How to Grow Apples in Central Texas

There was a time when one could only dream of growing delicious full size apples in our part of Texas. Nowadays, there are several cultivars to choose from, and with a little care and patience, anyone can harvest a bushel of beautiful apples.

Apple trees do require some care because the best fruit is made when insect and diseases are controlled. Plant trees where there is good drainage. If you have sand on top of hard pan, be sure the sand is at least four feet deep so the roots will not sit in water after a big rain. Amend clay with compost to loosen it up. Apple trees need full sun, especially morning sun. Cross-pollination is needed for most varieties, so plant two varieties listed for Central Texas. Also, the varieties you choose should have overlapping bloom periods.

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Don't plant bare root trees after February 15. Plant 1-2 year old container grown trees until March 31. Prepare a hole big enough so the roots are not pinched or crowded, and be sure the graft or bud union is above the soil line but no more than one inch higher. Don't add any fertilizer to the planting hole and it is not recommended to leave a depression around the trunk of the tree, especially if you are in an alkaline area prone to cotton root rot which causes trees to rot at the soil line, suddenly die and fall over.

Cut the new tree back to a 24-30 inch whip to force scaffold branches to form. Most gardening publications about fruit tree production will give you a year by year guide to the best pruning methods. Also, your local county extension office will have information on how to prune an apple tree. An apple tree should be pruned and tended to some extent every year.

A soil test will help you with any fertilizer requirements, but a balanced fertilizer such as 15-5-10 or one listed specifically for fruit trees, won't hurt if applied as directed. Apple trees love nitrogen, and a cup of ammonium sulfate poured around the trunk in a 2 foot circle in the spring and again in early summer is generally a good idea. Don't let it have contact with the trunk or any new growth, however.

New growth of 12-18 inches each year is desirable so increase or decrease fertilization according to the growth rate. If it looks like the number of apples forming is low, decrease the nitrogen application. Apple trees will need to be in an area they can receive extra water. A month of no rain in August just might do them in.

If thinning the fruit for better quality production, leave one apple per cluster, and space the clusters every 6 inches. When picking apples, remember that apples picked with the stem attached keep longer in storage.

Your county extension agents also have plenty of information about tree spraying and disease control, so contact them for the latest information. Recommended apple varieties for Central Texas are: Early to Mid June-Dorsett Golden, and Anna. Plant together for best pollination. Late June-Jersy Mac. A red crisp apple. Early to mid July-Adina. Late July-Early August-Galla. Early to mid-August-Mollie's Delicious. Late August-Early September-Starkcrimson Red Delicious, Braeburn. Late September-Granny Smith, Pink Lady.