Planting apple trees in the fall is generally considered an excellent strategy for establishing a healthy, productive orchard. The period from late September through November, before the ground freezes, allows the root system to acclimate to its new environment. This timing capitalizes on the tree’s dormant phase, enabling the roots to establish without the stress of supporting new foliage growth. Fall planting provides a significant advantage over planting in the spring.
Advantages of Planting Apple Trees in Autumn
The primary benefit of planting apple trees in autumn is the head start it provides to the root system. Even during dormancy, the soil retains warmth, allowing root growth to continue underground. The tree dedicates its stored energy entirely to establishing new, fine root hairs, which anchors the tree and prepares it to draw moisture and nutrients efficiently when spring arrives.
Autumn’s cooler air temperatures and increased rainfall also significantly reduce transplant shock. Cooler, shorter days minimize water loss through transpiration, reducing stress on the developing root system. By spring, the fall-planted tree has a substantially more developed root structure than a tree planted weeks later, allowing it to focus immediately on canopy development.
Selecting and Preparing the Site
Choosing the correct location is foundational for the apple tree’s success. Apple trees require a minimum of six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal growth and fruit production. The site must also offer excellent drainage, as apple roots are susceptible to rot in standing water; loamy soil is ideal.
Apple trees thrive in a slightly acidic to neutral pH range of 6.0 to 7.0. A soil test should be conducted well in advance to determine pH and nutrient levels, allowing time to amend the soil with lime or sulfur. Fall is an ideal time for these adjustments, letting amendments integrate before planting. Container-grown stock is preferred for fall planting due to its intact root ball, offering greater flexibility than bare-root stock.
Step-by-Step Guide to Fall Planting
Once the planting location is prepared, the process of setting the tree into the ground must be precise. Dig a wide, shallow hole that is two to three times the width of the tree’s root ball, but only as deep as the root ball itself. This width encourages new root growth outward into the native soil.
Place the tree in the center, ensuring the graft union—the swollen point on the trunk—remains 2 to 3 inches above the final soil grade. Planting the graft union below the soil line can cause the tree to grow its own roots, potentially bypassing the dwarfing effect of the rootstock.
Backfill the hole with the original soil, gently tamping it down to remove large air pockets. After backfilling, create a small soil ring just beyond the edge of the hole to help retain water. Immediately and thoroughly water the newly planted tree to settle the soil and ensure good contact between the roots and the surrounding earth. This first watering eliminates air pockets, which can dry out new root tissue and impede establishment.
Protecting Young Trees Through Winter
A newly planted apple tree requires specific protection during its first winter to survive the elements and pests. One of the most significant winter risks is sunscald, which occurs when the bark on the southwest side of the trunk heats up on a sunny winter day, then rapidly freezes when the sun sets, causing the bark to crack. This risk can be mitigated by painting the trunk with a 50/50 mixture of white latex paint and water or by applying a commercially available tree wrap or guard that reflects sunlight.
Another priority is protecting the roots from frost heave, which can push a shallowly planted tree out of the ground, exposing the root crown to freezing air. Apply a thick layer of organic mulch, such as wood chips or straw, around the base of the tree to insulate the soil and moderate its temperature. It is important to keep the mulch several inches away from the trunk itself to prevent moisture buildup, which can attract rodents or cause the bark to rot.
Animal damage from rodents chewing the tender bark or deer rubbing their antlers can be prevented by installing a wire mesh cage or plastic tree guard around the trunk. Continue to water the tree deeply until the ground is completely frozen, ensuring the roots are hydrated going into the coldest months.