The apple tree and its roots

The apple tree and its roots

The apple tree as a shallow root with an aversion to waterlogging

Even if the roots of the apple tree usually do not run directly along the surface of the earth, it is still a predominantly shallow root. Therefore, when planting your garden, you should also make sure that you do not plant rose plants and strawberries in the immediate vicinity of the apple tree trunk, as these would only grow poorly here. Apple trees are sensitive to waterlogging, which is why they should only be watered about once a week, even in summer.

also read

  • The apple tree and its most important properties
  • The apple tree loses its bark - identify and combat problems
  • The apple tree and its many different varieties

Rules of thumb for root size only apply to a limited extent

An old rule of thumb in the vernacular is that the root depth and the circumference of tree roots can be roughly read from the size of the tree canopy. In times of special breeding and parent forms, this only applies to a very limited extent. So even the roots of a small apple tree or a bonsai apple tree can reach a surprising size. Since the crown of the apple tree has often been raised to a certain shape through targeted pruning, the circumference of the roots can hardly be read from it.

Replace an old apple tree

Most apple varieties have reached their maximum after a maximum lifespan of around 100 years. If you want to replace an old apple tree with a young one in the same place, this involves a relatively large amount of work. Since pome fruit does not grow well after pome fruit is planted, the whole tree root has to be dug up and removed for such a project, and then the soil has to be filled with new humus. Without heavy equipment, such an undertaking is associated with a lot of physical work, despite the rather shallow root depth of apple trees.

Tips & Tricks

Often apple trees should not be replaced simply because of their age, but because they do not produce the desired yield. It might be worth trying to refine the branches of high-yielding apple varieties by grafting them onto the existing tree. In this way, the size of the existing tree can be used as the basis for several new apple varieties.