How to Grow Apples Organically
- 1). Select a site for planting apple trees that has well drained soil. This is important for prevention of fungal diseases. In addition, make sure there are no wild apple trees, cedars or junipers near the site, in addition to any other, similar trees that attract the types of pests that like to attack apples.
- 2). Buy apple trees that are a disease resistant variety. Because you can't treat the plants with many of the chemicals used in a traditional orchard, you need plants that are naturally resistant to some of the more common apple diseases. Liberty and Spartan are two good options for an organic orchard for this reason.
- 3). Apply an organic fertilizer to your apple trees. Purchase a fertilizer approved for organic growing and follow its instructions for application levels. Often, organic fertilizer requires a larger application than conventional fertilizer applications.
- 4). Hang insect traps throughout the orchard to capture and kill insects without requiring the use of pesticides.
- 5). Watch carefully for signs of disease on the leaves of the trees. If you plant a strong variety and don't have conditions that contribute to disease, you may have no disease problems. If you do experience disease though, sprays with copper or sulfur products are viable options in an organic environment.
- 6). Prune your trees well each year in January or February. Remove all the dead material and branches that are fighting with each other. Remove enough material so that sunlight is able to shine unobstructed on the interior of the plant.
