Apple production technology A Presentation by Mr Allah Dad Khan NRM Specialist IUCN Pakistan For Environmental Cell P&D FATA

2. Apple Production
Technology
By
Mr. Allah Dad Khan

5. Apple is Fruit of tempeate
1. The apple is a hardy, deciduous woody perennial tree that
grows in all temperate zones.
2. Apples grow best where there is cold in winter, moderate
summer temperatures, and medium to high humidity.
3. Apples can grow from 10 to 30 feet tall and nearly as wide.
4. Apples are moderately fast growing, but growth slows with
age. Apple trees can live for 100 years or more.
5. Apple trees bloom in the spring, set fruit, and take from 100
to 200 days to reach harvest depending upon the variety.
6. An apple tree can yield from 30 to more than50 kg of fruit
each year.

6. Apple Varities
Apple varieties. There are nearly 10,000 different
kinds or varieties of apples. About 7,000 varieties or
cultivars grow in North America. Only about 1,000 of
these of these are grown commercially or in home
gardens.Some apple varieties are “sports” or
accidental mutations of another variety and others are
bred–created by apple breeders through cross
selection. Not every sport is productive and worthy of
growing.

7. Apple tree sizes and
rootstock.
1. An apple tree can be a standard or full-sized tree which grows to 30
feet tall and can take 6 years to bear its first fruit or a dwarf or semi-
dwarf trees which can grow from 6 to 20 feet tall. Most dwarf and semi-
dwarf trees are grafted on a rootstock which keeps them small. Dwarf
and semi-dwarf trees produce full-sized apples in about three years.
2. A grafted apple tree has a root system that is different from the fruit-
producing portion. Some apple trees have more than one graft; some
varieties have not only a different root system but also a different trunk
and branches.
3. Dwarf, semi-dwarf apples. Apples are dwarfed as a result of the type of
root system onto which they are grafted. Many apple varieties can be
purchased as either standards or dwarfs or semi-dwarfs depending
upon the rootstock. Root systems are identified by their growth at
maturity and planting needs. Here are some, but not all, examples:

8. Dwarf Root Stock
1. ‘M.27’: this tree makes 15 percent of full growth and is good for containers.
2. ‘ M.9’: this tree makes 25 to 35 percent full growth; plant in moist, well-drained soil.
3. ‘M.26’: this tree makes 30 to 40 percent full growth; plant in well-drained, dry soil.
4. ‘MARK’: this tree makes 30 to 40 percent full growth and is very cold hardy and resistant to
fireblight.
5. ‘M-7’: this tree makes 40 to 60 percent full growth and can be grown in wet soil.
6. ‘MM.106’: this tree makes 45 to 65 percent full growth; it can be planted in wet soil but may be
susceptible to root rot.
7. ‘MM.111’: this tree reaches 65 to 85 percent full size, tolerates a wide range of soil and is
drought resistant and fireblight resistant.

9. Thinning apples
basics
1. Thin the fruit to a distance of twice the diameter of the fruit at maturity. If you expect the
mature apples to be 3-inches across, leave 6 inches between each apple after thinning. If
you’re not sure how big the apples on your tree will be at their peak, thin to a distance of 6 to 8
inches apart on the branch.
2. Some apple thinners remove the fruit on every other spur; others leave a fruit on every third
spur as they thin from the trunk outward on a branch. Always leave the largest fruit on the
spur. Whichever method you choose, the goal is to leave plenty of room for each apple to
mature.
3. Be careful as you thin to avoid damaging the spurs. A spur thinned this year will likely bear
another apple next year. If you pull to hard when thinning, you could accidentally damage or
detach the spur.
4. If your apples are small this year, be sure to thin more heavily next year. If the fruit set is light
this year, thin less or not at all next year.
5. There is something about fruit thinning that you might resist. Those clusters of apples seem to
say you’ve done something right; why thin a good thing?
6. But a large apple crop or set has more to do with the work of nature than anything you’ve
done. Nature wants a lot of apples. An apple tree will produce many more blossons and fruit
than is necessary; a lot of apple seeds is how nature perpetuates the species.
7. But for the kitchen gardener too many apples on a tree can mean smaller fruit, limbs loaded to
the point of cracking or breaking, and sometimes a small crop next year.
8. So thinning is a good thing, especially in years when there’s a heavy fruit set. (An apple tree
can summon only so much energy and nutrients to make it through the fruiting season.)

10. • June drop. When to thin? Nature often starts the thinning
process on its own a few week after the initial fruit set in
spring. Called “June drop”, apple trees simply shed some of
their smallest fruit. But nature can often use some help,
especially in years when the apple set is heavy, and especially
if you are growing apples for eating.
• A week or so after the “June drop” is a good time to thin your
apple trees. But even as apples approach half their preferred
size in the middle of summer, you can still thin the crop.
• Thinning–sometimes called fruit pruning–can ensure fat,
delicious apples. Thinning can also ensure that apples don’t
touch leaving little room for insects or diseases to take hold.
And for some varieties that “alternate bear” or produce
significant crops every other year, thinning will leave the tree
with the enerfy to produce an equal-sized crop year after year.

