Reliable varieties for this area are ‘Cox Orange’, ‘Red Delicious’, ‘Golden Delicious’, ‘McIntosh’, ‘Jonathan’, ‘Fameuse’, ‘Northwest Greening’, ‘Joyce’, ‘Wealthy’, ‘Lodi’, and ‘Haralson’. Select two different varieties for cross pollination and good fruit production. In most cases, planting semi-dwarf varieties rather than standard size trees will allow enough room for at least two different varieties in the landscape. For additional hints for growing apples successfully, see the Colorado PlantTalk script on Apples.…
I missed pruning a few dead branches in an apple tree. Can I remove them in the summer?
The best time to prune is early in the Spring before bud break. Dead or broken branches can be removed anytime, but keep other pruning to a minimum.…
Should I wait until after a frost to harvest my apples?
No, harvest apples before the temperature drops below about 28°F. That is canopy temperature and will not necessarily be reflected by the thermometer on your porch.…
I have a 'Gala' apple tree. Would planting a 'Granny Smith' tree in my yard serve as a pollinator for the other?
Yes, ‘Granny Smith” would be a good choice. If you can’t find a ‘Granny Smith’ tree, then a ‘Mollies Delicious’ would work well. To see a pollination chart for apple varieties, refer to this article on Pollination of Fruit Trees.…