How to Plant and Grow Apple Trees

The apple tree is the most widely adapted of all temperate-zone fruit trees. Though native to central Asia and Afghanistan, the deciduous, fruit-bearing trees are cultivated all over the world. To date, there are over 7,000 varieties of apples grown worldwide—from tiny crabapples to grocery store staples like Red Delicious (Malus domestica ‘Red Delicious’) and Granny Smith (Malus domestica ‘Granny Smith’). Many cultivars have chilling requirements that must be met for fruits to develop properly. So, if you’d like to grow your own, choose a cultivar that will thrive in your climate.

Apple trees are copious producers if properly pollinated and planted in full sun and well-drained soil. In fact, depending on variety, a single mature tree can yield 200 to 500 pounds of fruit annually or semi-annually. However, it’s worth noting that the seeds, stems, and leaves (but not the flesh) of apples contain a compound called Amygdalin that releases cyanide when metabolized.1 For this reason, the non-flesh parts of apple trees are considered toxic to cats, dogs, and horses.

Where to Plant Apple Trees

The key to successfully growing apples is to pick the right spot. All apples do best in full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Apple trees are adaptable and can thrive in a wide variety of soils, but avoid planting them in low or wet spots. Soggy or swampy soil can kill the tree.

Apple trees require ample room to spread and grow. Plan for mature full-size trees to reach 20 to 30 feet tall and wide. Dwarf varieties will grow about 8 to 10 tall and wide. If you have the space, plant apple trees alongside other fruit trees or other flowering trees and shrubs like dogwood, lilac, and forsythia.

Test Garden Tip: Apples bear best when there are two varieties nearby to pollinate each other. In fact, some apples have to be pollinated by another variety to bear fruit. When selecting varieties for your yard, be sure to note any special needs such as this. If you only have room for one tree, choose a self-pollinating cultivar.

How and When to Plant Apple Trees

You can plant apples anytime from spring to fall. As is the case with most trees and shrubs, dig a hole that’s twice as wide as (but no deeper than) the pot your apple tree comes in. Carefully remove the tree from the pot, loosen its root ball, and spread the roots so they face outward. Fill the hole with the soil you dug out (don’t fill the hole with amended soil), and then water the tree well.

If you are planting a bare root tree, soak the roots for a few hours before preparing your hole. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root system and just as deep. Using the native soil, make a cone-shape mound in the center of the hole to support the roots. Spread the roots over the mound and backfill the hole with the remaining displaced soil. Add a stake to stabilize the tree and water the tree deeply.

If planting more than one standard apple tree, space them 20 to 25 feet apart. Dwarf and semi-dwarf trees can be placed 8 to 12 feet apart.

Apple Tree Care Tips

Apple trees can grow almost anywhere with full sun and well-drained soil—especially if they have other apple or crabapple trees nearby. They are susceptible to several pests and diseases, but don’t let that stop you from planting them in your yard. To keep issues at bay, clear the area around your apple trees of debris, fallen fruit, leaves, pruned branches, and weeds throughout the year.

Light

Apple trees require at least 8 hours of full sun each day to thrive. They can be grown in partial or dappled shade but will flower less and produce fewer (if any) fruits.

Soil and Water

Apple trees can grow in almost any well-drained soil but prefer moist, slightly acidic soil with a pH between 5.0 and 6.8. They do not tolerate soils with standing water.

Young trees may want as much as 2 inches of water per week. Mature apple trees need about an inch of water (either from irrigation or rainfall) each week from May to October to flourish. Regardless of your tree’s age, water it deeply and slowly to prevent run-off. During hotter months, your tree may require additional water.

Temperature and Humidity

Apple trees are hardy in almost all North American hardiness zones but produce the most fruit in mild, warm weather with moderate humidity and occasional rainfall.

Apples also have chilling requirements, which means they must spend a certain number of “chill hours” (typically 500-1,000 hours) in temperatures between 32˚ and 50˚ Fahrenheit. If you live in a warmer climate, look for varieties with low chill-hour requirements.

Fertilizer

If properly planted, apple trees may not require additional fertilization unless growth is slow (10 inches or less of new shoot growth per year). If you would like to boost growth, apply organic compost or a nitrogen-rich, slow-release fertilizer in late summer or early fall.

If your tree is producing more than 18 inches of new growth per year, do not fertilize.

Pruning

In the first year after you plant your apple tree, remove the flowers of the developing fruit. This helps establish the tree faster, but no other pruning is required. Otherwise, the best time to prune your apple tree is in late winter or early spring, while the tree is dormant. Remove any branches that have died and shoots that pop up around the tree’s roots. You can also remove the fast-growing shoots (called water sprouts) that grow vertically out of the branches.

