How to Grow Apples of Different Varieties Together

Determine which type of apples you want to grow as the primary type. Deciding on the kind of apple you want to produce will help you to determine which other varieties you should plant.

Select the secondary type of apples you want to grow. Choose a variety that it a good pollinator. Some types, such as Jonagold, Winesap and Mutsu cannot be used as pollinators themselves, though they will grow well as long as pollinators are planted near them. Some apples are known to work well in combination, such as Jonafree and Enterprise, or Pristine and Liberty.

Dig a hole about 2 feet deep and twice the width or the root ball on your apple tree. Loosen the soil around the inside of the hole, and make a small mound of dirt in the center.

Place the tree in the hole. The top of the roots should be just below ground level, and the graft, present on most apple trees, must be 2 inches above the surface of the soil. Gently spread the roots out over the mound of dirt in the center of the hole.

Backfill the dirt around the roots. Pack it down carefully as you go to make sure you don’t leave any air pockets. Water the tree well when you have finished filling in the soil. Repeat this for all apple trees you wish to plant. Leave an appropriate amount of space between the trees. This space will vary according to the type of trees you are planting. Full-size trees will require 15 to 18 feet between them, dwarf varieties need much less. Keep them all in the same general area for best results.

Water the trees as needed to keep them from getting too dry. Fertilize them annually and thin excess blossoms or small fruit in order to maximize the size of the fruit left on the tree.