An apple tree is a great addition to any yard with a sunny spot and at least 1 cold season per year. Read on for simple, straightforward specifics about growing apples.
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Family | Container Size | Good Companions | Bad Companions | Soil Conditions | Germination | Sun | Water | Temperature Range | Height | Lifespan | Reproduction | Yield Per Plant | Ingestibility | Further Reading
What Family Do Apples Belong To?
Apples (Malus domestica) belong to the Rosaceae family, also known as the rose family.
Some of their relatives include cherries, blackberries, and roses.
What Size Container Should I Use for Growing Apples?
Mature apple trees cannot be grown in containers. See the container section of the Growing Cherries article here for more information on why most mature fruit trees can only grow traditionally in the ground.
Very young apple trees can be temporarily kept in a 10-15 gallon container. They should be transplanted to the ground as soon as possible.
What Are Good Companion Plants for Apples?
Some of apple trees' best companions are as follows:
- Clover
- Chives
- Garlic
- Leek
- Nasturtium
- Peas
- Beans like green beans
- Marigold
- Marjoram
- Lemon balm
- Borage
- Blackberry
What Are Bad Companion Plants for Apples?
Apples are not compatible with every plant. Some things to avoid planting with apple trees are as follows:
What Soil Conditions Do Apples Need?
Apple trees prefer loamy soil that retains some water but is generally well-draining. In other words, the soil should be neither dry not waterlogged.
Their preferred pH is neutral to slightly acidic, ideally between 5.8 and 7.5. They can survive in some pHs outside of this range, but they may not absorb nutrients as fully, leading to a less vibrant tree.
How Long Do Apples Take to Germinate?
Apples take 1-2 weeks to germinate at a temperature of 60-75°F.
Prior to germination, apple seeds should be cold-stratified for 6 weeks. We touch on cold stratification in the Germination section of our Growing Mints article. Read it here.
How Much Sun Do Apples Need?
Apple trees need full sun.
Although they may survive in shaded environments such as part shade, they generally will not set fruit. If they do fruit, production is likely to be very low, taste is likely to be impaired, and disease and pest issues are much more likely.
Sun recommendations can vary by region.
How Much Water Do Apples Need?
Apple trees prefer 1 inch of water every 7-10 days for optimal health and production. However, they are fairly drought-tolerant.
What Is the Ideal Temperature Range for Growing Apples?
Apples grow fastest in temperatures of 50-85°F.
Despite this preference, many apple varieties are hardy down to -40°F. Between this and their need for at least 500 to 1,000 annual chill hours, they are a great choice for colder climates.
Minimum and maximum temperatures will vary by variety. Some apple varieties are bred for late fall harvests and others for higher heat tolerance.
How Tall Do Apples Get?
The average height of mature apple trees is 6-40 feet.
Are Apples Annual, Biennial, or Perennial?
Apples grow on a perennial tree. Perennial means that it lives for longer than a couple years.
More specifically, most apple trees live a minimum of 50 years. Some even live for centuries.
How Do Apples Reproduce?
Apples reproduce by seed.
How Many Apples Are Produced Per Plant?
For apples, how many are produced per tree (also called the yield) largely depends on the type, variety, tree size, and growing conditions.
Apple trees produce 4-5 bushels per year on average. They begin setting fruit 5-8 years after germination.
Can Apples Be Ingested?
Apple fruits, blossoms, and leaves are edible.
Apple leaves and blossoms have carminative and nervine properties and can be used in herbal preparations. The most common preparations are tea, lotions, and tinctures. A herb:solvent weight ratio of 1:4 at 40% alcohol is suggested for an apple leaf and/or blossom tincture.
There are no known safety concerns associated with ingesting apple fruits, blossoms, or leaves.
Apple seeds should not be consumed intentionally since they have a much higher concentration of pre-cyanide compounds than the rest of the plant.
Further Reading
This article is intended as a quick-reference guide for gardeners. Consult your seed packet or seed catalog for variety-specific information.
When you have a bumper crop of apples rolling in, you may not have enough time for long, complicated recipes or many-step preservation procedures. Check out my article on quick, simple uses for apples here!
Apples are featured in these Plant to Plate articles: