How to Grow Apple Trees: Planting, Maintenance and Harvest

Going apple picking in your own backyard in the fall might sound too good to be true, so you may be surprised to learn how easy it is to get started growing apple trees. Whether you want to start small with a single tree or lay the foundation for your own budding orchard, our rundown below covers how to grow apple trees, care for them throughout the seasons and harvest the sweet fruits of your labor come autumn.

Choosing Your Apple Variety

There are around 2,500 apple varieties in the United States, which can make it challenging to decide which one to plant. Reaching out to your local ag extension office is a good first step, but these are a few of the most popular options to help get you started:

Honeycrisp

The Honeycrisp apple is one of the most popular varieties in the country, and for good reason. These trees thrive in colder climates and take a few years to produce, but patience pays off. With an excellent flavor and superior storage time, this variety would be a wonderful addition to any home garden.

Gala

Galas are known for their small size, sweet flavor and use as a snacking apple. Red with hints of yellow, these excellent early-season apples stores better than other varieties.

Beverly Hills

Slightly tart with a late summer into early autumn harvest, the Beverly Hills apple is a great variety that’s well suited to environments with milder winters. Fast growing and quick to produce fruit, this one is good for everything from fresh eating to baking and applesauce making.

Anna

Anna apples are a sweet, summer-producing variety described as impressively sweet flavored and prolific in production. It’s a well-rounded choice for dehydrating, eating fresh, cooking and baking.

See more: 10 Common Apple Varieties and How to Use Them

How to Plant an Apple Tree

Most apples grow in USDA zones 3-8, so be sure to select a variety that will thrive in your climate. Many varieties also require cross-pollination, which means you will likely need to plant multiple trees within 2,000 feet of each other to get an apple harvest.

Whenever possible, choose a bare-root apple tree from a reputable nursery. Many apple trees need a certain number of “chill hours” to go into dormancy, and a quality nursery is more likely to do this better than your average big box store.

Once you receive your bare-root apple tree, soak the roots in cool water for 3 to 6 hours. Try to do this about 24 hours before you plan to plant.

See more: 5 Must-Visit Apple Orchards in the Northwest

Choose a location with full sun and preferably on the north side of your property (sometimes planting apple trees in the heart of southern exposure can cause them to bloom too soon, putting them at risk for a late freeze and loss of fruit production). Make sure your location has quality soil that drains well to avoid water-logging the roots.

Dig a hole that is 2 feet deep and twice as wide as the roots. Loosen up the soil around the hole so the roots can easily take to the ground. Place the bare-root apple tree in the hole, spreading out the roots so they don’t pile on top of each other. Tuck the soil back around the tree, taking care to keep the tree vertical and to keep the graft union (sometimes referred to as the ‘bump’ on the lower trunk) 2 to 3 inches above ground.

Once you have filled in the hole, add any soil amendments and tamp down the soil around the tree to remove air pockets. Water thoroughly.

If you choose dwarf apple tree cultivars, stake the tree to avoid a heavy harvest uprooting the tree from the ground later in the year.

How to Grow Apple Trees: Annual Maintenance

Take care to water new trees often to ensure the roots establish themselves well. Mulch each year, keeping it a few inches away from the base of the trunk to prevent mice and rats from nesting inside over winter and destroying the tree.

Some apple trees need to be trained to bear the weight of the fruit. Research the details for the specific variety of tree you choose to plant.

Stay on top of pests and diseases from the start to avoid losing your crop, but take care not to use any chemicals that will harm bees and prevent them from pollinating your trees. Because each tree variety is different, look up your specific tree’s most common pests and diseases to learn how to take preventative action.

See more: 17 Irresistible Apple Recipes for Fall

How to Prune Apple Trees

You will need to prune your apple trees, but make sure not to over-prune. If you prune too aggressively, you will stunt the tree’s growth and not get a full harvest. Only prune in winter when the tree has gone into dormancy, and focus first on removing dead or broken branches.

Some experts suggest bending down the stems of your young apple tree to slow down its growth and encourage more horizontal branches, which will pay off in dividends over the course of the tree’s life when it produces more fruit. You can also thin out the apples as they begin to produce, which often generates a better harvest of larger, sweeter fruit.

How to Harvest Apples

Harvesting your first apple crop is high on the bucket list of home gardener goals, but be patient and wait until the apples are in their prime before plucking them from the tree. Wait until you can’t see any green undertones on the fruit (unless you’re growing a green variety). If the fruit gives way easily when you lift it up and give it a small twist, it is likely ready to be harvested.

Depending on the cultivars you chose, you could see a harvest as early as late summer or well into October. If you miss the window of opportunity for the perfect plump apple, never fear. You can still use the overripe fruit for cooking, baking and canning.

Many apple varieties last a long time when stored properly. Look up your specific variety for more information, but chances are you can enjoy your hard-earned harvest for up to six months – or more.