How Long Does It Take For An Apple Tree To Bear Fruit?

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Last Updated on December 30, 2022 by Griselda M.

Every gardener needs to find out how long it takes for an apple tree to bear fruit before it can plant its own.

Apples are a great addition to any landscape, and besides that, they provide an abundance of fresh fruit.  Many gardeners love the thought of growing their juicy apples.

However, growing this fruit takes a long-term commitment.

It takes work to ensure your apple fruit bears healthy fruit from pruning to pest control.  Gardeners who have small spaces can still grow apples but choose the dwarf apple trees. Here is our advice on planting, growing, and harvesting healthy apples.

Facts About An Apple Tree And How They Bear Fruit

• Appletree is known as a hardy tree, and it grows best in hardiness zones 3 to 5.  If termed long-season, the apple tree will do best in zones 5 to 8.
• They need at least 8 hours of sun per day during the growing season
• You have to plant two varieties next to each other for successful pollination or add a crabapple
• 2-3 years after planting dwarf apple trees will start bearing fruit
• To bear fruit standard-size trees can take up to 8 years
• Prune your apple trees annually to keep them healthy and productive
• Some varieties are more susceptible to disease and insect damage than others.

Learn How to Plant a Lemon Tree Outdoors and How to Prune a Lemon Tree

How Long Does It Take For An Apple Tree To Bear Fruit?

The apple tree (Malus Domestica) begins to produce fruits 2-10 years after planting.  This depends on the variety of the tree, and whether it was grown from seed or rootstock.

Dwarf Rootstock

A dwarf tree takes 2 to 3 years after planting to produce fruits.  These are grafted onto Mark rootstocks to reduce the tree’s mature size from 12 to 6 feet tall.  Be sure to support your tree; it needs extra support as it grows.

Semi-Dwarf Rootstock

This type starts producing fruit 2 to 4 years after transplanting in a garden.  It requires pruning to keep it at least less than 22 feet tall.

Standard Rootstock

This type begins to produce fruit 4 to 6 years after planting.  The rootstock may be MM.11 or P.18 and it produces a large tree of about 30 feet tall with a wide canopy.  Keep the tree smaller by pruning it each year in late winter or early spring when it’s dormant.

Grown from Seed

Apple trees are grown directly from seed and take between 6 to 10 years to bear fruit.  The seeds are likely to grow into a full-size tree even if they were from a dwarf tree.  The seedlings’ fruit is not likely to resemble its parent because many apple varieties are hybrid but are produced by grafting.

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Growing And Caring For The Apple Tree To Bear Fruit

As we mentioned earlier in this article, apple trees take commitment because they need a lot of care.  Below we break down the care into each month to help you do the right thing at the right time. This care is for both existing and new trees.

• March.  This is the best month to prune the existing trees right after the cold months have passed.  Prune in this month before growth begins.

• April – May.  As soon as the soil is warm enough and can be worked on, plant bare-root trees.  For existing trees, if last year’s growth was less than 12 inches, apply compost manure around the base to encourage better growth.

• May – June.  Plant potted plants after the threat of frost have ended.  For existing trees, flowers begin to bud and turn pink.  Watch out for disease and insect symptoms to treat the early sign of any sight.

• May – October.  Keep watering your trees as you would any other fruit tree in your yard.

• June – July.  Thin out the fruits by removing all the small and weak fruits to encourage larger fruit growth.

• August –October.  Harvest your ready fruits.  Test for ripe fruits by tasting one fruit that seems to be fully colored. It tastes too starchy; give the fruits a few days before harvesting.

• October – November.  Rake up fallen fruit and leaves and put them in compost or discard them.

• November.  Prepare the apple tree for winter by wrapping it to prevent injury.

• November – March.  Allow the tree to rest and watch out for any deer and vole damage. If you notice any damage, put fencing around your tree to protect it from further damage.

