Successfully growing apples requires choosing a healthy tree and matching its specifications to your growing environment. This guide explores the practical options available for purchasing an apple tree, helping you select a specimen tailored to your specific needs, whether they involve size constraints, local climate, or budget. Understanding the differences between vendors and the specific forms in which trees are sold will help ensure your tree establishes itself well and thrives for years to come.
Primary Sources for Purchasing Apple Trees
Local nurseries and specialized garden centers often provide the most personalized experience for buying a fruit tree. These regional businesses typically stock varieties adapted to the local climate, soil conditions, and pest pressures, giving your tree a strong start. You can inspect the tree’s health in person and consult with knowledgeable staff for advice on localized variety selection and care. While the price may be higher than other options, the quality and regional suitability of the stock often justify the investment.
Online and mail-order specialists offer the greatest diversity in apple tree selection, including heirloom or unusual varieties and a wide range of specific rootstocks. If you are searching for a particular cultivar or a tree suited to a unique microclimate, an online vendor is often the best source. The trees are usually shipped while dormant, which reduces the bulk and cost associated with transportation. However, shipping costs can sometimes rival the price of the tree itself, and you cannot physically inspect the tree before arrival.
Big box stores and mass merchants provide the convenience of one-stop shopping and generally offer the lowest initial price for apple trees. Stock is often shipped in bulk, lowering the retail cost for budget-conscious buyers. However, the selection is typically limited to a few common varieties. Staff may lack the specific horticultural knowledge needed to advise on rootstock or pollination requirements, and trees may be sourced from different regions, potentially leading to varieties not ideally suited to your local environment.
Understanding Tree Form and Timing
Apple trees are primarily sold in two forms that dictate the best time for purchase and planting: bare-root stock and containerized trees. Bare-root trees are deciduous specimens sold while fully dormant, meaning they have no leaves and their roots are free of soil. This form is more economical because it eliminates the cost of soil, pots, and shipping weight. Bare-root stock is typically available only during the late fall through early spring, which is the ideal planting window for deciduous trees and the common form for mail-order purchases.
Containerized or potted trees are sold with their root ball intact in a soil medium and are often actively growing when purchased. The main advantage is the flexibility to plant the tree outside of the traditional dormant season, as they are available year-round at most local garden centers. Since they are heavier and more established, containerized trees are generally more expensive than bare-root equivalents. They allow you to delay planting for a few weeks if necessary, but should not be kept in the container indefinitely.
Key Specifications Before Finalizing the Purchase
The selection of the rootstock is the most important decision, as this component determines the mature size of the apple tree. Apple trees are typically grafted, meaning the desired fruiting variety (scion) is fused onto a separate root system (rootstock) that controls vigor, size, and sometimes disease resistance. Standard rootstocks produce trees that can reach 25 to 30 feet tall. Semi-dwarf rootstocks yield a more manageable tree of 12 to 20 feet. For small spaces, a dwarf rootstock is preferred, limiting the mature height to around 6 to 12 feet, though these smaller trees may require staking for support.
Beyond size, confirm that the variety selected is suitable for your local climate by checking its chill hour requirement. Chill hours are the total hours of winter temperatures between approximately 32 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit that an apple tree needs to break dormancy and produce fruit. Varieties are classified as low-chill (less than 700 hours), medium-chill (700 to 1,000 hours), or high-chill (1,000+ hours). Selecting a high-chill variety for a mild winter region will result in poor fruit set. Most apple varieties also require cross-pollination from a second, different variety that flowers at the same time to ensure fruit production.
When physically inspecting a tree, examine the graft union—the slight bulge where the scion meets the rootstock—to ensure it is healthy and fully healed. For bare-root stock, look for a robust, fibrous root system free of significant damage or breakage. Regardless of the form, the visible portion of the tree should be free of pests, diseases, or mechanical damage to the bark, which can indicate a stressed or unhealthy specimen.