11. Spur Type Apple
Spur-type and branching apple trees. Apples can be divided
into spur-type or branch-fruiting type trees. Spur-type trees
bear fruit on short twigs called spurs. Other trees bear fruit
along branches. Spurs tend to grow close together and so
spur-type cultivars bear more fruit than the branching or
non-spur trees. Spur varieties tend to bear fruit earlier in life
than branching varieties. Individual spurs may bear fruit for
ten years or more. Standard non-spur trees bear on twigs
that tend to be short lived.

12. Chilling requirements
Apples have chilling requirements or chilling hour
requirements. This is the number of hours at 45°F (7°C) or
less that the cultivar or variety requires each winter in order
to flower and leaf out the next season. Chilling hours can
vary from 1,000 or more to as few as 400 hours. It is
important to choose an apple variety suited to your climate
and winter temperatures.

13. Site and climate
Apples grow best in full sun away from constant wind. An apple
tree that fall in partial sunlight is not likely to fully yield. Apples
grow in Zones 3 to 9. They can tolerate winter temperatures as
low as -40°F. Apples generally do not grow well close to the
ocean where temperatures remain moderate most of the year.
Late spring frosts can kill apple flowers (they bloom in late
spring after peaches, cherries, and almonds), and early fall frosts
can damage fruit. Choose a variety suited to your growing region.
Apples grow best in well-drained loamy soil, although they will
grow in more sandy soil or in soil with some clay. They grow
best in a neutral soil pH of 6.0-7.0

14. Pollination.
Most apple varieties have flowers that contain male and
female parts and so are self-pollinating. These trees will set
fruit without cross pollination. However, many varieties are
self-infertile and require a pollenizer. Even trees that are
self-pollinating may have a better fruit-set if there is cross
pollination. Apples can be pollinated by bees and insects or
by pollen that floats on the wind. Plant your apple tree
within 40 to 50 feet of another apple tree that blooms at the
same time or graft a branch from a suitable pollinator onto
your tree. Flowers that are only partially pollinated will tend
to bear fruit that prematurely drops.

15. Planting and spacing
Apple trees can be purchased either bareroot, balled-and-
burlapped, or in a container. Bareroot trees are available in
the winter and early spring when the trees are dormant and
without leaves. Plant bareroot trees in spring as soon as
the soil can be worked and before the trees begins to
significantly leaf out. These trees are commonly grafted
and without branches, and so are called whips. Make the
planting hole large enough that the roots can be spread out
fully. Look for the soil line on the tree and plant the tree at
that level or an inch or two deeper. If the tree is grafted, set
it in the hole so that the graft is visible when planted.

16. Planting and spacing
• A balled-and-burlapped tree is a tree whose roots are in soil; the roots are enclosed
in burlap. Balled-and-burlapped trees are commonly available in spring also;
however they may be found later in the year. Plant a ball-and-burlapped tree by
positioning the tree in the planting hole at the same depth that it was growing at the
nursery. After positioning the ball into the hole, remove all twine or rope used to hold
the burlap and ball together. Then open the top of the burlap so that water can
penetrate the soil ball. Slide the burlap out from under the fall and lightly tamp in soil
around the root ball.
• A container grown tree can be planted any time during the growing season.
Remove the container carefully and plant the root ball at the same depth as in the
container.
• Space apple trees so that they have full room to mature. Consider the variety of tree
when placing the tree in the garden, yard, or orchard. A standard tree will require 20
to 30 feet of growing space; a semi-dwarf will require 15 to 20 feet and a dwarf tree
will require 10 to 15 feet. For a small garden, choose a dwarf tree or a tree trained
as an espalier or column or small bush.

17. Water and feeding.
Newly planted apple trees require moderate watering weekly. Set the water
on low and allow it to seep into the soil allowing; roots will follow deep
watering and become well established. Established apple tree require only
infrequent watering but be sure to water all trees during prolonged dry
periods.
Apple trees will grow 8 to 12 inches each year. Feed apples with a mulch of
aged compost applied liberally around the base of the tree once or twice a
year, in spring or in late fall after leaves have dropped. A half pound of
evenly-balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer for each year the tree has been alive to a
maximum of 10 pounds per tree per year can be applied. Low levels of
potassium, calcium, or boron can reduce growth and fruit quality. Test the
soil for its nutrient content. Spread gypsum on the soil to raise the calcium
level.
Yields can be improved with a foliar feeding of seaweed extract when buds
begin to show color, again after petals fall, and once again when fruits are
less than 1 inch in diameter.

