Back Yard Orchard | What To Expect When Growing Apple Trees
I'm not a big fan of apples sold in grocery stores. I find the taste average or poor compared to an apple picked fresh off a tree. I suppose that's true with most food one grows themselves. Even one apple tree can provide more apples than most families can use. So if you are not growing apples yet, I highly recommend you get started!
Below is a video covering a few things you can expect when growing your apple trees.
I recommend picking up apples that have fallen throughout the season at least once a week. The main reason for this is to help minimize the buildup of insect pests and various fungal diseases.
In my area, Apple Maggot and Codling Moth are the two key insects I deal with. Apples that drop later in the season may have these insect larvae in them, the worm stage. Once that infected fruit hits the ground, eventually, that larvae will exit the fruit, burrow into the soil (Apple Maggot), or create a cocoon (Codling Moth) and rest or overwinter in a pupa stage. The pupa will give way to the adult stage of the insect, a small fly or moth, and the life cycle and subsequent damage will start again.
Looking at the symptoms here and judging by this larger entry point, the tunneling, and then the rot in the center, this is most likely damage from Codling Moth. I initially thought this was Apple Maggot damage, but after doing a little research for the video and this blog, I've convinced myself it's Codling Moth. We're always learning!
Codling Moth Damage
I'm willing to tolerate some insect damage since I don't like spraying insecticides on my food crops, making sanitation (removing the apples) important to help control and keep them in check. Keep in mind that the adults of the insects laying the eggs on your fruit can fly and cover long distances, so sanitation is not always the entire answer, but it can help.
Insecticide options for control are available. At what point you decide to spray is different for everyone. The majority of my apples that I pick are still insect-free, so I choose not to spray. But I have three trees and usually have more than I can use. Homeowners who only have one tree may need to spray insecticides more frequently due to less fruit available (for you). If you decide to spray, I recommend starting with the organic products. Spinosad is a good product sold under several brands and trade names.
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Monterey Garden Insect Spray
An advanced bacterial product using 100% naturally occurring materials.
Check the active ingredient area on the label to confirm it is Spinoza. The insecticide label will also list insects that the product is effective on and give guidance for timing, etc. The University of Minnesota has two excellent publications discussing additional symptoms, life cycles, and treatment options for Apple Maggot and Codling Moth.
Traps are also available for both of these insects. While they'll offer a small level of control, they are mostly used to help you determine when the insects are active, helping you decide when to spray.
Codling Moth And Oriental Fruit Moth Trap
Monitoring trap with pheromones
Apple Maggot Kit By Olson Products
Features spheres, Sticky Stuff w/brush, and wire holders
About five years ago, my apple and pear trees produced a bumper crop. I spent a great deal of time slicing, dehydrating, and vacuum-sealing these fruits. I'm still eating the little chips to this day, and they taste as fresh as the day I put them in storage. This is definitely my favorite method of storing fruits like this for long term freshness.
Each year, I spend a little time removing crossing branches and suckers from the base of my trees. However, I have not done any other pruning to develop a horizontal branch structure, the training that provides maximum strength for heavy fruit loads. I'm content with allowing the tree to grow naturally and happy with the amount of fruit I'm getting.
Since I have planted my trees quite close together, I'll likely start pruning on the inner branches to increase airflow, which will help minimize any fungal disease problems. To avoid spreading fireblight, a bacterial disease, on apples, it's always best to do your pruning in the dormant months.
Regarding planting and spacing, How much room do you need? It's important to address this question since it's usually recommended that you have two different apple tree varieties planted close to each other, usually within 50 feet, for best cross-pollination.
If you live in a neighborhood with a lot of trees, there's a good chance there is another apple tree nearby, and you might be just fine with one tree since insects can travel long distances to accomplish this cross-pollination. But if you don't want to worry about that and want to be sure, you'll want to ensure you have room for two trees.
As far as tree size goes, apple trees are usually sold on what's referred to as standard or dwarf rootstock. Dwarf trees are smaller, so you'll need less space, and it is easier to pick the apples on those shorter trees down the road. But if you live in a colder climate, you must be careful here as the dwarf rootstock used for grafting is not always as cold-hardy as standard rootstock.
Since I'm in Zone 4 (I often feel I'm more like Zone 3) I only plant trees grafted on standard rootstock, as I don't want to take a chance on a colder-than-normal test winter that would kill off my trees. But that standard tree can also reach 25 feet tall and wide at maturity, compared to about half that size with dwarfs. So you'll definitely need that extra space with standard trees.
There are dozens of apple varieties to pick from, and they'll have many different qualities and characteristics between them. So whether it's sweet, tart, or better for baking or storage, one of my favorite resources to use when researching the qualities I'm after is Bailey Nurseries. They're a wholesale-only grower, so they do not provide trees directly to the consumer, but they sell trees to (probably) thousands of retailers across the US. If you find apples you're interested in, contact your local garden center to see if they purchase products from Bailey Nurseries, perhaps they can add to their order and get that apple tree you've discovered.
In my area, most apple trees sold are in that 4-6 foot range with a trunk size of anywhere from 7/16 of an inch up to 1 inch caliper. This is an excellent size for transplanting. Good retailers will have their trees well labeled with good descriptions and often the best recommendations for that pollinator tree you might need.
It's always a good idea to take off the tree guard when you are buying trees and inspect the trunk for any hidden damage that may not be visible.
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Kevin
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