Let's Talk About Dwarfing Apple Trees: Your Ultimate Guide 🍎🌳
Methods to cultivate apple trees:
Garden gurus, listen up! We've got a tasty tidbit for you: apple trees! Not only do they brighten your garden with their stunning blossoms in spring and offer delectable treats in autumn, but they also serve as a smorgasbord for wildlife. From bees and birds to moths, these fruit trees are a garden's best friend. But how do you grow apples like a pro? Let's dive in!
Growing apples: the lowdown:
Apple trees come in all shapes and sizes, catering to gardens of all sizes, thanks to their dwarfing rootstocks. These nifty dwarf fruit trees remain small and manageable for their entire lifespan and can even be grown in pots! For optimal growth, plant them in moist but well-drained soil in full sun. Pruning in summer and winter is essential, depending on your tree's shape, to ensure a bountiful harvest of ripe apples!
The seed conundrum:
While growing apples from seed is technically possible, the resulting fruit may not be the same delicious variety you started with. Plus, it'll take around 10 years for your apple tree to produce fruit. But hey, patience is a virtue, and you might just stumble upon a brand new apple variety, gaining you a fruit-filled fame! If you've got the room and time, we say, "go for it!"
Which rootstock, you ask?
Named apple varieties grow on rootstocks that control their size and vigor. They are: M27 (extremely dwarfing), M9 and M26 (dwarfing), MM106 (semi-dwarf), and MM111 (vigorous). Select a suitable rootstock for your space to ensure you strike the perfect balance between size, productivity, and adaptability to your environment.
Planting and caring for your apple tree:
Plant bare-rooted apple trees in winter for cost savings and a wider variety selection. Spring is also a suitable time for planting pot-grown trees, but expect more frequent watering due to drier conditions. Position your apple tree in full sun, and don't forget the tree stake when planting! Keep your tree well watered and fertilized with pelleted chicken manure during the growing season.
Summer pruning:
Pruning in summer helps transform leafy shoots into fruiting ones. Cut back any shoots over 20cm long to three leaves, and prune side shoots from these to one leaf. Thin out congested fruits to one every 10cm and remove any damaged or diseased ones.
Winter pruning:
In winter, prune out congested, crossing, or badly placed stems to create an open framework that encourages light and air to reach the center of your tree, promoting healthy growth and fruit production.
Harvesting apples:
Some apples will become ripe in August, but most are ready from September to October. Pick them as they ripen to avoid damage. If the apple doesn't readily pull away from the branch, allow it a little more time.
For more apple-tizing insights, check out our other posts on storing apples, picking apples, pruning stepover apples, apple tree diseases, and apple varieties to grow! Happy harvesting, garden dreamers!
Average Yield:6-55kg per tree
Sources:
- RHS. (2019, July 5). Grow apples. Retrieved July 3, 2023, from https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own/fruits/apple
- GardenMyths. (2017, February 16). How tall do M9 dwarf apple trees grow? Retrieved July 3, 2023, from https://www.gardenmyths.com/how-tall-do-m9-dwarfing-rootstocks-grow/
- Gardener's Supply Co. (n.d.). Pink lady apple tree (malus domestica). Retrieved July 3, 2023, from https://www.gardeners.com/products/pink-lady-apple-tree
- Aujean, R. (2018, October 26). G41 rootstock for apple trees. Retrieved July 3, 2023, from https://www.gywnnies.com/blog/g41-rootstock-for-apple-trees/
- For those with a knack for home-and-garden lifestyle, growing dwarfing apple trees can elevate your gardening experience. With the right care, these small yet mighty trees can flourish in not only traditional gardens but also in containers.
- As you tend to your thriving apple trees, don't forget to prune them, both in the summer and winter, to enhance fruit production and maintain a picturesque shape.
