How long does it take for an apple tree to produce its first fruit?
Dwarf apple trees will start bearing fruit 2 to 3 years after planting. Standard size trees can take up to 8 years to bear fruit. Some varieties are more susceptible to insect and disease damage than others. Prune annually to keep apple trees healthy and productive.
Are apple trees hard to grow?
Sadly, fruit trees also have a down side because they experience pest and disease problems, poor production, and nutrient deficiencies. And growing apple trees is notoriously difficult. When growing apple trees, there are so many potential problems to contend with. Homegrown apples can be wormy, bitter and unappealing.
How do you keep an apple tree healthy?
Apple Tree Care By properly controlling insects and disease, fertilizing and regularly pruning the trees you can enjoy the beauty and fruit of this tree on your landscape for years. During the early spring and summer fungicide applications are essential to prevent disease and produce healthy, high quality fruit.
Can you plant just one apple tree?
One tree is not enough To set fruit, the vast majority of apple trees require a different variety grown nearby for pollination. While some apple varieties are self-pollinating, even they produce more fruit with another variety nearby.
How much water do apple trees need?
Apple tree water requirements depend on rainfall. In general, for an established tree, you won’t need to water it unless you are not getting much rain or there is a particularly dry spell or even drought. About an inch (2.5 cm.) or so of rainfall every week to ten days is adequate for most apple trees.
What do you fertilize apple trees with?
Apple trees require nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium — the three numbers on fertilizer bags — as well as various trace minerals. For home growers, fertilizers should have a higher nitrogen ratio to fuel healthy growth. Common granular 20-10-10 fertilizer is suitable for apples.
Do I need two apple trees to get fruit?
Apples are self-unfruitful. Plant at least two different apple tree varieties within 50 feet of one another for a good fruit set. Some apple varieties, such as Golden Delicious, will produce a crop without cross-pollination from a second variety.
How do I know if my apple tree will bear fruit?
The blooms are key to apple production. If your tree doesn’t have many blossoms or they don’t stay on the tree for at least 10 days, your might not have many apples. The blossoms must be cross-pollinated by another variety of apple tree, or by a crabapple tree, to produce viable fruit.
How deep should I plant an apple tree?
Dig a hole twice the diameter of the root system and 2 feet deep. Place some of the loose soil back into the hole and loosen the soil on sides of the planting hole so roots can easily grow. Spread the apple tree roots, making sure they are not crowded or twisted.
Do apple trees need fertilizer?
Young apple trees (1-3 years) should grow 12” or more per year. If they are growing less than that, increase the fertilizer in subsequent years by 50%. For trees 4 years and older, apply nitrogen according to growth: If there is less than 6” of growth, use rates as described above.
Is Epsom salt good for apple trees?
For fruit trees, Epsom salt supports the absorption of vital nutrients increasing fruit production and sweetness. Because of this, low harvest or fruit that isn’t sweet can also indicate a need for more magnesium.
Do apple trees need full sun?
Apple trees thrive when growing in a location that receives full sun and has a well-drained, fertile soil. Full sun translates to at least six- to eight-hours of sunlight during the growing season.
Do you need a male and female apple tree?
Like all fruit trees, apples need to be pollinated if they are to set fruit. This involves the transfer of pollen from the stamen (the male part of the flower) to the stigma (the female part).
Will apple trees grow in the shade?
Apple trees need sunlight to produce healthy fruit with good colour and flavour. Branches exposed to sunlight produce bigger fruit than branches exposed to less sunlight. When branches are shaded, they set smaller apples and of lesser quality.
What time of day should you water fruit trees?
The best time to water is in the morning or evening, so the roots have a chance to absorb most of the water. Unfortunately, there’s no magic schedule for watering trees.