Like many trees, apples have a central leader—a main, upright trunk—that supports the branches. If your tree starts to develop a second, competing central leader, remove the competing branch to keep your tree stable and healthy.

At that time you can also cut out any branches that grow toward the inside of the tree. Your apple tree will stay healthiest if you prune it to have an open framework. With the main branches spaced well apart, sunlight and air can more easily reach through the tree’s canopy.

You can also train your apples to grow flat along a wall or fence. This decorative process, known as espalier, also makes harvesting easier.

Harvesting

Different varieties of apples will be ready for harvest at different times, so research the harvest window of your tree before plucking the fruits. In most cases, fruits ripen 70-180 days from bloom but expect to wait 3-5 years after planting for your first full harvest. There are early-, mid, and late-maturing apple varieties, so depending on the cultivar, the harvest season can stretch from August to October.

Pick apples from the tree when they separate easily from the branch with a gentle tug. Ripe apples should have firm flesh. Soft, overripe apples are excellent for cooking and cider-making. Avoid picking apples up off the ground as they may be rotten or infested. Store freshly picked apples in a cool spot (under 50˚F) after harvest. You can also freeze sliced apples for later use in pies, cobblers, and crisps.

Potting and Repotting

If you have large containers (at least 4-5 feet in diameter), you can grow apples in pots. However, it’s best to choose dwarf varieties that won’t outgrow or topple their containers. Start small with a cutting or sapling and work your way up to larger containers. Fill your pots with a high-quality potting mix or a mix of compost and potting mix. It’s best not to use garden soil as it doesn’t drain well in containers.

In Zone 6 and warmer, you can leave the pots outdoors all year. But in colder climates, move the trees to a more protected spot, such as an unheated garage or storage shed for the winter.

It’s important to keep container-grown apple trees watered well. You’ll also want to fertilize your apples with a general-purpose slow-release plant food each spring to ensure the tree has enough nutrients to bear a healthy crop of apples.

Plan to repot your tree every 2 to 3 years (or whenever the roots become pot-bound or begin to circle the container). In early spring, water your tree and ease it from its container. Untangle and inspect the roots, cutting off any dead bits. Place the tree in a prepared new container that is at least 2 to 5 gallons larger than the last. When the tree becomes too large to repot, replace the soil every 3 to 5 years.

Pests and Problems

Unfortunately, apples are susceptible to a number of pests and diseases.

For example, apple maggot larvae burrow into the fruit, causing infested apples to drop early. Prevent it by picking up and destroying fallen apples every week in summer. Use apple-maggot traps in the tree to catch the adult moths.

Apple scab is most prevalent in areas with cool, wet spring weather. Look for olive-brown spots on the leaves and the fruits. Prevent it by cleaning up all fallen leaves in autumn, selecting scab-resistant varieties (such as ‘Honey Crisp’ or ‘Liberty’), and using liquid-sulfur sprays on the tree as the flower buds begin to open.

Cedar-apple rust causes pale yellow spots on leaf surfaces and fruits. The spots grow, turn orange, and get tiny black dots in them. Prevent it by selecting rust-resistant varieties, spraying with a liquid-sulfur spray in spring, and removing any nearby junipers.

Codling moth is a common insect pest. Its larvae feed on the fruits, creating small holes. Prevent it by spraying Bt, a natural bacterium, two weeks after the petals drop from the blossoms.

Fireblight causes blossoms to turn brown and die and branches to wilt and die with the leaves still on. Prevent it by pruning out any infected shoots, cleaning up all fallen leaves in autumn, selecting scab-resistant varieties (such as ‘Empire’ or ‘Freedom’), and using a copper-sulfur spray on the tree before the buds open.

Powdery mildew leaves a silvery-gray covering on plant leaves and often distorts new growth. Prevent it by cleaning up all fallen leaves in autumn, selecting mildew-resistant varieties (such as ‘Gala’ or ‘Goldrush’), and using liquid-sulfur sprays on the tree as the flower buds begin to open.

It is possible to grow apples organically as long as you’re willing to tolerate a few superficial blemishes. Apple trees produce heavily, and even without spraying, you should be able to harvest plenty of edible fruit.

Test Garden Tip: That said, if you want perfect, blemish-free apples, you’ll probably have to use a spray program. Most garden centers sell home orchard sprays, which need to be applied up to four times a year. Follow label directions carefully.

