The fruit of the apple tree is a delicious product that can have lots and lots of different uses. It can be made cider out of, it is used in many different kinds of food products, and it makes an excellent dessert. Or it can be eaten just as it is. And what we have to thank for all of this, is the apple tree. Although grown by producers all over the world, a lot of people till enjoy having a couple of apple trees in their backyard. It doesn’t really matter if it bears any eatable fruit. It is just a pure beauty to look at during its flowering season and it is fun for the young to have an apple tree to climb in.
If you do want fruits on your apple trees, you do have to tend to them and thin down the crop if it looks like you are going to receive a big one, otherwise it might give you nothing next year. This is because the crop can vary extremely from year to year.
To grow apple trees, plant several trees near each other in an area with lots of bees, so that they will cross-pollinate and produce fruit. Provide apple trees with full sun and lots of water, particularly in the summer.
The apple tree must almost always be grown in pairs because it requires another tree to pollinate it in order to bear fruit. The common bee will then do the rest of the work for you if you have two, carrying pollen from one tree to the next. If you only have one tree and still wishes to have fruit one solution is to grab flowers from wild apple trees and use for pollination.
The apple tree comes in many different shapes, kinds and forms so it is hard to say where the original tree came from. The tolerance of cold and possibilities to store for a long time without having the fruit loosing its nutrition has made this tree excellent to cultivate and signs of this has been found all over the world. It is a fact that it has been an important source of food for millennia. Guesses are though that the apple originated in either Asia or northern Europe.
The apple tree can be grown almost anywhere except too close to the equator. Therefore the USA, China and Argentina are the foremost producers of apple in the world. With vast plantations these countries deliver all kinds of apples over the whole world.
Apple Tree Care Tips
Tip #1
Before even thinking of planting an apple tree, be sure to have all the right tools and knowledge. Browse the web and ask at your local garden shop what you might need and think about. Why not even ask your neighbors how they managed to get an apple tree that large and generous with fruit. You can never be too prepared.
Tip #2
When finding a spot be sure that you find a spot with lots of sun and soil that will allow water to drain, preferably a mix of soil and sand. Also see to it that there is plenty of air around the tree so the morning dew quickly can dry and thereby render lots of diseases improbable. This will make it simpler and you can spend more time lying in the grass, saving the life of your precious tree.
Tip #3
While planting an apple tree be sure not to let the roots dry out. Keep them in water until you are ready to plant them and water a little time to time as you fill up the hole with nice sandy dirt. Keep the area around the tree free from weeds or grass so it won’t inhibit the growth of the young. A young tree needs a lot more attention than a fully grown one.
Tip #4
When fertilizing an apple tree there are no set rules. You will, through trial and error, need to find out what is best for just that specific tree standing in your garden. There are somehow a few guidelines for fertilizing. You need to know what kind of tree you have planted and also what kind of soil it is planted in, that will be of great help. The tree should be fertilized each spring but it is the kind of tree and soil that tells you how much and which kind of fertilizer you will need. The condition of the soil should be re-checked every other year just to be on the safe side. Why not keep a journal on crop, soil condition and amount of fertilizer from year to year and work out what’s best for you.
Tip #5
An adult tree will more or less tend to itself, but there are some things that could be done to improve the apple trees health. Pruning will only be necessary if the tree contracts some kind of disease but it could really help the tree out, getting rid of dead branches and making sure that higher branches doesn’t shade the lower ones too much. Why not prune the tree just for the sheer fun of making it a beautiful addition to your backyard.
Apple Tree Diseases
When struck by a disease it is important to act fast. First of all you have to find out what kind of tree disease you are facing and then take the right steps to getting rid of it. Common problems like worm or other vermin will not be mentioned, a little pesticide will fix that problem for you any day of the week.
Some different kinds of apple tree disease:
Fireblight
The Fireblight is a highly contagious bacterial and lethal disease. The disease can be transmitted by water, wind, birds or even bees so there are no way to keep clear of this thing. Once infected, an apple tree will show signs of injuries, almost like it has been scourged by fire. Blackened and cracked areas are what you are looking for. When detected, the damaged parts should be cut off and taken to a safe place, or even get burned. Afterwards wash the tools thoroughly not to risk any further infection.
Apple scab
The Apple scab is a fungus that looks like rust on the apple tree leaves, fruit and buds. Not known to kill the apple trees it can really reduce the number of fruits you will get and the quality of that fruit, plus it looks awful. To make things right you will have to remove every sign of the fungus and incinerate it. Hopefully the tree will survive and bear fruit the next year.
Black spot
Similar to Apple scab, the Black spot is a fungus. The difference is that this one only affects the leaves and manifests itself as small black spots. Once visible on a leaf, the leaf will soon yellow, wither and fall off. To stop this, you will need to go through the same procedure as with the Apple scab.
Black rot
The Black rot is also similar to the Apple scab, being a fungus and all, but affects mainly the fruits. If you find hard black dots that appear to rot your fruits from the inside out, you have got a sure sign of the Black rot. This can then spread to the leaves and branches to the rest of the apples and destroy a whole crop. Getting rid of this is fairly simple, just pick the apples that show the signs and throw them away. If the disease has already spread you will need to repeat the procedures already mentioned.