How to Grow and Care for Gravenstein Apple Trees

Gravenstein apple trees produce edible fruits with a sweet yet tart flavor and are considered one of the best all-around varieties good for cider, baking in pies, apple sauce, and jams. Gravenstein apple trees grow in the Sonoma region of California, preferring damp, loamy, fertile soil and full sun for at least six hours per day. It is also a cold-hardy tree, growing up to 15 feet tall.

The Gravenstein apple tree will take two to five years to bear fruit. Its fruit will appear in the summer months (typically July and August).

Gravenstein Apple Tree Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing a Gravenstein apple tree:

• Prefers loamy or sandy, well-draining, but moist soil
• Grows best with at least six hours of full sun
• Handles temperate and cool seasons
• Requires fertilizer for good production
  

Light

The Gravenstein apple tree will grow best in full sun. Be sure to plant your tree in a location with access to at least six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight daily.

Soil

Gravenstein apple trees will grow in moderately fertile, damp, and loamy soil. They will thrive in light, sandy-loam soil where its roots can dig deep.

Water

The Gravenstein apple tree should have access to average moisture while it is established. After that point, they will continue to produce without much irrigation.

However, it would be best to avoid letting the soil dry too much, particularly in summer. Moisture in the air along the coast can contribute to the tree’s growth, even in regions plagued by drought-like conditions.

Temperature and Humidity

The Gravenstein apple grows well in temperate regions like California but can also tolerate colder temperatures.

Fertilizer

When fertilizing apple trees, nitrogen-rich fertilizer can be raked evenly into the soil around the base (just be sure to keep it about two feet out and six inches away from the trunk).

The fertilization process can be repeated after three months and should be applied in a three-foot circle around the tree after it is two years old.

Pollination

Cross-pollination between apple trees is crucial to achieving a good fruit set when growing apples. Cross-pollination of different apple trees must occur at bloom time, so the pollen is transferred from the male part of the flower of one tree to the female part of another. Cross-pollination of apple trees primarily occurs with the help of industrious honeybees. Trees should not be located more than 100 feet apart. Cold, rain, and pesticides affect bee pollination rates.

Types of Gravenstein Trees

Gravenstein is a triploid apple cultivar and is produced by being cross-pollinated with other self-fertile apples; some common choices include gala, fuji, empire, or red and yellow delicious. Red Gravenstein apples are sports or a naturally occurring genetic mutation formed from a Gravenstein tree, appearing red with juicy flesh.

Gravenstein, a semi-dwarf variety, is one of the more popular apple tree varieties. It has been cultivated since the 17th century, originating in Denmark, where it is proclaimed the "national apple." It is named for the Graasten estate there. It was brought to the United States with German settlers in the 1820s. Orchards were first established at Fort Ross in California.

Gravenstein Apples

Because of its triploid makeup, its flavor profile can vary. Its apples are known for their versatility and depth of flavor with tang and sweetness, including a honey-sweet aroma. Their colors vary widely from red-over-green skin to yellow, green, and red with white or creamy white flesh. The apple shapes range from round to oblong, with flattened bottoms. When ripe, they have blushing on their base and crown.

The medium to large Gravenstein apples are crisp, juicy, and finely grained, with a smooth texture. The trees are picked in July and August. Once harvested, the fruit will only remain fresh for two to three weeks.

Pruning

When pruning fruit trees, maximize growth on lateral branches rather than the leaders. Lateral branches will have higher fruit yields than central upright branches. Consider pruning your Gravenstein apple tree late in the winter or early in the spring. It's best to aim for just before the growth starts in the spring so cuts won't be left unprotected against the coldest winter temperatures.

Pruning is essential for apple trees. It can help create a sturdy scaffold to support the weight of the heavy fruits.

