Thursday, November 19, 2020

Might an apple tree be in your future? by Vicky Spelman

Photo Courtesy Pinterest

Plant apple trees in full sun, in soil that drains well and on a high point so frost gathering in low pockets will not damage the tree or the fruit. If you plant apple trees close to the south or west side of a building, they might also bloom too early in the spring and be damaged by frost.

Courtesy CSU

Reliable varieties for our area are Cox Orange, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Jonathan, Fameuse, Northwest Greening, Joyce, Wealthy, Lodi and Haralson.

Select two different varieties for cross pollination and good fruit production. In most cases, planting semi-dwarf varieties rather than standard size trees allows enough room for at least two varieties in the landscape.

The best time to prune apple trees is in early March. Allow sunlight to penetrate into lower areas of the tree to encourage better fruit production and strong branch structures.

Courtesy CSU

Refer to PlantTalk Colorado for the rest of this article:  https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/fruits/1201-apples/