Click below to listen to my 2 min Garden Bite radio show: Apple trees for northern climates
Apple season is in full swing with local orchards now open.
- Minnesota Apple Orchards
- Wisconsin Apple Orchards and more
- South Dakota Apple Orchards
- Iowa Apple Orchards
For those of us in cold climates, growing apples wasn’t always easy but with a lot of research by places like the University of Minnesota, which started breeding apples in 1888, we can grow some delicious apples!
I remember the first ‘Honeycrisp’ apple I ever ate at the Landscape Arboretum! You could only buy one, it was huge and deep red and the best tasting apple I’ve ever had! Since ‘Honeycrisp’ trees were introduced in 1991 millions have been planted.
And the cultivars just keep coming. There are 20 varieties developed by the U of MN with ‘Rave’, ‘First Kiss’, ‘Snowsweet’ and ‘FrostBite’ being some of the most popular, besides Honeycrisp.
‘Frostbite’ apple trees fit a special niche. It is an extremely cold-hardy tree, making it perfect for Up North, zone 3! The small fruits have a tropical taste almost like sugarcane—tangy, very sweet and juicy.
If you plan on getting fruit from your apple tree/trees, you need two varieties or you won’t get anything. One can be a crabapple!
As for planting, contrary to most trees, the U of MN says plant your apple trees in full sun in May or June, once all chance of frost is gone.
Dwarf apple trees can start producing in 2 to 3 years, full size trees can be up to 8!
Get all the info you need to plant your apple trees at home: Growing Apples at home!
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