How to Increase Apple Quality & Production in the Orchard
Growing apples at home can be an extremely rewarding enterprise for home growers. Besides growing your own fresh produce, the glossy green leaves and sweet frangrant apple blossoms of an orchard make a beautiful visual addition to any property. For people who are especially fond of apples, several trees can be planted together to form a small apple orchard. Take a couple of simple steps to guarantee good quality and production in your apple orchard. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Check your apple trees to make sure growing needs are being met. Apple trees need full sun for growth and particularly for apple production. Cut away any outside foliage that is shading your apple trees, and open up sunlight and circulation in the area. Increased sunlight will increase the number of apple blossoms and will encourage apple ripening.
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Amend your soil to satisfy the ideal conditions for apple trees. Apples prefer loamy soils that drain adequately. Adequate soil will allow apple trees to put more energy into growing fruit rather than simply growing. If the soil around your apple trees isn't draining, add good soil to correct the problem.
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Fertilize apple trees every spring before blooming starts. Use 10-6-4 fertilizer and apply per manufacturer directions. Keep in mind that older trees require more fertilizer than younger trees.
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Prune apple trees to open up circulation within the tree. Cut off dead or diseased branches, stems and leaves, but do not trim off new growth or flowering stems. Trim old growth from inside the apple trees to open up circulation within the trees and allow more sunlight to the fruit growing within the trees.
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Increase the water supply to apples at the start of the growing season. Trees use water to produce fruit. Increased water at this time will increase apple production.
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Release bees to fertilize your apple blossoms if you don't have adequate insect activity in your area. Bees are available for purchase at most garden supply stores.
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Leave apples on the branch to fully ripen, thus increasing apple quality. Apples continue to ripen only when they're left on the branch and will become larger, juicier and sweeter if they're allowed to ripen naturally.
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Tips & Warnings
Growing your own apples means that you can grow varieties that aren't available at the market.
Apple trees can draw pests and insects.
