How to Grow Apples

The first thing you need to grow apples is a long-term commitment. Growing apples takes considerable time and quite a bit of work. Still, if one of your fondest childhood memories is the apple tree in your backyard, producing your own apples is a satisfying part of gardening.

Site Selection

Before you begin growing apples, make sure you have room for at least two trees. Typically, two apple trees bear enough fruit to keep a family of four in good supply. Apple trees need to grow in full sun, which means they need at least six hours of sunlight each day. Even dwarf varieties need to be spaced at least 8-feet apart. It is also essential to provide your trees with good drainage. Although apple trees tolerate a variety of soil types, they prefer sandy loam to sandy clay loam with a pH of about 6.5.

Choosing cultivars

You probably wonder why you need two trees to grow apples. Apple trees are self-incompatible. Simply put, this means that even the most industrious bee (bees are the chief pollinators of apple trees) can't persuade two trees of the same variety to bear fruit. So, to grow apples you usually need two trees of different varieties. Some nurseries offer apple trees that have two or more compatible cultivars grafted on the same tree; but to be on the safe side (and to get enough apples for a family of four) you still need two trees. A flowering crab will also pollinate your fruit-bearing apple tree and is useful in pest deterrence, as you'll see later in this article.

Although apples trees grow from seed, it takes several years and a significant amount of nurturing to produce an apple harvest from seed. The easiest way to begin growing apples is to purchase either bare root or container grown trees from your favorite garden nursery.

In addition to fruit size, taste, and color, your nursery professional can recommend trees that are cold hardy for your area, bloom at approximately the same time, are pollination compatible, and are disease resistant. You'll find that purchasing disease resistant cultivars makes a generous cut in your apple tree maintenance time!

When selecting trees from a catalog or Internet site, you need to make these comparisons between cultivars. Look for catalogs and sites that list compatible cultivars for you.

How high your tree grows also depends on the type of tree you plant. Dwarf varieties reach 8 to 10-feet in height, semi-dwarf trees grow 10 to 15-feet tall, and standard trees may reach heights of 20-feet or more.

Although their yield is less, dwarf and semi-dwarf rootstock typically bears the same size fruit as standard size trees and is overall easier to manage.

Linda is an author of Gardening Tips Tricks and Howto's. The next part of this article is available at our site Gardening-Guides.com, where you can also download the whole series as a free full color e-book. Just follow the links.

---

A Couple of Good Places to Buy Lawnmowers

After much searching and deliberation, I finally bought a lawnmower... Read More

Choosing the Right Roses for Your Garden

The selection of roses you can grow in your home... Read More

Manage Algae

There are several different ways to manage algae in your... Read More

Flowers That Beautify Your Home and Garden

To help gardeners choose flowers, various systems for rating hardiness... Read More

Planning a Water Garden...

A water garden is the area of your landscape that... Read More

Easy to Grow Roses

There are many different types of roses. If you are... Read More

Gardening Vertically: Fad, Emerging Frontier or Long-Overlooked Art Form

Sure, it makes sense that there's a buzz about vertical... Read More

Durable Wooden Swing - Decorate Your Outdoors with One

There is nothing better to do on a hot, lazy... Read More

The Amazing Hummingbird

Without a doubt, hummingbirds are beautiful and interesting creatures.Those living... Read More

Tips for Backyard Fish Ponds Care

Installing a backyard fish pond is an aesthetic addition to... Read More

Wind Chimes Go Great With Gardening

What could be more relaxing than gardening on a nice... Read More

How To Mow A Lawn

Although push lawn mowers are wonderful machines that do a... Read More

Park Benches - Making the Right Choice

When most people hear the words, "park bench", they envision... Read More

Popular Adirondack Chairs - Everything You Need To Know

Adirondack chairs were invented during the early 1900's by a... Read More

Catch a Leprechaun in Your Garden

There is no mention to be found of female leprechauns... Read More

Italian Vegetable Seeds

Some might ask, "Why grow Italian vegetable seeds?" Why bother... Read More

How to Build a Waterfall For Your Garden Pond

Building a waterfall is easier than you think and will... Read More

Backyard Bird--The Catbird

It's quiet now.Gone is the constant chatter, whistles and meowing... Read More

Bare Root Roses

Bare Root Roses, what to look for when buyingThe first... Read More

February in the Garden

Often in February there is a surprisingly warm day. Everybody... Read More

Herbs: Growing Your Own

The first thing you need to do when deciding to... Read More

The Benefits of Landscaping

How much have you thought about landscaping? Do you know... Read More

Funky Garden Plants 2

What's a perennial garden plant that blooms in the winter?... Read More

Mosquitoes in Your Garden? Try Planting These

If you are a serious gardener, you spend lots of... Read More

The Sundial - Garden Ornament or Exotic Timepiece?

Most of us regard a sundial as an attractive ornament... Read More

Teak Umbrella : Add the Final Touch to Your Patio

Okay, so you have agonized for weeks and finally went... Read More

22 Fun Things To Do With Your Dozen Rose Gift

Your dozen rose gift doesn't only have to decorate your... Read More

Storm Damage and Mature Tree Pruning

One winter evening I was working on the computer when... Read More

Plants, Birds, Love and Deer Hate

Hi Friends;This is the second year in a row I... Read More

Using Annuals in Your Perrenial Garden

Annuals in your pernnial garden are something to think about!... Read More

Vegetable Growing for Beginners

If you have never grown vegetables before the first thing... Read More

June Gardening Tips

These are just a few gardening tips for you to... Read More

Cast Aluminum Furniture

In days gone by, outdoor furniture was cast from iron.... Read More