Fruits of Enterprise. Photo courtesy of Dave Koester, Campbell County Cooperative Extension Service, University of Kentucky. However, there is more to growing fruit than planting the trees and harvesting the crop. Growing high-quality apples requires considerable knowledge about cultivar selection, planting site, soil types, planting techniques, training, pruning, fertilization, and pest management. Without sufficient and proper care for apple trees, fruit quality will be quite poor.
Many apple cultivars are currently available.
When selecting apple cultivars for a home apple orchard, one must consider fruit size, taste, color, bloom period, ripening season, disease resistance, and pollen compatibility, all of which are important factors. Home apple growers should consider growing cultivars that are resistant to important diseases such as apple scab, cedar apple rust, and fire blight. Disease-resistant apple cultivars recommended for home orchards in Ohio are summarized in Table 1, which also gives their cultural characteristics. It is not practical to list all of the disease-resistant cultivars in this fact sheet. Apple-Scab Resistant Cultivars Recommended for Home Orchards in Ohio.