How to Propagate Apple Trees

How to Propagate Via Grafting

Grafting is often the most efficient way to propagate an apple tree—especially if you want your new tree to bear similar fruit to the parent tree. With grafting, you take a budded stem (or scion) of one tree and join it to the roots of another tree (which is known as a rootstock). There are several grafting methods but whip grafting is often the easiest for beginners. With the whip grafting technique, you will need rootstock, which you can purchase or grow yourself. You will also need to collect a scion from your parent tree in late winter. Look for a twig from the previous summer’s growth (ideally at least pencil-thick) and follow the growth down the branch to a swelling (or terminal bud scar) where the older branch begins. Snip your scion at this juncture.

To whip graft your apple tree, cut your scion wood at a 45-degree angle just below a bud. Then, cut your rootstock at a 45-degree angle approximately 6 to 8 inches above the ground. Align the angled pieces together making sure the cell layers match up. Use a piece of grafting tape to secure the pieces together. Apply a sealant (like grafting wax). Water the tree regularly and remove any new shoots that emerge below the graft while you wait for the connection to take.

How to Propagate Via Cuttings

The success rate of propagating apple trees via cuttings is low, but not impossible. Take 6- to 15-inch-long cuttings in winter or early spring and remove the leaves from the base of the cutting. Plant the cut end of your tree segment in a prepared container filled with vermiculite. Store the cutting in a cool, dry place (like a basement or cellar) for several weeks. Next, remove the cutting from the vermiculite, dip the end into rooting hormone, and repot the cutting in a larger container filled with a mix of potting soil, compost, and peat. Place the container in a protected area with warm, dappled sunlight until it is ready to be transplanted outside (approximately 9 to 12 months). While it is growing, keep the soil evenly moist, but not wet.

Types of Apple Trees

There are more than 7,000 varieties of apple. Since each is different, take the time to research the best selections for your area. The staff at your local cooperative extension service, local garden center, or nursery should be able to help you choose.

Granny Smith

Granny Smith apples (Malus domestica ‘Granny Smith’) are bright green with a fragrant, crisp, flesh that is pleasingly tart. It is a popular choice for pies and desserts because the apples hold their shape and bring acidity to recipes. Granny Smith apple trees typically grow approximately 12 to 15 feet tall and are self-fruitful (but produce better fruit when cross-pollinated). They were first introduced in New South Wales in 1868 by ‘Granny’ Anne Smith.

Honeycrisp

Honeycrisp apple trees (Malus domestica ‘Honeycrisp’) grow approximately 12 to 15 feet tall. They can be grown in almost any zone but are hardy in zones 4-9. The cultivar was developed by the University of Minnesota and is one of the most cold-hardy apple varieties. Honeycrisp apple trees require cross-pollination from another tree to produce fruit—but it’s well worth it. The apples are surprisingly crisp and juicy with a flavor reminiscent of apple cider.

Fuji

Fuji apples (Malus domestica ‘Fuji’) are a Japanese hybrid between Red Delicious and Virginia Ralls Genet apples, both American apples. Fuji apple trees typically grow 12 to 15 feet tall (although there are dwarf varieties) and are hardy in zones 5-9. They have an orangish-red flesh with a balanced sweet-tart flavor. Fuji apple trees require cross-pollination to produce fruit.

Gala

Gala apples (Malus domestica ‘Gala’) are a well-known type that is a cross between Kidd’s Orange Red and Golden Delicious. They have a pear-like quality and are great for snacking, cooking, and making salads. Gala apple trees grow approximately 12 to 15 feet tall (although there are dwarf varieties) and fare best in zones 4-9. They are partially self-fertile and require cross-pollination from another tree to produce fruit.

Golden Delicious

Golden delicious apples (Malus domestica ‘Golden Delicious’) are greenish-yellow, aromatic, and sweet. They are often used for mild apple dishes like sauces and salads. Golden delicious apple trees typically grow approximately 12 to 15 feet tall and are more cold-hardy and heat-tolerant than many other apple varieties. They grow best in zones 4-9. Golden delicious apple trees are self-fertile but require cross-pollination from another tree to produce fruit.

Crabapple

Crabapple trees (Malus spp.) are hardy deciduous trees that typically grow 10 to 20 feet tall and wide. There are over 900 varieties of crabapples, many of which feature clusters of fragrant pom-pom spring flowers, striking fall foliage, and dangling winter fruits that attract birds. What’s more, since they are part of the Malus genus, they can be used to cross-pollinate other apple trees.