Buy and price of Red Apple Tree

Fall means red apple harvest time! Check out our tips on harvesting apples as well as apple tree care, apple tree problems, and all about growing juicy apples and growing them in the home garden for beauty!

Red Apple Tree

About apple Apple trees aren't just for people who own acres of land. Even in a small space, you can grow a hedge of dwarf apple trees or an apple tree and produce a successful crop. Spring sowing is recommended in the central and northern regions. Fall sowing can also be successful but only in areas where the weather in fall and winter are generally milder and wetter. Red Apple Tree

Where do apples grow? However, climatic considerations are very important for apple cultivation. As a general rule, if the apple tree is called "hardy," it grows best in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 5. If called "long season," apple quality will be best in zones 5 through 8. Check your zone here. Tree signs don't always tell you where the variety is growing, but many indexes do. Also, check with your local cooperative extension service for a recommendation specific to your area. Each variety has several chilling hours (i.e., temperatures between 32 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit) required to stabilize them. The further north you go, the more hours of cooling an apple variety needs to avoid freezing problems in late spring. Check the tree's signs or ask the seller for chilling information. Can you grow apple trees from seed? A common question is whether or not it is possible to grow a variety of your choice rather than buying a young tree. While it is certainly possible to grow an apple tree from a seed, the apple tree you end up with may not be the kind you expected! Apple seeds are genetically different from the parent tree, which means that things like tree size, hardiness, and fruit quality will be different (and usually inferior). Therefore, if you plant honey bee seeds, you will not end up with honey bee apples. Also, it can take 8-10 years for an apple seed to grow large enough to produce an apple, so you can wait a while! However, growing apple seeds can be a fun experience. Here's how to grow apple seeds: Apple seeds must be exposed to cool, moist conditions before they are ready to germinate and grow. Plant them out 1/2 inch deep in the fall and the natural weather cycle will take care of your chilling needs for you. Alternatively, place the seeds in moist sand in a plastic container and refrigerate the container for 3 to 4 months. Then transplant it outdoors 1/2 inch deep after all danger of frost has passed. Once the seed appears, be sure to keep it well-watered and protect it from pests. Apple requires pest control It is also important to realize that there are many diseases and fruit pests that attack apples, so it is rare to grow this fruit without pesticides. Growing apples organically on the East Coast is more difficult than on the West due to fungal diseases and insect species not found in the West. Growing apples requires a lot of research and persistence if you want to avoid any type of spraying program.

red apple tree leaves

Apple trees need friends Most types of apples require pollen from another apple tree to produce fruit. This is called cross-pollination. This second tree must be of a different species but also of a tree that will flower at the same time. The presence of bees will be very important; Poor pollination can reduce the stability of the fruit and spoil it; Some gardens rent or maintain hives for good pollination. Excessive use of large-scale pesticides can reduce bee populations. Planting When to plant apple trees Bare-rooted apple trees should be planted in early spring once the soil has worked. Container-grown apple trees can be grown throughout the growing season as long as they are provided with adequate water. Site selection As with most fruits, apple trees produce best when grown in full sun, which means six or more hours of direct sunlight in summer per day. Apple trees need well-drained soil, but they should be able to hold some moisture. The best light to medium shade soil. Fruit trees struggle in heavy clay soils; Poor soil drainage leads to root rot disease. Plant the fruit in a location with good air circulation so the leaves dry quickly after rain or watering (or the tree is at risk of fungal leaf disease). Make sure not to plant the tree in a "cold pocket" where cold air settles in low areas. If possible, choose an elevated site with a slope so that cool air flows away from the trees. Do not plant trees in forested areas or near other trees. Tree planting Before planting, remove all weeds and grass within a 4-foot-diameter radius. After buying a tree, protect it from injury, drying out, freezing, or overheating. If the roots dry out, soak them in water for about 24 hours before planting.

red apple tree bark

Tree spacing is influenced by rooting, soil fertility, and pruning. Full-size saplings or trees should be planted 15 to 18 feet apart in a row. Stunted rootstock can be 4 to 8 feet tall, and straight. Of course, apple trees need cross-pollination; A different variety that blooms at the same time should be planted within 2,000 feet (preferably closer). Dig a hole twice the diameter of the root system and two feet deep. Put some loose soil back into the hole and loosen the soil on the walls of the planting hole so that the roots can easily penetrate the soil. Spread the tree roots over the loose soil, making sure it is not crooked or crowded in the hole. Keep turning the soil around the roots. When you start covering the roots, firm the soil to make sure it surrounds the roots and removes air pockets. Do not fertilize when planting, as the roots may "burn". Fill the rest of the hole with loose soil and compact the soil well. Most apple trees are grafted. The graft union should be at least 4 inches above the soil line so that the roots do not come out of the graft. The graft union (where the scion is attached to the root) can be identified by swelling at the junction. Dwarf apple trees are notorious for their tendency to topple under the weight of a heavy crop, so you should provide a support system for your hedge. You can plant your trees against a fence, or you can provide free-standing support in the form of a trellis. Watch our video to learn how to grow a bare root fruit tree. Grow up General care Water young trees regularly, especially those on semi-dwarf or stunted roots, to ensure a well-established root system. Update the protective cover periodically, but pull it away from the trunk so it doesn't burn. It also helps prevent mice from building nests and chewing the bark of the tree during the winter. Apple trees require early training to maintain a strong branch structure so that the trees can produce a heavy crop of apples. Dwarf plants should be supported by posts or trellises and trained on a central leader system. Standard (and semi-dwarf) trees should also be trained on a modified leader. Pest control measures will be an important part of care. Correct timing is critical to avoid harming bees and affecting pollination. When used, pesticides are applied at a specific stage of flower and fruit development, not according to a calendar.