18. Care of young trees
Allow apple trees to become well-established before
fruiting. During the first two years, handpick off flowers
and young fruit not allowing them to develop; this will
give the tree increased energy to establish its roots. In
the third year, allow the tree to bear a small crop. Do
not allow a limb to become so burdened with fruit that
it will bend or break.

19. Thinning.
Thinning fruit will ensure the quality and size of the
crop. Thinning will also reduce the tendency of some
apple varieties to alternate-bear that is bear fruit every
other year.
A few weeks after fruit sets, some fruit on the tree will
naturally drop off. This is called June drop; it is
nature’s way of thinning the crop. Apple trees produce
more blossoms and fruit than is necessary for a full
crop.

20. Additional thinning
Additional thinning will benefit the tree. The rule of
thinning fruit is to allow plenty of room for fruit to
develop. Look for clusters of fruit and remove smaller
apples in each cluster before the fruit reaches 1 inch
in diameter. On larger trees, you can leave two fruits
on each spur and on dwarf trees leave one fruit on
each spur. One method is to remove all the fruit on
every other spur. It is probably best to break up all
clusters leaving just a single fruit. Fruit that touches
another fruit can be susceptible to disease or pest
attack.

21. Pruning.
Apple trees, like most trees, benefit from pruning.
Pruning will allow the apple tree to produce quality
crop. If you start early in the tree’s life, you can prune
to a central leader; a central leader is a branch that is
allowed to grow vertically and form a main stem from
which all the fruiting branches will grow at regular
intervals. Apple trees tend to be naturally vase shaped
having no central leader but several scaffold branches

22. Pruning.
• Prune an apple tree so that plenty of light and air
can penetrate into the center of the tree. One
guideline is to prune so that a bird can fly directly
through the tree without touching its feathers on a
branch. That means pruning out dense, crossed
branches

23. Pruning.
Follow these steps to prune an apple tree:
1. Remove all diseased, dead, or broken branches.
2. Remove all watersprouts. Watersprouts are fast-growing vertical branches that usually have no
side branches.
3. Remove all suckers. Suckers are the fast-growing shoots that grow out of the soil from the roots
below the soil surface.
4. Remove tight V-branching crotches. These are narrow crotches formed by branches that will not
support the weight of a full crop of fruit.
5. Remove crossing or rubbing branches. If two branches cross and rub against each other they
can cause a wound that may allow insects or fungal disease to attack the tree. Remove the least
desirable branch.
6. Never prune away more than one-third of the total tree in a single growing season.
7. Always prune to a growth bud or flush to a main branch or trunk. Remember that apple trees
produce on same lateral spurs several years in a row.
8. Prune every year. Once a tree has been well pruned, it will need less annual pruning; only the
removal of crossing branches and twiggy growth.
9. Prune in late winter when the tree is dormant and before buds appear, particularly heave
pruning. A light maintenance pruning can be done in summer working around the fruit set

24. Pests.
Apples are susceptible to a number of insects that are very
difficult to control without preventative spraying. Among the pests
that attack apples are scale, apple maggots, codling moths,
fruitworms, leafhoppers, and mites. Many pests can be controlled
with pheromone-bated insect traps and spraying.
1. Here is a general spraying schedule:
2. Apply a dormant oil spray before buds open and when the
temperature has been above 33°F for 48 hours.
3. Apply a multipurpose fruit tree spray when the buds begin to
break.
4. Do not spray when the tree is in bloom.
5. When nearly all the flower petals have fallen begin applying a
multipurpose fruit tree spray every 10 to 14 days.
6. Discontinue all spraying two weeks before harvest.

25. Diseases.
Apple trees are susceptible to many fungal diseases that are difficult to
control without use of preventive spraying. Cedar-apple rust cause yellow-
orange spots on leaves and fruit. Powdery mildew results in a dusty white
coating on leaves and fruit. Apple scab results in greenish brown lead and
fruit spots. Fireblight is marked by blossoms that appear watersoaked and
twigs that look black and scorched.
The best preventative approach to apple diseases is to choose varieties that
are resistant to the diseases in your region. Apart from disease-resistant
cultivars, prune trees regularly to allow for ample sun and air penetration into
the crown of the tree and prune out any diseased branches, leaves, or fruit.
Keep the garden or orchard clean of dead leaves and branches and plant
debris. For some fungal diseases, spray early in the season with sulfur or
copper every week until symptoms disappear. Do not spray with copper
more than twice during the summer or the following year’s crop may be
inhibited.

26. Harvest.
Apples come to harvest from midsummer through late
fall. The best way to know if apples are ready for
harvest is to taste them; select one and try it. Also
consider skin color and fruit drop. Apples are usually
ready for harvest when they reach full color; full color
may vary according to the variety. A mature apple will
come away from the tree easily; lift the apple up and
twist in a rotating motion. It should not be necessary to
cut an apple from the stem. Late ripening apples
usually come to harvest more quickly than long-
maturing early and mid-season varieties.