Propagating Gravenstein Apple Trees

Gravenstein apple trees do not come true or grow successfully into Gravenstein apple trees from seed. The only way to reproduce Gravenstein is to graft Gravenstein buds onto a new rootstock or to root a cutting. Grafting is best done by botanical experts; it's a little more complicated than other propagation methods. The plant grows from a cutting (scion) taken in January, then refrigerated. In early spring, the scion is grafted onto hardy rootstock.

Hardwood cutting is less successful than grafting and can take much longer to grow, but it is an easier process for the home gardener. Take a cutting in late winter or early spring while the tree is still dormant. Expect at least six months for the cutting to take root. Here's how:

1. Using sharp, sterilized gardening shears, cut a hardwood branch 6 to 15 inches to the tip of the branch. Leaves, blossoms, or fruits should be removed from the bottom half of the cutting. The plant needs to put its energy into producing new roots.
2. Store the cutting with the cut-end in moist vermiculite or sawdust for three to four weeks at about 40 degrees Fahrenheit (refrigerator, cool basement or cellar, or cool garage). A callus will form at the cut end.
3. Dust the callused end with rooting hormone powder.
4. Plant the dusted, callused end down in moist peat soil.
5. Keep the soil consistently moist and place it in a warm area with filtered sunlight daily.
6. After a couple of months, gently pull on the branch to see if it offers some resistance. Once it develops 1- to 2-inch long roots, repot it into a pot with sterilized potting soil.
7. Keep it growing in a protected area for another year and then plant it in the ground the following spring. 
   

Potting and Repotting Gravenstein Apple Trees

Growing this tree in a container when it is young makes sense. Keep a young tree in its container until it has established roots, and then transplant it the following spring. This tree likes to put down deep roots and shouldn't stay potted for more than two to three years. It can start producing fruit as early as its second year.

Overwintering

Gravenstein apple trees are hardy down to -30 degrees Fahrenheit, but consider covering young trees for added protection. Remove the covers once it’s warm.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Several diseases can impact apple trees, and Gravenstein apple trees are susceptible to blight, apple scab, and powdery mildew. They are also prone to moth damage, but sticky traps can keep pests away from your fruit.

How to Get Gravenstein Apple Trees to Bloom

Bloom Months

Gravenstein apple trees typically bloom in April or May. They are an early to midspring bloomer, starting to bloom when the weather begins to warm. Gravenstein can flower over an extended period and sometimes appears to have a second flush of blossoms later in the flowering season.

How Long Do Gravenstein Apple Trees Bloom?

Gravenstein apple trees remain in bloom from one to three weeks, depending on climate conditions.

What Do Gravenstein Apple Tree Flowers Look and Smell Like?

Gravenstein apple trees produce fragrant, pure white apple blossoms, smelling of honey or a sweet floral apple-like scent.

How to Encourage More Blooms

Vertical branches should be bent to a horizontal orientation in the preceding spring to encourage more apple blossoms for the next spring. Also, beware of how deeply you prune. Buds were formed the previous spring after bloom time. Pruning away branches may prune away dormant buds. The buds must survive the winter to produce blossoms and fruits.

Deadheading does not benefit apple blossom trees or encourage more blooms.

Common Problems With Gravenstein Apple Trees

Gravenstein apple trees are easy to grow in most climates and soils, although they prefer loamy, moist conditions. However, it's prone to more diseases than some other apple varieties.

Apples Dropping Early

If you notice a significant drop of apples in early summer, it could be "June drop," a tree's natural process of prematurely dropping apples. It drops the fruits its branches can't support if all went to harvest. Pests, heat, nutrient deficiencies, and watering and pruning issues can also cause early fruit drop. These trees can also be prone to fruit drop if they grow and ripen fast. Gravenstein apples ripen quickly, usually within three weeks.

Not Producing Apples

Apple production is only accomplished with successful cross-pollination with two other apple species. Other apple trees must be within 100 feet of each other for pollinators to reach them. Also, these trees must be planted near apple varieties that flower simultaneously. Gravenstein apple trees are in the early to midspring flowering group, blooming with crabapple, gala, Courtland, or pink pearl apples.