Crabapple tree grow and care – tree of the genus Malus also known as Apple or Malus domestica, Crabapple tree perennial deciduous plant, grow for the edible fruits but mostly grow as ornamental plant, can grow in temperate and cold mediterranean or cold subtropical climate and growing in hardiness zone 4-9, and can grow also in hardiness zone 10a with the right care.
Flower color pink or white or purple and in round shape and five to multi petals flowers.
Crabapple tree edible fruits
Fruit color is white-green the peel can be green, yellow, orange, pink, brown or red sometimes more than one color, the shape fruits like apple.
How to grow: Chilling hours or cool winter (depend on the cultivars), cut all the infected branches.
How to care: Prune if the tree attack in the beginning of the winter need to collect all the leaves and the fruit from the ground, prune once a year, put fertilizer twice a year
What is the best way to start growing? Plant / Seeds / Air layering
Is it necessary to graft? Yes, when it’s grown for edible reason, but if it’s for ornamental reason, mostly no need but possible
Difficulties or problems when growing: Very sensitive to pests and disease
Planting season: Winter to summer in hardiness zone 4-9, winter to spring in hardiness zone 10a and when planting bare roots winter to early spring after this it might die
Pests and diseases: Aphids, Borer, mite
Pruning season: End of the autumn to beginning of the winter, but if there isn’t a lot of fruits better after the fruits season but mostly grow as ornamental plant for flowers so after the fruits in summer will be better
How to prune: Prune the week branches and dead, crossing branch, in order to get bigger fruits better to reduce the buds in order to get bigger fruits, old stems, reduce the amount of branches and need to take care that all the fruits will get enough light
Size of the plant: 2-8 m, 6-24 feet
Growth speed in optimal condition: Medium growing
Water requirement: Average amount of water / Big amount of water
Light conditions in optimal condition for growing: Full Sun / Half Shade (in hardiness zone 10 better to put in half shade)
Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant? No
Growing is also possible in a planter, flowerpot, containers: Yes, in containers need to keep the plants small, start with pot that will be 20-50% more than the root ball, bigger the plant smaller the percentage, every time that the tree arrive to full capacity need to switch to bigger until arrives to desirable size, better to use this method because the soil lose the viability over time and it’s efficient of care for the tree, when the plant big need to switch part of the soil, drainage it’s important and need to make holes and to use peat soil and maybe some lava grit in the bottom or something like that, put a bottom for the container and when water the plant let it fill the bottom but also need to dry in the same day.
Blooming information
Bloom season: Spring
General information about the flower Pink or white or pink with white flower in the size 3-4 cm
Thinning the bloom: The first two years recommend
Pollination is done by: Bees
Edible Fruit
Fruit harvest season: Summer / Autumn
Fruits pests or diseases: Birds, mite, fruit fly
What can be done with big quantities of Crabapple tree fruits? Eaten raw, baked, cake, juice and more, fruits leather, berries
Work requirements on the fruit: Cover the tree with net or protect the fruit against fruit fly
How long does it take to bear fruit? 3-4 years
How to grow Crabapple tree from seeds
Sowing requirement: Moist soil, sunny location
Saving seeds and care until sowing: Keep the seeds in cool and dark location
Sowing season: Winter to spring
Planting spacing: Better in separate pots and graft it, the best that grow transplant to the location
Depth of Sowing: 1cm (0.5 inch)
Conditions for seeds germinate: Moist soil, full sun
Watering requires for Seeds: Average amount of water / Big amount of water, don’t let it dry
Germination time: 4-6 weeks not include burying
Condition of seedling: Moist soil, put mulch and water regularly
Do the seeds require burying? Yes
Time to bury the seeds: 1-2 months, better to put it in the refrigerator or to sow it outdoor in the end of the winter
