The Space-Saving Apple Tree Variety That's Perfect For Your Small Yard

Planting your own fruit tree is an incredibly rewarding experience, and apples are one of the most common fruit trees in home gardens. The problem for people with small yards is that standard apple trees grow up to 20 feet tall and wide. Luckily, though, there are compact apple tree varieties. Take, for instance, columnar apple trees. They only grow 7 to 8 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. This makes them a great choice for small yards and for growing in containers. Some popular columnar apple cultivars include 'Golden Sentinel,' 'Northpole,' 'White Icicle,' and 'Scarlet Sentinel.'

Don't worry, they are true apples. Plant breeders simply exploited a natural mutation in standard apple trees where the fruiting spurs develop along the central trunk. This makes the whole tree narrow and slim, hence the columnar moniker. Just keep in mind that even though their space-saving growth habit makes them perfect for small yards, they still need plenty of care. You also need to consider the winter hardiness of whatever columnar apple tree cultivar you choose. On the plus side, given the right conditions, columnar apple trees often produce just as much fruit as standard apple trees. If you want even more fruit and have the space, create a tree guild. It's a centuries-old planting technique that can boost your fruit tree's health and harvest.

Columnar apple trees need the same basic growing conditions and care as other, larger apples, including a full sun site. If you grow them in an area with less than four hours of sunlight a day, they will struggle. They will produce less fruit and the fruit will have less flavor. Plus, the trees will be more disease-prone. Just as with standard apple trees, you need to plant columnar apple trees with another cultivar for pollination — apple trees are not self-fertile. It's a downside to growing an apple tree that you should consider when starting your mini orchard.

Columnar apple trees have moderate watering needs. You need to keep the soil around the plant consistently moist, though not soggy or waterlogged. You don't need to water your in-ground apple tree on a rigid schedule. Instead, water the top 2 inches of the soil when it feels dry. If you are growing a columnar apple tree in a container, it may need more water, more often. Plants in pots tend to dry out faster than their garden-grown counterparts. Feed your columnar apple trees monthly from April to August using a fertilizer with an NPK ratio of 5-10-10. (If you don't know what NPK fertilizer really means, it's a good time to learn.) Lastly, keep an eye out for pests and diseases. Apple trees, including columnar apple trees, are especially vulnerable to apple scab, cedar-apple rust, and fireblight. Whenever possible, buy a cultivar with good disease resistance.