Tree fruit · perennial season
Apple
Malus domestica
Ohio’s signature tree fruit. Plant two varieties for pollination. Liberty, Enterprise, and Honeycrisp (with fire-blight care) are common backyard choices.
- When to plant in Ohio
- Plant bare-root trees in March–April
- Harvest window
- August through October, by variety
- Days to maturity
- Perennial; first fruit year 3–5
- Spacing
- 8–12 ft for dwarf; 15–20 ft for semi-dwarf
- Light
- Full sun, good air drainage
How to grow it
Choose a dwarf or semi-dwarf rootstock. Prune to an open center or central leader in late winter. Thin fruit in June so remaining apples size and the tree is not biennial. A basic spray or a scab-resistant variety is needed in Ohio’s wet springs. Harvest when the background color turns and seeds are brown.
Related tree fruit
Peach Perennial; fruit year 3–4
Pear Perennial; fruit year 4–5
Tart cherry Perennial; fruit year 3–4