Malus domestica

TAXONOMY

FamilyRosaceae

GenusMalus

Zone5

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ABOUT

Malus domestica, commonly known as the apple tree, is a deciduous tree in the family Rosaceae. It is native to Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, Malus sieversii, is still found today. Apple trees are widely cultivated for their fruit, which is one of the most popular and widely consumed fruits in the world. They require a period of dormancy during the winter months.

ALSO KNOWN AS

Apple

Crabapple

Malus anetica

Malus anetica rubra

Malus anisophylla

Malus apetala

Malus astracanica

Malus batavica

Malus calvilla

Malus calvilla alba

Malus calvilla rubra

Malus caspiriensis

Malus chitralensis

Malus columbella

Malus columbella alba

Malus communis

Malus communis f. mitis

Malus communis subsp. dasyphylla

Malus communis subsp. mitis

Malus communis subsp. paradisiaca

Malus communis subsp. pumila

Malus communis var. api

Malus communis var. austera

Malus communis var. chinensis

Malus communis var. coccinea

Malus communis var. corallina

Malus communis var. coronata

Malus communis var. depressa

Malus communis var. domestica

Malus communis var. fasciata

Malus communis var. gellida

Malus communis var. joannis

Malus communis var. loiseleurii

Malus communis var. mitis

Malus communis var. nigra

Malus communis var. oblonga

Malus communis var. paradisiaca

Malus communis var. ponderosa

Malus communis var. provincialis

Malus communis var. pumila

Malus communis var. reneta

Malus communis var. rosea

Malus communis var. sabulosa

Malus communis var. sativa

Malus communis var. siccifolia

Malus communis var. sieversii

Malus communis var. tomentosa

Malus communis var. vetan

Malus cylindracea

Malus dasyphylla

Malus dasyphylla f. dioeca

Malus dasyphylla f. pendula

Malus dasyphylla var. chinensis

Malus dasyphylla var. domestica

Malus dasyphylla var. gellidus

Malus dasyphylla var. mitis

Malus dasyphylla var. reneta

Malus dioica

Malus dolichomorpha

Malus domestica subsp. caucasica

Malus domestica subsp. hybrida

Malus domestica subsp. intermedia

Malus domestica subsp. italotaurica

Malus domestica subsp. macrocarpa

Malus domestica subsp. medioasiatica

Malus domestica subsp. medio-asiatica

Malus domestica subsp. occidentalieuropaea

Malus domestica subsp. occidentali-europaea

Malus domestica subsp. pumila

Malus domestica subsp. rossica

Malus domestica var. api

Malus domestica var. calvillea

Malus domestica var. coccineus

Malus domestica var. dasyphylla

Malus domestica var. paradisiaca

Malus domestica var. parmaenea

Malus domestica var. ponderosus

Malus domestica var. praecox

Malus domestica var. renettea

Malus domestica var. roseus

Malus dulcissima var. subsessilis

Malus fontanesiana

Malus frutescens

Malus glabra

Malus hissarica

Malus hissarica var. heterogena

Malus hissarica var. mironovii

Malus hissarica var. variegata

Malus jarmolenkoi

Malus juzepczukii

Malus kirghisorum

Malus kudrjaschevii

Malus linczevskii

Malus livida

Malus medwietzkyana

Malus niedzwetzkyana

Malus paradisiaca

Malus paradisiaca dasyphylla

Malus paradisiaca pumila

Malus passipoma

Malus passipoma alba

Malus persicifolia

Malus persicifolia var. popovii

Malus praecox

Malus praecox f. pyramidale

Malus praecox var. paradisiaca

Malus prasomila

Malus prasomila augustiana

Malus prasomila var. lutea-praecox

Malus prasomila var. lutea-serotina

Malus pumila

Malus pumila f. apetala

Malus pumila f. mitis

Malus pumila f. pendula

Malus pumila f. plena

Malus pumila f. translucens

Malus pumila subsp. praecox

Malus pumila var. dasyphylla

Malus pumila var. domestica

Malus pumila var. joannis

Malus pumila var. mitis

Malus pumila var. niedzwetzkyana

Malus pumila var. paradisiaca

Malus pumila var. persicifolia

