Things You'll Need:
- Red Delicious apple tree sapling
- Shovel
- Tree stakes
- Rope or wire
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Step 1
Purchase a one-year-old sapling from your local nursery. Choose a healthy tree that is 4- to 6-feet-tall with a well developed root system. It may take longer to reach maturity, but a small tree will take to being transplanted more easily than a larger one. Apple trees are best planted from late fall to early spring.
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Step 2
Soak the sapling's roots in water for 24 hours prior to planting if they are dry.
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Step 3
Choose a good location to plant your tree. Find an area with good ground drainage that receives sunlight throughout the entire day and is at least eight feet away from other trees. Apple trees may grow as tall as 20 feet, so choose an area that does not have overhead obstructions such as power lines.
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Step 4
Dig a hole that is two-feet-deep and about twice as wide as the root system of your young tree. Use loose soil to fill in an inch or two at the bottom of the hole. Use your shovel to loosen the soil at the walls of the hole. This will make it easier for your tree's roots to take hold of the soil.
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Step 5
Place the sapling in the hole, spreading its roots out in the dirt to ensure they are not tangled or crowded.
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Step 6
Fill in the hole with dirt. Pack the soil down around and on the roots to eliminate any air pockets. Do not add fertilizer. Fertilizer could actually over-nourish the young tree and kill it.
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Step 7
Place at least one tree stake parallel to the sapling's trunk and use rope or wire to tie the tree to the stake. A stake will help keep the tree growing straight in its early life. Using two or three stakes spaced around the tree in this manner will help guarantee a straight trunk.
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Step 8
Thoroughly water the soil around the base of your tree to remove any remaining air pockets and give the tree proper contact with the soil.
