DIY Network

Overview of Apples An introduction to America's favorite fruit: the apple From "Fresh From the Orchard" episode DFFO-112

Host Kelly Givens explains that technically an apple is a pome, or a fruit with a single core and multiple seeds. Not only are apples botanically interesting, they also make attractive additions to the home landscape. In the spring apple trees have delicately fragrant blooms that open pink, then fade to white. The flowers look like small roses (which is no accident since the apple is part of the rose family).

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When you cut an apple in half, you can see that its core is star-shaped in the middle. All apples have five seed pockets; each pocket usually contains one or two seeds.

Selecting the Right Variety

There are thousands of apple varieties available, each with its own individual characteristics: apples can taste sweet or tart; their flesh can be crisp or soft; and their skin color can range from cherry red to golden yellow.

With so many varieties to choose from, the trick to growing apple trees is to select a variety that's right for your growing area. Some varieties grow and produce better in cold climates, and others are better suited to warm climates.

To decide which type of apple is best for you, first consider your climate. A USDA Plant Hardiness map (www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html) divides North America into 11 climatic zones. A quick look at the map will show you your zone.

Once you know your zone, you can look through gardening catalogs to find out which apple varieties are suited for your climate. Most catalogs have the growing zones listed.

Another factor to consider is cross-pollination. An apple tree will not bear fruit if it doesn't have another variety of apple to pollinate it, so you always need to plant at least two different varieties of apples together. To determine which apple varieties will pollinate each other, look at a pollination chart. Pollination charts are available from your local extension service and are also printed in many catalogs.

Note on the Cooperative Extension Services

Your local extension service can analyze a soil sample to help you determine what amendments and nutrients you need to apply.

You may have noticed that we often refer you to your local cooperative extension service for additional information. Why? Because extension service agents are local experts, the ones right in your own neighborhood. They understand your local climate and growing conditions better than anyone else.

If you don't know how to get in contact with your local extension service, here is a website that will help you easily locate the extension service nearest you: www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/.

In selecting the right variety for your home orchard, you will also want to decide what size tree you want. Semidwarfs are a good choice for most home gardens because they are easier to care for, prune and harvest than standard trees. Semidwarf trees get about 15' to 20' tall; standard trees can reach 4' tall and nearly as wide.

On our show, Kelly plants Gala and Molly Delicious.

• Gala is a popular variety for home gardeners. The skin has attractive reddish-orange striping, and the fruit is sweet and crisp. Gala is a disease-resistant variety that makes for a relatively carefree tree.

• Molly Delicious has red skin and sweet fruit that's good for baking or eating fresh. The trees are vigorous and very productive, and the fruit ripens in midseason.

  Gala	Molly Delicious

  
  

Apple trees are very adaptable and will grow in a wide range of soil types, so long as the soil is well drained. The main requirement for growing apples is full sun: a minimum of six to eight hours a day is needed for decent fruit production. If you're planting apples in your yard, you'll also want to think about how the trees will look in your landscape when they are fully grown. You don't want a tree too close to the house or where it will block the view from your windows.

Planting

You can plant either bare-root (figure A) or containerized apple trees. Bare-root trees should be planted before they break dormancy in early spring; trees growing in containers, on the other hand, are typically planted somewhat later in the spring.

If you order bare-root apple trees from a mail-order nursery, unwrap the trees as soon as they arrive. If you're going to plant them right away, set the roots in a bucket of water to let them soak for a few hours to hydrate (figure B). If you can't plant the trees right away, remoisten the packing material and set them in a cool, shady spot.

Figure A

Figure B

Dig a planting hole the same depth as the roots and as wide as the roots when they're fanned out (figure C). If you're working in a claylike soil, you can amend the soil beforehand.

Place the tree in the planting hole, fanning the roots out and down if it's a bare-root tree (figure D). Place the tree so that its root flare, or the point where the roots begin to spread out from the trunk, is just above the soil line. The graft union will be several inches above the surrounding soil level (figure E).

Figure C

Figure D

Figure E

Once the tree is positioned, backfill with the soil that you just dug out (figure F). When the hole is about three-quarters full, add water, letting it settle in around the roots (figure G). Continue backfilling; then water it well one more time. To finish, mulch around the trees with pine straw. The mulch will help keep the weeds in the area and conserve moisture, and it will give the plantings a finished look.

Figure F

Figure G

Watering Berm

Figure H

You may want to make a small berm around the tree to create a watering basin (figure H). Make the berm about 3" or 4" tall and a bit wider than the planting hole, then fill the basin with water. The basin will help direct water to the roots while the tree is getting established during its first growing season.

A watering berm isn't always necessary, but it's helpful if your soil is sandy or if you're planting on a slope, where water tends to drain away too quickly. After several months, the roots will have spread beyond their planting hole, and you can level out the berm with a hoe.