Well, according to Google, there are at least 7,500 varieties of apples. That is a lot of apples. How do you know which ones to plant for your area? Well, at Living Systems Landscaping we focus on varieties that we have had the most success with, varieties that tend to be more drought tolerant, taste good, produce well, easiest to grow in our climate etc.
There are 3 proven varieties that we believe are the best.
Einshemer
This apple should be ready to harvest as early as late June, Early July. It produces sweet yellow apples and is a good pollinator for one of our other recommendations, the Anna apple. With needing only 100 chill hours this apple is sure tp produce well in the hottest of climates.
Anna
The Anna apple is special, Excellent for both eating fresh and cooked. This tree produces a lot of apples which keep for months when refrigerated. Needing only 200 chill hours and being self fruitful this apple is excellent for our increasingly hot climate. When planted with our third favorite Golden Dorsett it will produce even more apples.
Golden Dorsett
The Golden Dorsett is a firm and sweet yellow apple which is excellent for eating fresh. This apple is similar to Golden Delicious. Again the Golden Dorsett is an excellent apple for drier and hotter climates needing only 100 chill hours. We recommend to plant with the Anna.
How do you get these apples? Well, They are not super popular in our area yet! Key word, YET. We hope to bring awareness to these varieties for their ease of growing in our climate. We are able to find all three yet keep in mind timing is key. We start looking for these varieties as early as December and keep an eye out until early spring. You may also request these varieties at your local nurseries and it is possible for them to add to their orders which typically arrive in January and are ordered in April or May. Since availability is limited it is important to get ahold of us early to get on our waitlist.
How do you plant these apples?
Give us a call. We can plant your trees! We plant directly in your native soil. No amendments. However, we do inoculate your trees roots with beneficial fungi to improve root growth, water and nutrient absorption etc. We will also top with our custom blend of mulch. We recommend you do the same. No amount of amendment will improve your overall soil structure. Proper watering, mulching and planting plants will over time improve your soil so just plant it. You want to take precaution when planting a bare root tree. See our article on how to plant a bare root tree. Here is our general tree planting article.
One key tip! Plant so that the graft is facing east or whatever direction is most protected from the sun based on your landscape. This is the most vulnerable part of your tree as it gets established. Sun burn around the graft can kill your tree.