How to grow apple

Growing apple for the first time

Difficulty: Medium · Sun: full sun · Ready in: about 150 days

1. Choose the spot

Pick a sunny spot (6+ hours of sun). It does best in loam, clay soil with a pH of 6.0–7.0. Avoid sandy soil, or improve it with compost.

2. Sow or plant

Sow outdoors in Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. Space plants about 300 cm apart.

3. Look after it

• Water roughly every 7 days, more in hot or dry weather. Water the soil, not the leaves.
• No regular feeding needed in good soil — a mulch of compost is enough.
• Keep weeds down, and add a daily note and photo to your BeAgric grow diary so you can spot problems early.

4. Watch for problems

Common problems: Apple scab, Black rot, Cedar apple rust. Take a photo with Check a plant if leaves look spotted, yellow or wilted.

5. Organic tip

Clear fallen leaves in autumn to break the scab cycle.

6. Harvest

Expect your first harvest about 150 days after planting. Record it in Harvests and list any spare on the marketplace.