Tree · Rosaceae
Apple
Malus domestica
Give it full sun, a pollination partner, and a yearly prune, and an apple tree feeds you for decades.
Full sun
Every 7–14 days
USDA 3–8
8–30 ft · 2.4–9 m
Overview
An apple tree is the kind of plant you grow for the long haul. It belongs to the rose family and has been bred and grafted for thousands of years into the named varieties on supermarket shelves. Plant one in good ground and it can keep cropping for 30 years or more, settling into the yard as a fixture rather than a season's project.
The detail that catches most new growers off guard is pollination. Most apple cultivars can't fertilize their own flowers, so a lone tree blooms beautifully and then sets almost nothing. To get a real crop you need a second, compatible variety blooming at the same time within bee range, or a crabapple doing the job nearby. Plan for two trees from the start, or check that a neighbor already has one.
There's one more piece that decides whether an apple even works where you live: chill hours. The tree needs a stretch of winter cold to break dormancy and flower in spring, and different cultivars want different amounts. Match the variety to your zone, hand it sun and a yearly prune, and the rest is the slow, steady work of letting a tree mature.
Care
The short version: full sun all day, deep well-drained soil around a pH of 6.0 to 7.0, and a second compatible variety nearby for pollination. Water young trees regularly, prune every winter, and keep nitrogen in check so the growth stays tough.
Light
An apple tree wants full sun, which means 6 or more hours of direct light a day, and it tolerates no real shade. Sun fuels flower buds and ripens the fruit, so a shaded tree gives you weak growth, more disease, and a thin crop.
Water
Young and newly planted trees need steady water while their roots spread, soaking deeply every 7 to 14 days in dry spells. An established tree is fairly drought tolerant, but even moisture still helps it size and set a better crop. Let the top half of the root zone dry between drinks.
Soil
Plant in deep, well-drained loam with plenty of organic matter, and steer clear of waterlogged or compacted spots that rot the roots. A pH of 6.0 to 7.0 suits apples well, sitting close to neutral.
Temperature
Apples are tough, handling a range from about -40°F to 95°F (-40°C to 35°C) across the seasons, and they grow in hardiness zones 3 to 8. They also need a stretch of winter chill to flower, so match the cultivar to your zone.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor air in the 40% to 70% range is fine, so there's no number to fuss over. Airflow matters far more, since damp, crowded branches are how scab and other fungal diseases get going.
Feeding
Feed once in early spring before new growth starts, using a balanced or nitrogen-based fertilizer. Go easy on the nitrogen, though, because a flush of soft growth is exactly what fire blight feeds on.
Pruning
Prune every year in late winter while the tree is dormant, shaping it to a strong central leader or open center. Cut out dead, diseased, or crossing wood and open the canopy so light and air reach the fruit. A light summer trim helps rein in an overvigorous tree.
Repotting
Apples grow in the ground, not a pot, so most trees never need repotting. A dwarf tree in a large container is the exception, wanting a refresh or a move to a bigger pot every 2 to 3 years to keep its roots happy.
Size & spacing
Mature size swings wide with the rootstock, from a dwarf around 8 feet (240 cm) to a standard near 30 feet (9 m) tall and almost as broad. Spread runs from about 8 to 25 feet (2.4 to 7.5 m), so give each tree room to reach its full size without crowding.
When to plant
An apple tree's calendar runs slow and steady. Set bare-root trees in early spring once the ground thaws and the tree is still dormant, and look for blossom in mid to late spring. The fruit then ripens from late summer into fall, somewhere around August to October depending on the cultivar.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: Early spring while dormant, after the ground thaws, for bare-root trees; container trees can go in from spring to early summer.
- Harvest: Blooms mid to late spring; fruit ripens late summer to fall (about August to October) depending on cultivar.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 3–8
Temperature: down to -40°C
Troubleshooting
Most apple trouble shows up on the leaves, the blossoms, or inside the fruit, and the cool, wet weather of spring sets up much of it. Learn to read the early signs and you can step in before a disease takes hold for the season. Match what you see below, then act while it still helps.
Blossoms and shoot tips blacken and curl like a shepherd's crook
This is fire blight, a bacterium that races through warm, wet bloom weather and leaves shoots looking burned. Prune out infected wood 8 to 12 inches below the visible damage, and wipe your tools with disinfectant between every single cut so you don't carry the bacteria along. Go easy on nitrogen, since soft, fast growth is exactly what it feeds on.
Fix:
- Prune out infected wood at least 8 to 12 inches below visible symptoms.
- Disinfect pruning tools between every cut to avoid spreading the bacteria.
Velvety dark spots on leaves and fruit, with leaves dropping early
This is apple scab, a fungus that wakes up in cool, wet spring weather and spreads from last year's fallen leaves. Rake up and bin every leaf under the tree in fall, prune for airflow, and start a protectant fungicide at bud break in a wet spring. Scab-resistant cultivars save you most of the trouble.
Fix:
- Rake and remove fallen leaves to reduce overwintering spores.
- Apply a labeled fungicide on a protectant schedule starting at bud break in wet springs.
