Apple
Also called Apple tree, Orchard apple.
| Light | full sun |
|---|---|
| Water | Every 7 days in the growing season, every 30 in winter |
| Pets | Cats toxic, dogs toxic |
Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control, toxic and non-toxic plants, Apple entry.
Edible here means commonly eaten. Nothing on this site is medical or dietary advice.
Toxic to cats and dogs if chewed. The ASPCA entry is for Malus sylvestrus, the crab apple, listed as toxic to cats, dogs and horses. The principle is cyanogenic glycosides in the stems, leaves and seeds, worst as they wilt. The flesh of the fruit is not the problem. Keep it where an animal that eats houseplants cannot reach it, and speak to a vet if one does. In South Africa telephone the Poison Information Helpline on 0861 555 777; in the US, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435.
An apple tree is bought bare root in winter, and the planting window is the dormant season: about November to March in the north, and the cold months in South Africa, where June and July are when the deciduous fruit trees appear in the garden centres. Two things decide whether you get fruit. The first is the rootstock, which sets the final size, so a small garden wants a dwarfing one on a stake for life. The second is pollination, because most apples need a different variety flowering at the same time nearby. Plant with the graft union clear of the soil, stake low, and water through the first summers. Test for ripeness by lifting an apple in your palm and twisting gently. If it is ready it comes away with the stalk attached.
Ailments observed
| Holes chewed in the leaves | Codling moth caterpillars, which tunnel into the fruit and leave a brown hole at the core. Hang a pheromone trap from late spring to catch the males, and pick up and destroy every fallen apple rather than leaving it under the tree. |
|---|---|
| Spots on the leaves | Apple scab, which marks the leaves and then cracks the fruit skin. Rake up and remove the fallen leaves in autumn, because the fungus overwinters on them, and prune to open the centre of the tree so it dries quickly. |
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