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Apples are grown from seed. It takes several years to go from the seedling stage to an apple producing tree. Most people let the garden nurseries start apple tree seedlings and nurture them to a size that can be transplanted to your garden. Then, people buy small trees that are a couple of years old from their local garden store. When growing apples, plan ahead. If you buy a small tree, it will take about 3 years to get your first fruit.

Select a location in your yard that receives full sun. Dig a deep hole. Add plenty of decomposed compost, if available. Mix thoroughly with regular garden soil. If the tree you have bought is inside of a decomposable peat pot, leave it in the container. It is helpful (but not required) to slit the container to allow roots to more easily exit the container. While making the slits, be careful not to cut the roots, as you can do more harm than good. If your tree is in a burlap bag, remove the bag. Gently spread the roots in the hole you have dug.

Bury the plant up to where it was in the container. Soak the soil thoroughly. Add more soil if needed. Once your new apple tee is planted, it should grow well with little or no attention. We do recommend staking the tree in it's first year of life. Strong winds can bend the young sapling, causing the trunk to grow at an angle. Really strong winds, might even cause the tree to sway and damage roots.

Tip: Fruit tree fertilizer spikes are a great way to boost the growth of your new apple tree. The spike slowly releases a fertilizer specifically formulated for your fruit tree.

The size of the apples is dependent upon a number of things. Sometimes, mother nature pollinates a profusion of blooms. It is possible that so many apples are on the tree, that the apples are numerous, but small. Growers can compensate for this by removing a few of the baby apples very early in the season. Should you do this? Probably not in your first few years of growing, as you do not have the experience to judge if there are too many baby apples on the tree. But, we do recommend removing any apples that are damaged by insects, leaving good apples to grow big and sweet. 

Apple trees and their fruit are very susceptible to insects and disease. If you want good apples, you are best advised to apply regular applications of fruit tree spray. We recommend an all purpose insect and disease spray available at your local garden store. More on Insects and Disease

When using sprays we recommend you follow the directions on the label carefully. And by all means, wear protective clothing and a mask when spraying.

Once your apple tree is a few years old, it is important to prune the tree yearly. Pruning removes sapling and non-productive branches that only take energy from the tree, without producing fruit. It can also be used to keep top growth limited ,and make your bright, shiny apples more reachable at harvest time. More on Pruning