soil line.
If you are wondering about the graft union statement, it refers to where the new part of the tree was grafted onto existing hearty root stock. This ensures the tree will have the best chance to survive, but it’s not just grown from seed! While the process of creating a tree from a graft and root stock is more complicated than this article has room for, the process is common and the graft union is just an area that looks like a scar on a trunk of the tree just above the roots.
As an additional note: do not add any fertilizer to your tree at the time of planting. If you put fertilizer in the soil it might have too strong a concentration and can “burn” the roots. Fertilization is best done later down the line when the tree has had a chance to become well established in the soil.
You’ve Planted an Apple Tree!
At this point all that is left is to care of the tree. Keep the soil moist, but not wet, and apply mulch around the base to help with water loss. From their it’s a long waiting game. Depending on the age of the tree you’ve planted you could get apples sooner or later, but often you’re going to wait years. Standard trees can take around 8 years to produce fruit, so it’s a waiting game, but one that is well worth it. If you have the land for it and you’re planning on staying in the house your in, we fully recommend planting a whole little orchard all at once. Not only are the trees great for your property value, but once they bear fruit you’ll have fresh delicious apples every year.
So don’t wait! The best time to plant your apple tree was yesterday, the next best time is today!