How to plant and care for Apple (Columnar)

Malus domestica

🌳 Tree 🍓 Fruit 🔁 Perennial

A narrow, upright apple tree that grows as a single column of fruiting spurs — ideal for a patio pot, a balcony or a very small garden.

At a glance: harvest in September.

When to plant and care for it

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Harvest

Prune

Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.

On planting day
Plant the Tree
Plant at the same depth it grew in its pot, in a hole twice as wide as the root ball, 60 cm, or one per 45 cm pot from other trees. Firm and water well.
0–1 days after “Plant the Tree”
Stake and Tie
Drive a short stake in on the windward side and fix it with a soft tree tie. Loosen the tie each spring so it never cuts into the bark.
0–2 days after “Stake and Tie”
Water In Deeply
Soak the root area with a full can, then keep the soil moist (not wet) for the first few weeks.
7–21 days after “Water In Deeply”
Mulch the Base
Spread 5–8 cm of compost or bark mulch in a 1 m circle, keeping it clear of the trunk.

March
Spring Feed
Feed with a fruit feed and replace the top 5 cm of compost in pots.
June
Thin the Fruit
Leave only one apple per cluster so the column is not overloaded.
Starts from year 2.
June
Water Pots Regularly
Pot-grown trees need watering every day or two in summer.
August
Shorten Side Shoots
Cut any side shoots longer than 15 cm back to 2–3 buds to keep the column shape.
September
Harvest Apples
Pick when an apple comes away with a gentle twist.
Starts from year 2.