All the apples in cultivation are actually varieties of the common Crab apple. They are probably the most popular of all fruits in the home garden, partly because most varieties can be stored for use as required. They can be grown as ordinary bush trees, or as trained cordons, or espaliers. Standards and half- standards are also obtainable, but these are not so commonly planted, and are not recommended except where an ornamental tree is wanted, for instance, a specimen tree on a lawn.
The best aspect for planting apples (and other fruits) is probably on a slightly northern slope. The reason for this is that frost on the trees in the very early morning is far more harmful if sun shines directly on it, so that it thaws quickly. If it thaws out slowly, frost appears to do little damage. A very low-lying valley is unsuitable for fruit culture of most kinds, but a cold windy hill top is equally unsuitable. If possible, therefore, the site for apples should be on the side of a hill, where there is any preference.
Suitable Soil.– Almost any kind of soil is suitable for apple growing. That is to say any kind of soil can be made suitable. Good drainage is absolutely essential as the roots of apples penetrate very deeply. Very chalky sub-soils are possibly less desirable than gravel sub-soils, but actually any kind of soil, if it is deeply dug and suitably manured to make the upper layer of soil porous and friable, will produce good fruit.
In preparing the soil, old decayed stable manure should be used if obtainable, and a good dressing of lime should be given to every kind of soil before planting. Chalk is a form of lime that is best suited to gardens where the soil is light and sandy.
The distance apart for apples is according to the type of tree used. Cordons on walls or along side paths are planted 2 ft. apart; espaliers are planted 14 ft. apart against walls; bush trees are planted 10 to 12 ft. apart. (Standards and half-standards would need more room.) Planting should be done in the manner already described, and the trees staked immediately, whatever their kind.
General Cultivation.– A newly-planted apple tree is most likely to suffer from the effects of long drought, and to avoid this, a mulch of well-rotted stable manure should be spread over the soil surface round each tree. This also ensures that the tree has a good supply of plant food, so that it makes rapid growth the first season. Stable manure after the first year, is given as required, an annual dressing being usually desirable, until the tree is fully grown.
Regulate Food Supplies.– The feeding of apples can be taken as typical of the use of fertilizers all over the fruit garden. The tree must be examined each year to see what amount of new growth it makes, and how it fruits. If a tree makes a large quantity of new stems of healthy appearance, but does not fruit well, it is a sign that it is well supplied with nitrogenous food, but not sufficiently supplied with phosphatic food. If, however, the trees fruit well but make very little new growth, stable manure may be given liberally as this supplies a considerable quantity of nitrogen; and thus promotes the formation of leaf and stem. All apples should be given a dressing of potash annually. It is an essential fertilizer for this fruit, and sulphate of potash at the rate of one ounce per square yard, or four ounces for each established tree should be applied to the soil annually.