He Was An Old Master Gardener and he said...
"You may as well not even plant Apples here. They won't grow and you will be disappointed."
I Can Grow Apples!
Quietly, perhaps only in my head, I said "I can grow apples". Being raised in Indiana where apples are very abundant I just knew I had to have an apple orchard. So, against the sage advice of a seasoned Texas gardener I planted four apple trees.
For six years now I've been tending for and battling with my apple trees. They have been a major pain in the rear end. The trunks rot, the blossoms fall, the tiny fruit shrivels and rots and the birds take anything even remotely hopeful.
He Was Right
Even though these pictures below show a small harvest (that I'm happy for and proud of), the reality is that Texas is not an apple climate. If I would have listened to the wisdom of one that has been there long before me I may have been enjoying a harvest of plums, pomegranate, peaches or pears (hey wait... those all start with P).
Texas Is Not Apple Country
It's not impossible to grow apples in Texas. In some areas with certain varieties some people have some success (that was a lot of somes). In general, the south isn't right for apples. There are a number of reasons why our climate and soil makes it difficult to grow apples.
Here are just a few of the many many issues and concerns for apples in the southern climate.
Cotton Root Rot
In our dry hot clay soils lay a fungus that is the Cotton Root Rot or sometimes called Texas Root Rot. This is a big bummer for hopeful apple growers because it can lay deep in the soil giving young trees a chance to grow up to build the hope and confidence of young inexperienced growers. Just about the time you think your tree is going to make it... just about the time you think you are an amazing gardener.. BAM. Those roots reach the fungus and within a season your trees are dead. This has not happened to my trees yet, but it is a serious risk in our area.
Cedar Apple Rust
This is an interesting challenge. Cedar and apples should not be grown within close proximity to each other. Look around kid... there's cedar everywhere. Sometimes I just don't know any better. This fungus spends part of it's life on apples and another part on cedar. I've read that there should be no cedar within one mile of an apple orchard. Hmm... that aint happening in our area for sure.
Iron Deficiency - Chlorosis
Our clay soils are very high in phosphorus. This creates a scene where iron cannot be taken up in plants, so it is very common for orchards and gardens to suffer from an iron deficiency or Chlorosis even if there is plenty of iron in the soil. The all-to-common sight of trees with yellow leaves when they should be full and green is another major disappointment to young growers.
Well, even thought my friend was right I had to take this journey for myself. This is an opportunity for me to tuck this information away in my brain to make my gardens and orchards better in the future. There may also be a time when I can offer some advice to a youngster, then just smile when I see determination and defiance in his face. 😉
My 5 Most Recent Posts
*for your upvoting pleasure*
If you want a badge (Homesteading, Gardening, Beekeepers, Woodworkers, Dads, Moms, Food Preservers) please submit $1SBD to @daddykirbs with a memo stating what it is for :)
I dont know how I havent come across your posts before. 100% upvote, resteemed and followed.
I like how you dont listen to the "rules" and just grew apples anyways. I do the same with lettuce and spinach in the hot of summer here. Fresh salads year round :] plus tons of seed for next year.
Haha! Thank you.
I live in Indonesia , and they grow apples here, next to avocado, durian and macadamia trees 1000m up in the mountains. Its absolutely the "wrong place", but they do it anyway.
What they produce is small, hard, bittersweet apples. but the locals love them nonetheless and they make good money at the market as well as supporting thriving Agrotourism pick n pay operations
Congrats on the mini harvest, sorry you can't have the abundance there, thanks for the informative article
I'm sorry he was right. Sounds like you really have some potential troubles there in Texas with the apples. Where I'm at it's much cooler and we get a ton of apples, but can't grow citrus and only some of the things that start with a p.
The lesson I took from this is even if the old gardener was right, you took a shot and I will remember to do the same when people tell me something can't be done.
@ daddykirbs, that was informative. I had no idea about the struggles of apple farmers in Texas. Congrats on the success that you have seen. I know it is because of lots of hard work and love for your trees.
Do you still plan to maintain the trees you have or will you move on to plums, pomegranate, peaches or pears?
I have threatened to cut the apple trees out. It's just so hard to do that after trying so hard LOL. We'll see what this next season brings.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away :) Thanks for the read!
Indeed, but when you only get 10 apples in 6 years... LOL
when you only get 10 apples in 6 years.... switch to kale. Probably alot mroe likely to keep you from the Doc.
Hahaha fair point sir :D
I almost NEVER listen to what people tell me will and won't work. Honestly, it's a lot more work but here's almost always a way to make it work.
Some thoughts are:
That's one thing about master gardeners I dislike. No hope left. They've learned too much to take risks and experiment! I've done the master gardeners courses through Oregon State University (but not ones that would allow me to become a master gardener - since I would not want to volunteer to keep my status) and sometimes I think there is a point of learning too much, knowing too much, then gardening becomes more difficult!
I do, however, have my Permaculture Design certificate, but even with that, I feel I've learned too much and gardening is not as fun anymore because it's made me somewhat nervous to experiment!
The apple struggle is real though. :\
Hahaha I love the part where you didn't listen to him and planted the apples anyway :P
Great read as always @daddykirbs :) Learning everyday from you!
I like toast 🍞
As your name suggests :D
I didnt know about rust before planting 2 apple trees here, within feet of cedars. I have trees that start out beautiful and turn ugly in early summer. They've been planted for 2 years and haven't even bloomed yet. I feel your frustration. They should do well here in the midwest but no so much in my case.
ugh. It is frustrating! I'm sorry you are in the same boat.
That is such a bummer! Apples are lovely and I love how the trees bloom in spring.
I was wondering, is the cotton root rot only a problem for apple trees or for any kind of (fruit) tree? Sounds like a challenging environment anyway!