Malus pumila var. praecox

Malus pumila var. subsessilis

Malus rambura

Malus rambura aestivalis

Malus santonum

Malus schischkinii

Malus sieversii

Malus sieversii f. anisophylla

Malus sieversii f. cerea

Malus sieversii f. dragavzevii

Malus sieversii f. flava

Malus sieversii f. flavorosea

Malus sieversii f. flavorubens

Malus sieversii f. gilva

Malus sieversii f. insipida

Malus sieversii f. jarmolenkoi

Malus sieversii f. kudrjaschevii

Malus sieversii f. laetevirida

Malus sieversii f. linczevskii

Malus sieversii f. longicarpa

Malus sieversii f. media

Malus sieversii f. niedzwetzkyana

Malus sieversii f. ochrorubra

Malus sieversii f. pavlovii

Malus sieversii f. poljakovii

Malus sieversii f. pomacea

Malus sieversii f. purpureofasciata

Malus sieversii f. reflexa

Malus sieversii f. rubrifasciata

Malus sieversii f. rubrolateralis

Malus sieversii f. schischkinii

Malus sieversii f. spherocarpa

Malus sieversii f. suffusa

Malus sieversii f. viridicerea

Malus sieversii f. viridifasciata

Malus sieversii f. viridirubra

Malus sieversii f. viridis

Malus sieversii f. viridula

Malus sieversii f. xanthella

Malus sieversii subsp. hissarica

Malus sieversii subsp. kirghisorum

Malus sieversii var. anisophylla

Malus sieversii var. caspiriensis

Malus sieversii var. chitralensis

Malus sieversii var. dilatata

Malus sieversii var. dulcis

Malus sieversii var. hemisphaerica

Malus sieversii var. hissarica

Malus sieversii var. jarmolenkoi

Malus sieversii var. juzepczukii

Malus sieversii var. kirghisorum

Malus sieversii var. kudrjaschevii

Malus sieversii var. linczevskii

Malus sieversii var. longicarpa

Malus sieversii var. niedzwetzkyana

Malus sieversii var. pamiralaica

Malus sieversii var. persicifolia

Malus sieversii var. schischkinii

Malus sieversii var. spherocarpa

Malus sieversii var. tianschanica

Malus sieversii var. vvedenskyi

Malus spumosa

Malus sylvestris subsp. mitis

Malus sylvestris subsp. paradisiaca

Malus sylvestris subsp. praecox

Malus sylvestris subsp. pumila

Malus sylvestris subsp. sieversii

Malus sylvestris var. dasyphylla

Malus sylvestris var. domestica

Malus sylvestris var. frutescens

Malus sylvestris var. niedzwetzkyana

Malus sylvestris var. paradisiaca

Malus sylvestris var. praecox

Malus sylvestris var. tomentosa

Malus tatarica

Malus tianschanica

Malus tomentosa

Malus turbinoides

Malus upsalensis

Malus violacea

Malus violacea eyresii

Malus viridis

Pyrenia malus

Pyrus astracanica

Pyrus cavillea

Pyrus cestiana

Pyrus chitralensis

Pyrus dioica

Pyrus divisa

Pyrus epirotica

Pyrus eryostyla

Pyrus fontanesia

Pyrus fontanesiana

Pyrus kirghisorum

Pyrus malus

Pyrus malus conica

Pyrus malus costata

Pyrus malus floribunda

Pyrus malus frutescens

Pyrus malus fruticosa

Pyrus malus f. translucens

Pyrus malus hortensis

Pyrus malus lusus aucubifolia

Pyrus malus lusus nigra

Pyrus malus lusus pendula

Pyrus malus lusus translucens

Pyrus malus monstr. apetala

Pyrus malus oblongus

Pyrus malus pendula

Pyrus malus plana

Pyrus malus plena

Pyrus malus proles dasyphylla

Pyrus malus proles domestica

Pyrus malus proles paradisiaca

Pyrus malus regia

Pyrus malus rosea

Pyrus malus sargentii

Pyrus malus striatofasciata

Pyrus malus subsp. conocarpa

Pyrus malus subsp. costata

Pyrus malus subsp. hortensis

Pyrus malus subsp. megamila

Pyrus malus subsp. mitis

Pyrus malus subsp. paradisiaca

Pyrus malus subsp. praecox

Pyrus malus subsp. prasomila

Pyrus malus subsp. pumila

Pyrus malus subsp. striata

Pyrus malus tomentosa

Pyrus malus transitoria

Pyrus malus var. abortiva

Pyrus malus var. amara

Pyrus malus var. apetala

Pyrus malus var. appiana

Pyrus malus var. astracanica

Pyrus malus var. aucubifolia

Pyrus malus var. austera

Pyrus malus var. cavillea

Pyrus malus var. cestiana

Pyrus malus var. dasyphylla

