So You're Dreaming of Growing An Apple Tree Right Here In North Florida?
If you're looking for an apple tree to grow in N FL, choices are a little limiting, but it can be done -- successfully. The Anna Apple and the Golden Dorsett are the most popular ones that grow here.
Typically, we think of apple trees as a cold climate tree. While it gets cold enough here most winters, our summers are so brutal, many small, young apple trees don't make it through their first or second summer unless they are appropriately pampered: apple trees do not like drought conditions, nor do they like wet feet.
A 6-foot tall 7 gal size tree will have a much higher survival rate than a 5-foot tall 3 gal size tree simply because you'll be starting with much greater root mass. It's not about the height of the tree. It's about the caliper (diameter) of the trunk, and the size of the root ball.
That said, if you really want to try your luck at growing apples, you will need at least 2 trees, for good pollination:
Anna Apple & Golden Dorsett are a really good match.
The ever popular Anna Apple is firm, crisp and tart, green when ripe and similar in flavor to the Granny Smith. It does best if cross-pollinated with another variety: Golden Dorsett is the most common choice. Both ripen in early to mid-June in Gainesville.
The Golden Dorsett is a yellowish-golden color, with a light pink blush. Flesh is soft and sweet, much like an old-fashioned Golden Delicious. Found in the 1950's at Mrs. Dorsett's orchard in the Bahamas, it may actually have been a seedling from a Golden Delicious.
We can also grow a few other varieties in Alachua County and to the north and west: especially zone 8b.
Ein Sheimer (pollinates with the Anna & the Fuji), Fuji (pollinates with the Ein Sheimer & the Granny Smith), and of course, Granny Smith. Gala can also be paired with the Fuji.
On a very mild winter, harvest will be light on the Fuji, Gala and Granny Smith varieties.
Anna & Golden Dorsett are 150 chill hour varieties.
Ein Shiemer requires a minimum of 250 chill hours.
Fuji, Gala and Granny Smith require approximately 400-450 chill hours. Elsa Sweet is a new variety, needing approximately 150 chill hours.
There's nothing that says 'Spring' quite like apple blossoms!
If you let the Anna ripen until it has a red blush, then the flavor is sweeter and it tastes more like a Gala. Below is a photo of Anna apples in our garden that were allowed to fully ripen.
Anna apples in our personal gardens.
This is real life: grown by a homeowner in the Micanopy area,
new to orcharding, just 3 months after planting!
Elsa Sweet
Elsa Sweet is a delicious, new low chill apple variety for Florida orchards. Found in a north Florida backyard more than 15 years ago, it is likely a descendant of a forgotten variety grown many years ago, that developed new survival adaptations better than the original.
Elsa Sweet -- named such because it can be used to cross pollinate the well known 'Anna' --- is an extraordinarily sweet apple with very little acid. It is a medium to large sized apple with a yellow-green skin. It ripens in mid to late June in Gainesville. Elsa Sweet is crispy, quite juicy and aromatic, and has a sweet yellow flesh that is firm and very rich in flavor.
Tree growth on the Elsa Sweet is reasonably fast and quite vigorous -- provided you pay attention to the 2 rules for growing apples below.
The original tree is said to be growing in an isolated environment with no other apples nearby, so the Elsa Sweet is assumed to be self fertile until proven differently. It also cross-pollinates with both the Anna and the Golden Dorsett.
the new Elsa Sweet apple: crispy, juicy sweet!
We assume the chill hours to be about 150, since it is planted across Central Florida in the same vicinity as the Anna and Golden Dorsett, and blossoms simultaneously as well.
So, yes, it can be done: You CAN grow apples here in zone 9:
- Rule #1: Use our soil amendments formula liberally -- a well-fed tree will be much hardier against the elements. Every month is not too much for an apple! And if you do not have a layer of clay in your soil, be sure to use a little peat moss in the formula to help you with rule #2 (but don't overdue the peat moss):
- Rule #2: Water your apple trees EVERY SINGLE DAY with slow drip irrigation (!) for most of Feb through Oct. I can't stress this one enough: Apple trees are complete water hogs. While they must have good drainage, they need water every day -- they don't like to dry out for long periods of time. The only time to skip the water is when we're having heavy rains, or the wintry days are so cloudy that nothing dries out: parts of June-July, and parts of Nov-Jan. Slow drip for 10-15 min is far more effective than drowning your tree with a hose for 2 minutes.
3 varieties in stock:
Anna
Golden Dorsett
Elsa Sweet
You generally need two different apples for proper pollination: typically at least one Anna and one Golden Dorsett. One Golden Dorsett will pollinate two Annas if planted in nearby proximity to each.
The new Elsa Sweet will also cross pollinate with either Anna or Golden Dorsett as well.
15G APPLE TREES:
~1.25" trunks / 6.5- 8' tall / ready to bear first season
super 7G APPLE TREES:
~1" trunks / 6' tall / may/may not set first season
ltd qty: ask us about super 15g sizes
for fruit your first year, choose 15G APPLE TREES:
~1.25" trunks / 6.5- 8' tall
UPDATE JAN 2023: plenty of super 7g & 15g in stock in most;
Elsa Sweet super 7g are ltd; please inquire b/4 ordering;
