Apple
Malus domestica
The backbone of most UK food forests. Pick a rootstock for the size you want (dwarfing M27/M9 for small gardens, MM106/MM111 for bigger trees), underplant with comfrey and a nitrogen fixer, and keep the canopy open with winter pruning.
An apple is the round, edible fruit of an apple tree. Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple, the most widely grown in the genus, are cultivated worldwide. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, Malus sieversii, is still found. Apples have been grown for thousands of years in Eurasia before they were introduced to North America by European colonists. Apples have cultural significance in many mythologies and religions.
Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
At a glance
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Water need
- Medium
- Mature height
- 4 m
- Maintenance
- Medium
- Hardiness
- USDA 4–8
- Layers
- canopy
Functional roles
Pollination & soil
Most apples need a compatible variety flowering at the same time nearby; a crab apple pollinates many.
- Soil
- medium/loam, heavy/clay
- pH
- Neutral
Deep, fertile, moisture-retentive loam; avoid waterlogged ground.
Propagation
How to make more of this plant for free — the permaculture way.
When: Graft (whip-and-tongue) late winter
Cultivars don't come true from seed; graft onto a rootstock chosen for size.
Companions & conflicts
- ✓Comfrey (Bocking 14) — Comfrey under the drip line for chop-and-drop mulch and nutrients.
- ✗Walnut — Sensitive to walnut's juglone; keep well away from walnuts.
Where to get it
Read more
Seed data pending expert review. Identification photo and description are sourced from Wikipedia/Wikimedia; always confirm a plant in person before eating any part of it.