Pyrus malus var. domestica

Pyrus malus var. epirotica

Pyrus malus var. eriostyla

Pyrus malus var. frutescens

Pyrus malus var. hortensis

Pyrus malus var. minor

Pyrus malus var. mitis

Pyrus malus var. niedzwetzkyana

Pyrus malus var. paradisiaca

Pyrus malus var. pendula

Pyrus malus var. plena

Pyrus malus var. prasomila

Pyrus malus var. pumila

Pyrus malus var. rossica

Pyrus malus var. rubelliana

Pyrus malus var. sieversii

Pyrus malus var. strepens

Pyrus malus var. tomentosa

Pyrus malus var. translucens

Pyrus malus var. ussuriensis

Pyrus malus var. wojejkowii

Pyrus niedzwetzkyana

Pyrus paris

Pyrus praecox

Pyrus prasomila

Pyrus pulverulenta

Pyrus pumila

Pyrus pumila var. domestica

Pyrus rubelliana

Pyrus saxatilis

Pyrus sieversii

Pyrus songarica

Pyrus sylvestris var. sativa

Pyrus tomentosa

Sorbus malus

OVERVIEW

WaterWet

SoilLoamy

LightDirect Bright (6 Hours)

Temperature15° C

Humidity60%

GDD2,250

Dormancy3 Months

pH6.5

Pressure1,013 mbar

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DETAILS

Care Instructions

Apple trees require full sun and moderate temperatures to thrive. They should be watered regularly to keep the soil evenly moist, especially during dry periods. They prefer moderate humidity levels and should be protected from extreme temperatures. Regular pruning is necessary to maintain their shape and promote healthy growth.

Harvest

Malus domestica, commonly known as the apple tree, typically requires a growing season of about 150 days from flowering to harvest. Apples are usually harvested in late summer to early fall, depending on the variety and local climate conditions. To harvest, gently twist the apple upwards and give it a slight pull; it should come off easily if it is ripe. Avoid pulling too hard to prevent damage to the tree and other fruits. It's important to handle the apples carefully to avoid bruising, and they should be stored in a cool, dry place to extend their shelf life.

Soil

Apple trees prefer well-draining loamy soil that is rich in organic matter. The soil should be kept evenly moist but not waterlogged. A slightly acidic to neutral pH is ideal for optimal growth.

Fertilizer

Apple trees benefit from a balanced fertilizer with an N-P-K ratio of 10-10-10. Fertilize in early spring before new growth begins and again in late spring. Avoid over-fertilizing, as this can lead to excessive vegetative growth at the expense of fruit production.

Repotting

Young apple trees can be repotted in early spring before new growth starts. Choose a pot that is slightly larger than the current one and ensure it has good drainage. Gently remove the tree from its current pot, loosen the roots, and place it in the new pot with fresh soil.

Propagation

Apple trees can be propagated through grafting, which is typically done in late winter or early spring. Select healthy scion wood and graft it onto a compatible rootstock. Ensure the graft union is secure and keep the grafted plant in a protected environment until it establishes.

Pruning

Prune apple trees in late winter or early spring before new growth begins. Remove any dead, diseased, or damaged branches, and thin out crowded areas to improve air circulation. Shape the tree to maintain an open canopy and encourage fruit production.

Toxicity

Apple seeds contain amygdalin, which can release cyanide when ingested in large quantities. However, the flesh of the apple is safe to eat and is not toxic to pets or humans. It is advisable to avoid consuming large amounts of seeds.

Additional

Apple trees benefit from regular monitoring for pests and diseases. Common issues include apple scab, fire blight, and codling moths. Implementing integrated pest management practices can help keep these problems under control.

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