Apple (Malus domestica)

Written by Debbie on February 27, 2020. Posted in Fruiting Plants, Fruiting trees, Plants.

Exposure

Full sun to light shade. Zone 4-7. Prefers slopes, as apple trees need good airflow to reduce fungal diseases.

Soil

Soil tolerant but deep, rich soil preferred. Do not plant in low, wet poorly drained soil. pH 6.5

Growth Habits

A small to medium sized, single-trunked tree, depending on rootstock. Semi-dwarf trees generally reach 15-20 feet tall. Dwarf trees reach 8-10 feet tall.

Two varieties needed for cross-pollination.

Landscape Uses

Apple blossoms are a beautiful sight in April with their pinkish white flowers covering the tree. Depending upon the variety, apples produce fruit from mid-summer through fall. Plant where they can be seen from your house or office. Use as home orchard trees, that, once mature can yield 300 pounds of fruit annually or semi-annually depending upon variety. To produce high-quality fruit, an organic spray program may be needed. Choose disease-resistant fruits where possible.

Usefulness

Sweet, firm, juicy fruit is a planetary favorite. Use for fresh eating, cooking, canning, apple butter, drying, or cider making. Different varieties have different uses and fruit characteristics.

Available Varieties

‘Arkansas Black’ – Medium sized apple with very dark skin. Flesh is firm, white, and crisp. Balanced and sweet flavor makes especially good juice. Well adapted to warmer areas. Some resistance to Fire Blight. Very resistant to Cedar Apple Rust. 6 Available

‘Enterprise’ – Deep red, flavorful fruit, good for fresh eating and baking. Disease resistant. ‘Enterprise’ is a slightly tart, very crisp and juicy, large deep red apple that is good for fresh eating and desserts. It keeps well for several months. Mid to late season bloomer. (Pollinate with Empire, Goldrush, Honeycrisp, Liberty, Sweet Sixteen.)

‘Goldrush’ – Disease resistant variety. Goldrush has a distinctively spicy flavor, a rare combination of intense acidity and high sugar content. This yellow-green with a red blush on the sunward side apple will keep in storage for six months, in fact its flavor improves after a month or so of storage. Goldrush is a multi-purpose apple that makes excellent cider, is ideal for salads or drying because it doesn’t brown, maintains its flavor and firmness in pies and is good for fresh eating. Ripens in late October to early November. Comes into production quickly and bears annually. Chuck’s and Debbie’s favorite apple. (Pollinate with Empire, Enterprise, or Honeycrisp.) Late blooming; might not pollinate with Liberty. Best in zones 5-7.

‘Honeycrisp’ – Apple has an exceptionally crisp and juicy texture. Its flesh is cream colored and crunchy. Mature apples have strong, spicy aroma. Mid-late season harvest. 7 Available

‘Liberty’ – Disease resistant. ‘Liberty’ is a very productive, annual bearing, deep reddish purple apple that is tart with a wine-like aroma and mild astringency that adds a pleasant finish to ciders. It is an all purpose apple that is well suited to fresh eating, pies, sauces, and processing, though it only is good for fresh eating for a few months of refrigerated storage. ‘Liberty’ has its best flavor if tree ripened. Early blooming – might not pollinate with Goldrush. 2 Available

‘William’s Pride – dwarf or semi-dwarf – An early maturing, attractive, dark red apple with excellent fruit quality and field immunity to apple scab from the Purdue breeding program.

Pricing Information

$35.00 / 3 gal, $43.00 / 5 gal not all varieties available in all sizes