red apple tree flowers

It is important to research your variety and climate to see which pests are most likely to be a problem, which will allow you to apply the right control at the right time. If you want to avoid pesticides, it is possible, although apple trees are one of the most susceptible fruits to pests. For example, you can put paper bags around each apple on your tree, although this takes some time and effort. There are also organic pesticides. Pruning apple trees Pruning slows a young tree's overall growth and can delay fruiting, so don't rush pruning, except to remove dead, broken, or missing branches. There are several techniques for straightening growth without severe pruning. for example: Prune misplaced branches before they grow. Bend the trunk almost horizontally for a few weeks to slow growth and encourage branching and fruiting. Tie chains to stakes in the ground or lower branches. Once the apple tree is full and bearing fruit, prune annually to maintain size and shape. Pruning reduces disease by providing more sunlight and air. Prune your mature tree when it is dormant. Cut the very strong, straight trunk (most common at the top of the tree). Remove weak branches (which often hang on the underside of limbs. Shorten stems that have become excessively wrinkled, especially those low in the tree. After about ten years, the fruiting branches (small branches that grow about half an inch per year) become too crowded and break. Cut some and shorten others. When the entire tip of the fruit recedes with age, cut them back to make room for smaller replacements.

summer red apple tree

Some types of apple trees will self-pollinate if you have limited space. However, these apple trees will still produce more fruit if pollinated.) Harvest Apple harvest Harvest with patience. After all this pruning and care, be sure to harvest the apple at the peak of perfection. Pick the apple when its background color has not turned green. The stem should easily separate from the branch when the fruit is held in the palm of your hand and twisted slightly, then up (do not remove it from the apple). Different apple varieties ripen at different times, so the harvest season can extend from August to October. If the apple is overripe, use it for baking! Apple Storage Store apples only in the mid or late season. Early season varieties are not kept and are best eaten immediately after picking. Mid-season varieties should be kept for a few weeks, while late-season varieties keep well in the root cellar for up to five months. Apples intended for storage must be perfect, without bruises or blemishes that could provide entry points for rot. Store apples by wrapping individual fruits in newspaper or tissue paper. Place wrapped apples in trays that allow air to circulate. You can also store them unwrapped, but you should not touch the fruit. Different varieties store for different periods, so keep them separate and eat those that won't store as long first. Most garages and sheds are ideal, while attics and basements should be avoided due to excessive heat, poor ventilation, or low humidity. Check stored apples regularly and remove any that have become soft, brown, or moldy.

fall red apple tree

Pests and Diseases Apples are susceptible to insect infestation and disease—including apple maggots, plum curculios, green fruit moths, and codling moths. Many gardeners who swear by pesticides find they need to find an acceptable annual spray treatment for a good crop. One idea to avoid pesticides is to choose disease-resistant varieties such as 'Prima', 'Priscilla', 'Liberty', and 'Freedom'. They do not require spraying for apple rust, rice rust, apple, and other common diseases, while most other varieties require periodic spraying each spring and summer after planting. Contact your extension service to find approved pest prevention programs for your area. You can also try anti-sect oil found in gardening stores. Spray it in spring when apple trees are in the tight bunch stage: after the leaves open from the fruiting clump, but before the buds turn pink. Apple thinning Apples are often grown in the annual spring drop without any thinning other than that provided by nature. However, to avoid potential disease and insect problems, it is helpful to thin the natural fruit drop (about 4 to 6 weeks after flowering) to one fruit per bunch, or about 6 to 8 inches between fruit. It sounds difficult but this practice evens out the yield prevents heavy crop breakage and ensures good taste and large yields of fruit. Immediately after the fruit ripens, remove the smallest damaged fruit or fruit, leaving about four inches between the remaining fruit. Recommended items Choose the right items Look for disease-resistant trees, such as 'Liberty', 'Jonafree', 'Macfree', and 'Williams Pride', which will give you the ability to grow organic fruit or use fewer chemicals. Maintenance is also easy. You need to choose the route. All apple trees are sold in two parts: the "root," or base, and the "scion," or top, which determines the type of fruit. Rootstock can be "seed" or "standard" (which produces a full-sized tree) or it can be "dwarf" or "adjust-size" (which produces a smaller tree for easier care and harvesting).