APPLES IN SMALLER SPACES
Seven ways to grow apples in a small garden
The fresher the fruit, the crunchier, sweeter and more nutritious it is. The best way to eat an apple is straight from the tree. Autumn is harvest time and it’s also the very best time to plant a new apple tree.
Our gardens are getting smaller but that hasn’t stopped homeowners investing in fruit trees. Nurseries report that fruit tree sales have never been better as more and more of us opt for growing our own. It helps that we have the best ever choice of compact easy-care varieties. We’re also re-learning some space saving techniques that have been around for centuries.
Just like the essential lemon tree, apples deserve a place in every backyard. One little apple tree gives huge bang for your buck.
1 Dwarf trees
A dwarf fruit tree is a small tree that bears loads of normal sized fruit. Some dwarf trees are small because a compact growth habit is in their genes. ‘Blush Babe’ and ‘Autento’ are good examples. More often though, size is restricted because the tree is grafted onto a special ‘dwarfing’ rootstock. The rootstock number should be on the label next to the variety name. M9 is the most common dwarf rootstock that will keep the tree at 2 or 3 metres tall.
Dwarf trees are what you might call precocious; most bear fruit at a young age. This, coupled with the fact that more trees can be fitted into a space, makes them popular for large gardens and commercial orchards too. Because dwarf trees don’t grow very tall, all the fruit is easily reached without tall ladders - and we can enjoy all that fruit and blossom at eye level.
In a town-sized garden where there was once only room for one larger apple tree, there may be room for two or three dwarf trees of different varieties, which improves pollination. If early, mid and late season varieties are chosen, the harvest season is longer.
Dwarf trees are very efficient, using more of their nutrients to produce fruit rather than wood. And they live for many years; it’s nice to think that the tree you plant today may be feeding future grandchildren.
2 Super slim
The now well-known Ballerina apple trees were introduced in the nineties, for the first time offering us the ability to grow a fruiting column. Their natural habit is tall and narrow
with masses of apples borne on very short branches close to the main trunk. Making the most of vertical space, they’re easy to care for and require almost no pruning. They are fantastic for growing in containers, in the middle of a vege or flower bed, or as a row along a driveway or fence. They can also be trained over an archway. Under-plant them with your favourite flowers, herbs, veges, or strawberries. Ballerina apples will support an abundant harvest as early as two years after planting.
3 Double and triple grafted
When there is space for only one tree, we can opt for two or three different varieties all on one tree. Triple or double grafted varieties are available from garden centres. These specially grafted trees have compatible varieties that grow happily together, without one outcompeting the other. Find out more at www.waimeanurseries.co.nz
4 Espalier apples
Espaliering is the age-old art of growing fruit trees in a two-dimensional space along a sturdy wire frame or against a wall. It is not only extremely decorative but very practical too. It’s a great way to grow a lot of fruit in a small space and ensures plenty of sunlight reaches the fruiting parts of the tree, enhancing yields and ripening. Creating and maintaining an espalier requires more training and pruning than a regular tree, but it’s easy work with the secateurs and very satisfying if you have the time.
5 Multipurpose
If your garden only has space for just one feature tree, why not make it an apple tree? As ornamental as they are productive, apple trees offer summer shade, fragrant spring blossom, a habitat for birds and bees and autumn colours. And they drop their leaves so the sun will get through in winter. If you want a tree you can sit under, choose a regular sized tree that will grow to three or four metres tall and train it to the desired shape, removing lower branches.
6 Apples in containers
Dwarf and ballerina apple trees are ideal for growing in large tubs or pots. Plastic pots, because they hold their water for longer, are generally a better option than porous terracotta or concrete pots. Fill the pots with a highquality potting mix and remain extra attentive to both watering and feeding. Apply controlled release fertiliser in spring and autumn. Growing a precious tree in a container is a good option if you want to take your trees with you when you move house. They can also be extremely decorative and you can enjoy their colour and fragrance on a patio.
7 Stepover apples
The ‘stepover’ is a charming old fashioned technique whereby apples are grown as a low fence, traditionally as a border to a potager or flower garden. The principal is the same as for espaliering, but rather than being three of four tiers tall, a stepover is just one layer of horizontal branches. Dwarf trees are ideal.
For help choosing the right apple varieties for your garden, or to find out about the different ways of growing them, go to www.waimeanurseries.co.nz