Apple Orchard Guide

An apple tree can produce fruit for 50+ years, making it one of the best long-term investments for your property. With the right variety selection and care, you can enjoy fresh apples, cider, and pies for generations.

Understanding Apple Trees

Tree Sizes

• Standard: 20-30 feet, full-size trees, longest-lived
• Semi-dwarf: 12-18 feet, good compromise
• Dwarf: 6-10 feet, easier to manage, shorter-lived

Chill Hours

Apples need winter chill (32-45°F) to fruit properly:

• Northern varieties: 800-1,200 chill hours
• Southern/low-chill: 300-500 chill hours
• Check your area's average chill hours

Popular Varieties

Fresh Eating

• Honeycrisp: Sweet-tart, crispy, popular, zone 3-7
• Gala: Sweet, mild, early harvest, zone 4-8
• Fuji: Very sweet, late harvest, zone 6-9

Cooking & Baking

• Granny Smith: Tart, holds shape, zone 5-8
• Cortland: Slow to brown, great for pies, zone 3-7
• Jonagold: Sweet-tart, excellent all-purpose, zone 4-8

Disease-Resistant

• Liberty: Immune to scab, excellent flavor
• Enterprise: Scab-immune, stores well
• Freedom: Very disease resistant, good keeper

Planting Apple Trees

Site Selection

• Full sun (6+ hours)
• Good air drainage (avoid frost pockets)
• Well-drained soil
• Protection from strong winds

Planting Steps

1. Dig hole 2x width of root ball
2. Don't plant too deep—graft union above soil line
3. Backfill with native soil (no amendments)
4. Water thoroughly
5. Mulch (keep away from trunk)
6. Stake if needed first year only

Pruning

Why Prune?

• Improve air circulation (disease prevention)
• Allow sunlight into canopy
• Maintain manageable size
• Encourage fruiting wood
• Remove damaged/diseased branches

Basic Pruning Principles

• Prune in late winter while dormant
• Remove water sprouts and suckers
• Open center for light and air
• Cut crossing or rubbing branches
• Thin to allow fruit to size properly

Pest & Disease Management

Common Issues

• Apple scab: Brown spots on leaves/fruit. Use resistant varieties
• Codling moth: "Wormy" apples. Use traps, timing sprays
• Fire blight: Bacterial, prune out infected wood
• Apple maggot: Use traps, clean up dropped fruit

Organic Approaches

• Choose disease-resistant varieties
• Remove fallen leaves and fruit
• Use pheromone traps for monitoring
• Apply kaolin clay for pest deterrence
• Encourage beneficial insects

Harvesting

Signs of Ripeness

• Skin color changes (green to variety color)
• Seeds turn dark brown
• Apple separates easily when lifted and twisted
• Flavor tastes right!

Storage

• Late varieties store best
• Store at 30-35°F with high humidity
• Good keepers last 3-6 months
• Check regularly for spoilage