Apple tree – planting and care

Scientific name (Latin): Malus domestica
Family: Rose family (Rosaceae)

Apples are usually divided into three main types: summer apples, autumn apples, and winter apples. This classification tells us when during the year the different apples ripen and should be harvested.

Apple trees are easy to grow, and there are varieties hardy enough to be cultivated in most parts of the country. Apples are usually divided into three main types: summer apples, autumn apples, and winter apples. This classification tells us when during the year the different apples ripen and should be harvested.

The variety of apple trees is vast, with thousands of cultivars to choose from. The fruit can be sweet or tart, and different varieties are best suited for different regions. The trees sold today are bred to be robust and resilient.

Apple trees depend on cross-pollination to produce fruit, which means you need another compatible variety nearby. In suburban areas, this usually isn’t an issue—there are often plenty of other apple trees in neighboring gardens. But if you live in a more remote area, it’s a good idea to plant at least two varieties that can pollinate each other.

Below, you’ll find a guide to which varieties pair well together. Another great option is to buy a family tree, where two or more apple varieties are grafted onto the same rootstock. These different branches will pollinate each other, so you only need one tree. Just make sure you don’t accidentally prune away one of the varieties during maintenance!

Apple trees should be placed in a sunny and sheltered spot so the fruit gets enough sweetness and ripens quickly. This is especially important if the variety is borderline for the hardiness zone you live in. How hardy a tree is also depends on how long a summer the apple variety needs to have time to ripen. There must also be plenty of space around the tree so that it can grow properly. The tree should be in deep, well-drained soil, free from weeds and full of nutrients.

This is what it takes to grow good apples and a healthy apple tree.

• Water
  The tree thrives best in consistently moist soil and can benefit from extra watering during dry periods.

• Nutrients
  Young apple trees don’t need much fertilizer, but remove grass and weeds in a one-meter radius around the trunk so they don’t steal unnecessary nutrients from the tree. Fertilize the tree with composted organic fertilizer in the spring. Apply two to three kilos of compost to the soil in April–May.

• Harvesting
  Pick all the apples from the tree when harvesting to avoid damage to next year’s fruit.

• Pruning
  The key to getting a beautiful apple tree and plenty of apples lies in pruning. Pruning your apple tree is very important, and it’s better to do it imperfectly than not at all.

Young apple trees should be pruned with what’s called formative pruning, ideally between March and April. If you prune later in the spring, you risk disturbing the buds and the bark. Older trees should be maintained through maintenance pruning, best done during the JAS period (July, August, and September).

This allows you to see where the tree needs more air and light. Pruning during JAS also minimizes the formation of water sprouts (thin branches that grow straight up).

When planting, you can tie down branches that are still flexible to create a good, open angle between the branch and the trunk. This provides the branches with a stable structure, better suited to carry heavy fruits. Once the branch has hardened and remains in the desired position, you can remove the ties. When you begin pruning, top the growing tip (the uppermost shoot) to prevent the tree from becoming too tall—it should be easy to harvest the fruit. Shorten the side branches and remove branches that grow upwards or inwards toward the center of the tree. Aim for an even distribution of branches around the entire tree.

The branches should point outward, and the crown should remain airy. Strong, long annual shoots should be pruned lightly, while short annual shoots should be pruned more heavily—to either slow or stimulate growth.

A mature tree that has started bearing fruit must be kept in the right balance between fruit production and new growth. If the tree is growing too vigorously, you should reduce the nutrient supply and pruning. You can also bend down some branches to stop vegetative growth and instead encourage flower and fruit set. Trees that grow too little and bear too much fruit produce poor-quality apples and must be pruned more aggressively to stimulate new growth.

Thinning of the fruitlets should also be done to achieve a balance between vegetative growth and fruit production. Older trees need rejuvenation pruning, preferably over time, to avoid explosive growth. It’s important to have a uniform distribution of branches in different ages. This is necessary for the tree to bear well. Rejuvenation pruning involves cutting older branches back hard to give them a fresh start.

If you are patient, you can try growing your own apple tree from a seed you find inside a variety you like. This will take time, expect 10 to 20 years before the tree bears fruit, but imagine the feeling when you can pick the first apple!

1. Apple trees are one of the most widespread fruit trees in our region.
2. In Scandinavia, we have both wild apples and cultivated apple varieties.
3. Apple trees originally come from Asia.
4. Depending on the variety, apple trees can grow 5 to 12 meters tall.
5. Apple trees bloom with white or pink flowers in May–June.
6. Depending on the variety, the fruit ripens in summer, autumn, or winter.

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