@theknottygarden: 🍎 If you love apple picking... why not grow your own? When we think about food gardens, we often focus on vegetables. But the real heroes of my garden are the fruit trees. My two small apple trees can produce over 100 pounds of fruit every year. 🤯 And in spring? Apple blossoms are some of my absolute favourite flowers in the garden. 🌸 They’re not only beautiful, they’re an important early food source for bees and other pollinators. Fruit trees truly are one of the hardest-working plants you can add to your landscape. If you’re thinking about planting an apple tree, here’s what you need to know: 🌳 Pollination • Most apple trees need a cross-pollinator. • Plant two different varieties that bloom at the same time. • Most popular apples are diploids, while some are triploids and require specific pollination partners. • Popular combinations include Honeycrisp + McIntosh, Gala + Fuji, Gala + Granny Smith, and Ambrosia + Honeycrisp. • Always check the pollination chart before you buy. 📏 Rootstock • Rootstock determines the mature size of your tree. • Small yard? Choose a dwarf or semi-dwarf tree. • Big harvest, small footprint! 🍏 Choose varieties based on how you’ll use them. • McIntosh: Great for fresh eating, applesauce, baking, and cooking. • Honeycrisp: Crisp, sweet, excellent fresh, and stores for months in the refrigerator. 🍎 Preserve the harvest • Fresh eating • Applesauce • Baking • Apple jelly • Apple chutney • Freeze slices for later 🌱 My McIntosh is always one of the first fruits to ripen, and I’m usually harvesting from late July to early August here in coastal BC. Don’t overlook fruit when you’re planning your food garden. They feed your pollinators in spring, produce for decades, and reward you with one of the highest yields per square foot in the garden. If you ask me, fruit trees are the ultimate garden investment. 🌳🍎 And apples are just the beginning... 👀 In my garden, I also grow pears 🍐, peaches 🍑, grapes 🍇, kiwis 🥝, raspberries, blueberries 🫐, gooseberries, elderberries, and more! 💾 Don’t forget to save this for garden planning this fall

Erin Berkyto

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Region: CA

Monday 03 August 2026 03:20:48 GMT