When I first came to Prince George over 30 years ago (does this make me an old timer) I was disappointed with the lack apple tree varieties. Over the the last 30 years the choice of varieties and the quality of fruit has greatly increased and we can now grow excellent tasting, good sized apples that can rival any apple grown in warmer climates. The problem was that many of the more popular apple varieties were not hardy enough to grow in our zone 3 Prince George climate, and now with new varieties being developed in colder climates such as the prairies there are a number of excellent trees that grow and produce very well in the Prince George area.
When purchasing an apple tree it must be rated as zone 3 or lower. It is important to check the tag but more important is to buy from a reputable garden centre as sometimes the zone on the tag is not always reliable. Some varieties that have proven themselves over the years are the 'land' varieties such as Norland, Parkland and 'Goodland All of these have their attributes. Norrland for example is one of the first apples to ripen. It has large red fruit that has a sweet taste and soft texture making it not the best for storage. Parkland is also early, and is a better keeper. The medium sized fruit is crisp and juicy with a semi tart taste. Goodland apples ripen later in the season and are good keepers. The medium sized fruit are very good tasting as well as good for pies and baking. Other varieties to look for are Battleford which comes from Saskatchewan and is known for its good cooking and fresh eating qualities. September Ruby is a late season apple which has an intense ruby red colour and light green ribbing. The large, crisp, sweet juicy flesh is good for eating fresh as well as making juice and the apple stores well. Honeycrisp is a favourite because of its exceptional sweet crisp taste which is good to eat fresh or in pies, baking and sauce. It is a later apple that has very good storage. Norkent is a medium sized green apple with red streaks and has a crisp, sweet, aromatic taste. The apple ripens mid season and can store for 2-3 months. If you enjoy crabapples there are two varieties known as 'apple crabs' that have a larger than average sized fruit for crabapples and these are 'Kerr and 'Dolgo. Kerr has a golf ball sized fruit that is semi sweet and Dolgo is very hardy (zone 1) is a heavy bloomer and the fruit makes good jelly.
For apple trees to produce fruit they need to cross pollinate with another tree from the malus family. Flowering crabs (not sterile varieties such as Spring Snow), crabapples, apple crabs, or another variety of apple tree all work well if they are within 150 meters of each other. Pollination is done by the bees and so it is important that no pesticides are used when the bees are around to do their work. After the fruit has set and is the size of a marble it should be thinned out so that the remaining apples can reach their full size. Each cluster should be left with one healthy apple and apples should be 4-6 inches apart on the branch.
Apple trees grow best in a well drained soil, in full sun. When planting the tree always plant it to the same depth it was in the pot. Do not cover the graft where the scion meets the rootstock. Keep the tree watered as it is needed and fertilize with a fruit and berry fertilizer. Stop fertilizing in mid August so that the tree can get ready to go into dormancy as this is important for the tree to survive the winter conditions. Also trees should be watered until the frost goes into the ground to help them through the winter. Apple trees are pruned in the spring when the buds begin to swell. If you are not sure about pruning it is better to have someone who is qualified to prune the tree or take the pruning course that is offered each spring at the garden centre. I always tell people to be proactive rather than reactive and so by giving all deciduous trees including apple trees an application of 'Lime sulphur and Dormant Oil' in the spring before the leaves are on the trees is a good way to get rid of any overwintering insects and disease.
Apple trees are not only productive trees but they also offer an ornamental value to the landscape too. They are very pretty especially when in bloom, and throughout the summer as the fruit ripens. In these times when people are more aware of growing their own food why not have an edible landscape that can serve more than one purpose!
