What Season Should Apple Trees Be Planted?

Go on a romantic apple-picking adventure in your own backyard.

Delicious, fresh fruit is not the only reason to plant an apple tree in your yard. Apple trees also help to shade a yard and provide a place to hang a tire swing for the kids. But before you can enjoy those many benefits, you'll have to ensure a healthy tree by finding the best planting time for your area.

Time Frame

Apple tree saplings and branchless, bare-rooted whips should be planted during the early spring, through March and April in Northern areas. In Southern climates with mild temperatures and moist weather, young trees can be planted in the fall and through the winter for an extra head start before the following spring arrives.

Specifications

For the best results, transplant a healthy, year-old sapling from a nursery. Choose a tree that already stands between 4 and 6 feet tall. Dig a hole 2 feet deep and twice the existing root system's diameter.

Considerations

Avoid transplanting trees with dried roots by soaking the roots in water for a full day before transplanting. You should also avoid planting in extreme hot or cold temperatures, droughts and when soils are excessively wet, as this may shock saplings accustomed to sheltered lives in greenhouses.

References

• North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension Service: Growing Apple Trees in the Home Garden
• Ohio State University Extension: Growing Apples in the Home Orchard
• National Gardening Association: Planting Apple Trees

Resources

• Iowa State University Extension: Harvesting and Storing Apples