How Long Does it Take For a Honeycrisp Apple Tree to Bear Fruit?

If you want to know how long it takes for a Honeycrisp apple tree to bear fruit, then read on. Depending on their size, these trees can take anything from 2 to 8 years to bear fruit. However, for the Honeycrisp apple tree to reach maturity, proper care and maintenance are required. This is because they will only start producing their first apple yield when they have fully grown.

Thereafter, you can expect abundant yields yearly, if a scheduled maintenance plan is carefully followed to keep them in their best shape. Keep in mind that these trees will also need a pollinator to aid them in bearing fruit, which is valid for most apple trees. Therefore, for adequate cross-pollination to happen, growing an apple tree from a different variety is recommended. These two trees should be planted about 50 feet from each other.

How Long Does it Take For a Wolf River Apple Tree to Bear Fruit?

So, how long does it take for a Wolf River apple tree to bear fruit? This tree takes around seven full years to bear its first fruit, provided it is afforded the proper growing conditions. Seeing that Wold River apple trees can reach heights of up to seven meters, allowing it about a 9-meter space to grow comfortably is recommended.

Just like most apple plants, these trees would also require a pollinator in the form of a different variety of apple trees that should be growing close by. You can expect abundant harvests of large apples from this tree if it is grown in favorable conditions and continuously maintained.

How Long Does it Take For a Fuji Apple Tree to Bear Fruit?

It is essential to know how long it takes a Fuji Apple tree to bear fruit if you are looking forward to an abundant harvest. These trees are known to produce delicious apples in three to five years depending on the climate and growth conditions. By this I mean, the growing medium should be rich in nutrients with a slightly acidic pH range between 5.0 and 6.8. Again, these trees also require cross-pollination to bear fruit. This process is possible if your fuji apple tree is paired with other varieties which include Granny Smith apple trees, Honeycrisp apple trees, Gala apple trees, and several others.

How Many Times Does an Apple Tree Produce Fruit?

If you have ever wondered how many time an apple tree produce fruit then listen up! When it comes to apple tree harvest, the majority of these plants produce fruit at least once every year. However, this would largely depend on the maintenance and care they’re afforded as well as the climate and environment they are growing. In most cases, the first yield is usually the largest, and this can decrease over the years depending on their growing conditions.

While some apple plants bear fruit once every year, other varieties may fruit every two years. This pattern can be expected even from the healthiest trees as pollination plays a big part in their ability to produce fruit. Additionally, dwarf apple trees are capable of yielding about two bushels yearly while standard-sized apple trees can yield up to five bushels yearly. It all boils down to pollen capabilities, so, ensuring that you have selected an apple tree based on its fruiting characteristics may prove beneficial.

How Do You Make an Apple Tree Bear Fruit Faster?

So, you want to know how you make an apple tree bear fruit faster. To increase yield potential, using key elements that include the application of potassium and nitrogen is vital. This is because the leaf growth, shoots, flowering, and fruiting capabilities of your apple tree will be substantially enhanced with these additions. Also, the addition of phosphorus is another important component to enhance rooting and early growth, which will aid in producing different flower clusters.

This is sure to give you a favorable fruit size. Therefore, making use of an organic-rich nitrogen fertilizer which is preferred by fruit trees is recommended for this purpose. Other organic nitrogen sources include components like soybean meal, blood meal, feather meal, cottonseed meal, and composted chicken manure that will prove extremely beneficial to your apple tree’s growth and fruit production capabilities.

When Do Apple Trees Produce Fruit? – Take-Home

Apples are pollinated by bees and flies transferring pollen from the flowers of one apple tree to another.  You do not need to plant many trees to enjoy fresh apples.  Instead, two apple trees will be more than enough for your family to enjoy and share.

Check around your neighbor’s farm to see if they have crabapple trees or any apple trees growing.  If yes, you can plant one apple tree and still enjoy a good harvest of fresh apples.

Do not be left behind!

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