How To Grow Apples & Apple Trees

Apples
Many apple varieties grow into large trees. But you don’t need a huge garden to be able to grow them. A range of dwarfing stocks onto which apples are budded has meant that larger varieties can be restrained to about 3–4 m. If space is very restricted, multigraft trees are available. These have three or four varieties grafted onto the one tree. Pole varieties flower up the main stem on very short side branches and have a tiny spread of about 60 cm. Or with a little patience, you can create beautiful space-saving apple espaliers and cordons against walls and fences. Gardeners in warm to subtropical climates do not have to miss out. They can now grow the relatively newly developed but well-trialled subtropical apple varieties, which need very little winter chilling and have a lovely appearance and crisp, flavourful flesh.

Planning the crop
Prepare the site in autumn by forking in plenty of well-rotted manure or garden compost. Leave to settle for at least a month, then lightly fork and level the soil before planting.

Tree shapes
Bush trees Plant these if you have plenty of space, 4–6 m apart. A single bush tree may produce 90 kg or more of fruit, depending on the variety, with an average yield of 35–45 kg.

Dwarf pyramids Grow where space is more restricted; set them about 2 m apart. One tree may produce 7 kg of apples, with an average yield of 4–5 kg.

Single-stemmed cordons Planted 1 m apart, with 2 m between rows, and trained on wires, cordons let you grow several varieties on a small plot. An established cordon will give about 1.5–2.5 kg of fruit. Espaliers With a spread of 3–4.5 m, these are ideal against a fence or wall in full sun or a little shade. Or grow them in the open on wires. 

Step-over apple trees Essentially a single-tier espalier, this type can be used to edge a border or flank a garden path.

Patio apples In a courtyard garden, choose varieties on dwarfing stock that reach about 2 m tall. Grow them in large containers of soil-based compost and train as bushes or dwarf pyramids.

Pole apples The Ballerina series of pole apple varieties are great space savers – ornamental, column-shaped trees about 60 cm wide that are very productive. Prune in summer; the fruit matures midseason.

Varieties
When choosing trees, think about the position and soil type they’ll grow in. Get advice from nursery staff about what’s best for your garden. Fruit trees are available on a range of rootstocks. The rootstock determines the vigour of the tree and how big it will grow. Dwarfing rootstocks vary in effect from moderate to very dwarfing, depending on the rootstock used.