Bright orange spots on leaves with odd tubes underneath
This is cedar-apple rust, a fungus that needs two hosts and bounces between your apple and any juniper or red cedar growing nearby. Pull out alternate juniper hosts where you can, and treat from pink bud through early fruit set in trouble spots. The simplest long-term fix is to plant a rust-resistant cultivar and keep junipers well away.
Fix:
- Remove nearby juniper or red cedar hosts where practical.
- Apply a labeled fungicide from pink bud through early fruit set in problem areas.
Wormy apples with tunnels and crumbly brown frass inside
This is the codling moth, whose larvae bore straight to the core and leave the classic wormy apple. Hang pheromone traps to catch the adults and time your sprays to egg hatch, thin the fruit, and clear away every dropped or infested apple so the next generation has nowhere to go. Bagging individual fruit also works in a small backyard tree.
Fix:
- Thin fruit and remove and destroy dropped or infested apples.
- Use pheromone traps to time labeled insecticide or kaolin sprays, or bag individual fruit.
Toxicity
The ripe flesh of an apple is a wholesome snack for people and a fine treat for many animals. The trouble lives in the seeds, leaves, twigs, and bark, which hold cyanogenic compounds that release cyanide when chewed. Keep prunings and wilted leaves away from pets and livestock, and don't let animals gorge on whole apples or cores.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Safe for
People
Cats Caution
Cats rarely bother with fruit, but the seeds, leaves, and bark release cyanide as they break down. Keep cores and prunings where a curious cat can't chew them.
Dogs Caution
A bite of ripe flesh is fine, but the seeds, core, leaves, and bark are not, since they release cyanide. Never let a dog gnaw a whole apple or windfalls.
Horses Caution
Horses love a piece of apple flesh, and a few are fine. The danger is wilted leaves and large amounts of seeds, so keep prunings and fallen fruit out of the paddock.
Rabbits Caution
A small piece of ripe flesh makes a fine treat, but never the seeds, and keep them away from the leaves and twigs.
Livestock Moderate
Wilted apple leaves are the real hazard for cattle, goats, and sheep, releasing cyanide as they dry. Keep prunings and branches out of pasture.
Birds Caution
The flesh is fine, but apple seeds carry cyanide and birds are very sensitive to it. Remove every seed before sharing a piece.
People Ripe fruit safe
The ripe fruit is a wholesome snack. The seeds hold a cyanide compound, but you would have to chew a big handful for it to matter, so just skip the cores.
The danger is the wilting leaves, stems, and chewed seeds (cyanide), not the flesh. Keep pets and livestock away from prunings and wilted leaves and do not let them chew large numbers of seeds; sliced ripe flesh with the core and seeds removed is a safe treat in moderation.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Thousands of apple cultivars exist, but a handful turn up in most backyards and at most nurseries. These are the ones worth knowing by name, and remember that you'll want two compatible varieties for pollination.
Honeycrisp
A cold-hardy favorite loved for its loud, juicy crunch, though it can be fussy to grow well and to store.
Gala
A sweet, mild, red-and-yellow striped apple that ripens early and pulls double duty as a reliable pollinizer for other trees.
Granny Smith
A tart, firm green apple that wants a long warm season, holds up beautifully in the oven, and keeps for months.
Fuji
A very sweet, dense apple that stores for ages but needs a long growing season to ripen all the way.
Red Delicious
The classic deep-red, heart-shaped dessert apple, mild in flavor under a notably thick skin.
How to propagate
Apples don't come true from seed, so almost every tree worth eating from is grafted. Here's how the methods compare and how long each takes to bring you fruit.
GraftingModerate
Late winter to early spring while both scion and rootstock are dormant. · Bears fruit in roughly 2 to 4 years on dwarfing rootstock, longer on standard.
This is the standard way to keep a named cultivar true to type, joining scion wood onto a rootstock while both are dormant in late winter or early spring. The rootstock sets the tree's size, how soon it fruits, and how well it handles your soil. Expect apples in roughly 2 to 4 years on dwarfing rootstock, and a longer wait on standard.
GraftingModerate
Late summer, when bark slips and buds are mature. · Bud grows out the following spring; fruiting follows in a few years.
This is the efficient nursery version of grafting, slipping a single mature bud onto a rootstock in late summer when the bark lifts away. The bud sits quiet over winter, pushes out the next spring, and the young tree comes into fruit a few years later. One bud per rootstock stretches scarce scion wood much further than a full graft.
SeedModerate
Cold-moist stratify seeds about 6 to 8 weeks, then sow in spring. · Several years to fruit, and not true to type.
Growing from seed means a cold, moist chill of about 6 to 8 weeks before you sow in spring. The seedlings take several years to fruit and won't match the parent apple, so this route is for raising rootstocks or breeding new varieties rather than copying one you love.
Myths
Plant a seed from a tasty apple and the tree will grow that same apple.
Apples don't come true from seed. A seedling carries a fresh mix of genes and tends to bear small, sour fruit that looks nothing like the parent. Named cultivars are reproduced by grafting scion wood onto a rootstock, which is the only way to keep the variety true.
A single apple tree will reliably set a full crop on its own.
Most apple cultivars are self-unfruitful and can't pollinate their own flowers. You usually need a second, compatible variety nearby that blooms at the same time, or a crabapple close by, before the tree sets a real crop.