If you’re planning to grow apples in South Africa, you’ll need to consider the climate as well as the soil conditions. Knowledge of pruning and pest control is also essential. Apples are one of the most popular and widely produced fruits.
Suitable Climates and Regions
The Western Cape provides a suitable climate for apple farmers in South Africa. For the trees to flower they need a long period at low temperatures, ideally below 7°C, which means the climate of the Western Cape is the most suitable and is where most commercial apples are grown. The biggest apple production regions are around the Western Cape towns of Ceres, Wolseley, Elgin and Villiersdorp. There are also small but growing production areas further north in the country in the Free State, Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces.
However, there are many thousands of varieties of apples, each with its own specific requirements. This means they can be grown in gardens almost anywhere in the country. In fact, large areas are devoted to commercial apple growing in Mpumalanga and the Free State.
How To Grow An Apple Tree, Anywhere, To fruit in 1 year.
These apple trees need to be grown in areas with sufficiently cold winters. In South Africa this kind of climate is experienced on the highveld and the high-lying zones in the Western Cape. THEY ARE NOT SUITED TO COASTAL OR SUBTROPICAL CLIMATES.
Planting Considerations
It’s advisable for planting to take place in spring if you’re farming in the central regions of South Africa. Likewise, spring is also the best time for planting in the northern regions of the country. While autumn planting is a possibility, this is only the case if the winter in your area offers mild and moist conditions. The best time to plant apple trees is during the dormant season, which is winter.
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Plant the trees where they get full sunlight, which means a daily dose of sun that exceeds six hours. They prefer a sunny, sheltered position in the garden.
Soil Preparation and Nutrients
Make sure that you test the soil before you plant the trees. Collect soil samples and have them analysed to determine whether you need to make any adjustments or not. You’ll need to make changes to the soil if any nutrient deficiencies are detected or the pH is incorrect. The soil must drain well and have a pH of around 6.5. Fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil, pH between 5.8 and 7.0. Plenty of compost should be added to the planting hole.
Feed apple trees with a calcium nitrate fertiliser, and compost. Apples will benefit from an annual dose of potassium and nitrogen. Young apple trees need to be watered regularly. Provide your apple trees with potassium once a year. They can also benefit from an annual application of nitrogen. Water well during hot, dry spells and control weeds around the trees to stop them from competing for water and fertiliser.
At ZZ2 they made bold step to replace chemicals with compost. There are some orchards on this farm that have since 2001 not received a single drop or kilogram of chemical fertiliser. The Bokkeveld’s soil is naturally very low in carbon. Some of the blocks stood at 0.02% or 0.03% when we started applying compost, at a rate of 20m3/ha, and now they have levels of up to 4% carbon.
Pruning Techniques
Pruning can stunt the growth of young trees and it can interfere with the growth of the apples. Don’t rush to prune the tree but rather focus on removing damaged or dead branches. Mature apple trees should be pruned once a year. Once the tree has reached maturity and has produced apples, you can prune it annually. This is an important aspect of caring for apple trees as it decreases the risk of disease.
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Most pruning is carried out in winter when the trees are dormant. The best time for pruning is when the tree is dormant during the winter months. You’ll need to cut off weak twigs and decrease the length of drooped stems during this process. Remove branches that prevent light from reaching the central branches of the tree. Use the open-centre pruning method to clear any branches that will prevent light from penetrating into the tree and shading out the central branches. This will ensure that fruit forms on the central branches, and not only on the outer branches of the tree. Fruit will only bear on wood that grew the previous year.
Pest and Disease Control
Apples are susceptible to various insect pests as well as fungal and bacterial diseases. Keep your trees healthy and less likely to be attacked, by watering and feeding them regularly. All our trees have been grown to strict phyto sanitary principles and been cared for according to an intergrated pest management programme, IPM.
Rootstock and Planting Density
Apples are grown on suitable rootstock that determines the size of the tree and the time when it bears fruit. Your local nursery should be able to help you select the best cultivar for your specific needs. Our apple trees are grafted onto a M9 dwarf rootstock. Widely used by commercial orchards, but also ideal for most gardens and small orchards. They produce lots of apples in a small amount of space, and from a young age.
M9 apple trees generally have spindly branches and are quite compact, so they will not take over or dominate a small garden. They can be planted close together, ideal for an apple tree hedge, against a wall, or be espaliered. They are also good in containers. Trees on dwarf rootstock need to be supported, either on a wire trellis or bamboo stake.
The main objective with M9 in ultra-high density planting is to fill tree row volume. It’s a shy grower and if planted too wide apart, row space will never be filled. ZZ2 acquired the 112 ha-farm, where Retief’s grandfather started farming 94 years ago and where he grew up, and today the farm specialises in apples, with a further 36ha of pears and apples down in Ceres where it is warmer.
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The establishment costs are high - R500,000 (€33,500) to R750,000 (€50,200) per hectare, more if the orchard is to be covered, and there is a waiting list of four to five years for M9 planting material, which is why ZZ2 will be setting up its own nursery to become self-sufficient in M9 rootstock.
Cultivars
There is a diverse range of apple trees and they all require different climatic conditions. Apples flower in mid- to late-spring, depending on the season and the cultivar. They may be vulnerable to late spring frost, so choose late-flowering or frost-resistant cultivars in areas subjected to heavy frost. Most apples are self-infertile, which means that they won’t set a good crop of fruit with their own pollen but will crop consistently when pollinated by compatible cultivars. There are exceptions and some are self-fertile. For good pollination, select cultivars from the same group if possible, or those from adjacent groups that will also serve as good pollinators.
Varieties such as Royal Gala, Pink Lady and Granny Smith apples are produced in Highveld. Early Red One and Granny Smith Apple trees also need to be grown in areas with long cold winters.
ZZ2's Innovative Approach
At ZZ2 they are innovative and try ways of doing things that will differentiate us in the long term. ZZ2’s decision almost 20 years ago to completely move away from the wholesale application of chemical fertiliser is also admirable.
Key Factors for Success
Grey ascribes the farm’s success to at least two factors. Firstly, he closely monitors each step of the operations of both the maize and dairy farm, in the finest detail. Secondly, he ensures that he has the main cost components covered.
Apple Tree Characteristics
Here's a table summarizing the characteristics of Early Red One and Granny Smith apple trees:
| Characteristic | Description |
|---|---|
| Rootstock | M9 dwarf rootstock |
| Climate | Areas with long cold winters |
| Height | Dwarfing, about 3m high and 800mm wide |
| Pollination | Require a pollinator, which is the Granny Smith |
| Blossoms | Produce pinkish-white blossoms late September |
| Bearing | The M9 encourages precocity, resulting in early bearing trees, within 2 years |
| Sunlight | At least 6 hours of sun a day |
| Soil | Fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil, pH between 5.8 and 7.0 |
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