Apples: RHS demonstrates how to thin apple trees
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Fruit trees come in all shapes and sizes, providing year-round interest in the garden. From the spring blossoms and ripe fruits to the green autumn leaves – apple trees are not to be missed from your gardening list. According to gardening experts, you don’t have to wait too long to start planting either, as now is the ideal time to bury bare-root stock into the ground.
When to plant apple trees
Like most fruiting plants, apple trees can be grown from bare-root stock or containers.
The Royal Horticultural Society said: “Bare-root plants should be planted from late autumn until early spring; containerised plants can be planted at any time of year, though winter is preferred.”
While there are options for planting apple trees at different times of the year, speed is crucial after purchasing your plant.
An expert at Orange Pippin Trees said: “Bare-root trees must be planted as soon as they arrive, preferably the same day – but do not attempt to plant them if the ground is frozen.
“If you cannot plant the tree in its final position straightaway, you can keep the tree for up to three days in a frost-free shed or garage, but do not uncover the roots, and make sure the tree is not exposed to frost.”
Bare-root stock is the cheapest way to grow your apples from scratch, but the plant will suffer without proper care before and during planting.
For this reason, experts warned against keeping the rootstock in a heated house during the storage period, as the roots will dry out.
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Rooted trees will generally establish themselves more easily than the container-grown kind, but they need to be planted while the tree is still dormant.
Even if you wait beyond late autumn to plant them, it is best to get them done before the end of winter.
Bramley apples are a classic cultivar grown in the UK, but they are not always the easiest for home gardening.
Fortunately, dozens of other apple trees are easier to grow, though it is best to ask the nursery you are buying from which they would recommend.
Where to plant apple trees
If planting directly into the garden, the RHS advised against planting a hole too deep for the tree to sit in.
Instead, dig to the same depth as the roots, with a diameter three times that of the root system.
To perfect this measurement, the RHS recommended spreading the roots out on the ground before digging the hole.
It said: “If the sides or base of the planting hole are really hard, break the soil up with a fork before planting.”
Fruit trees are not easy to move so it is important to get the location right the first time.
Gardening expert David Marks at Garden Focused noted that spacing is “one of the easiest mistakes to make”, but also one of the easiest to avoid when planting apple trees.
Always give adequate space for apples to grow away from nearby plants or other fruiting trees.
David added that apple trees thrive in full sun or partial shade out of the way of strong winds. Free draining soil is preferred.
He added: “Avoid frost-pockets and if you can’t, then pick your variety of tree carefully.”
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