Crab Apple

About

Malus or Crab Apples Small to medium sized deciduous trees, and a huge family with lots of varieties in, these are not to be confused with the Malus Domestica which are cultivated eating / cooking apples. Although you can eat most crab apples, but you may be in for a shock when you get the tart and tangy flavour and not a sweet apple taste. For this reason, they are mainly harvested to make jams/jellies or they can be roasted and served with meat. Crab apple trees have a range of features this being: Grey-brown bark that can becomes gnarled and twisted with age. Leaves are a glossy green oval shape with rounded teeth In spring they are easily identified by the sweetly smelling flowers which range in colour from pure white to deep pink In Autumn by the small apple like fruits. Where to site your Crab Apple Most varieties tend to be dwarf trees so are perfect for small gardens with their neat compact shape, perfect as a standalone specimen or in the border where you can colour match to really bring out the bright blossom colours in spring. How to grow and look after your Crab Apple Crab apples are adaptable but thrive best in moist, moderately fertile well-drained soil. They can be planted in partial shade, but full sun (8 hours of direct sun) is required for the best show of fruits and flowers. They are very hardy plants and can withstand a cold UK winter. Caring Tips for Crab Apples Watering They require a lot of watering during the growing season especially during the flowering and fruiting periods. Once they are fully established this can be relaxed slightly just checking during prolonged dry spells. With crab apples you can soon see if they are struggling as the leaves do droop and can turn brown Pruning This can be done in late winter, trim out any dead, damaged or diseased branches or simply maintain the head structure Feeding A general purpose balanced granular can be used in spring, avoid ones with high nitrogen during the flowering / fruiting period Signs of