How to Plant, Grow, and Care for ‘Granny Smith’ Apple Trees

If you love apple pie and caramel apples, ‘Granny Smith’ is the variety to grow at home. The fresh-picked apples taste delicious and are hard to compare to store-bought ones. Grocery stores sell apples before they ripen, and they lack the sugar content that makes homegrown produce preferable.

Of all the apple varieties, ‘Granny Smith’ is iconic for its green fruit and tart flavor. If you’ve eaten a green apple in your life, chances are you ate a ‘Granny Smith.’ From its humble beginnings in an Australian homesteader’s orchard, this tree now grows in orchards throughout the northern and southern hemispheres, from Australia to the United States. 

Have you heard that fruit growing is a challenge? There are chill hours, ripening seasons, and pollination buddies to consider. Fear not, as we’ll learn everything there is to know about growing a thriving ‘Granny Smith’ tree below. 

What are ‘Granny Smith’ Apples?

‘Granny Smith’ is an apple tree that produces bright green, tangy, and juicy apples. Unlike most other varieties, the fruits are ripe when they’re green. They make excellent caramel apples, applesauce, and other prepared apple dishes. When cooked, the zesty flavor complements the sugar content.

Each September, they ripen on my backyard tree. Right before the tree’s leaves change color, I pick the green apples to make apple jam. If you like sharp-tasting apples, they are also excellent fresh. Just know you might pucker up a bit after eating one!

Apple trees not only create delicious produce, but they also form graceful statures in maturity. They sprout sweet-smelling flowers that are a boon for pollinators, as the bees and bugs in your area benefit from the surplus of apple nectar. 

Native Area

For more than 100 years, apple breeders have crossed and bred species to produce the hybrids we know and love today. Species like Malus sylvestris from Europe and Malus coronaria from America shared pollen and created new hybrids. To make classification easy, most cultivated apple species are now considered Malus domestica. 

Apples are native to central Asia and Afghanistan, although they now grow in Australia, the Americas, Europe, and Asia. They are a worldwide fruit phenomenon beloved by many different cultures. Each variety has growing preferences, and with hundreds of options, there is surely an apple that will thrive in your garden. 

The ‘Granny Smith’ parent tree originally grew in Australia at the hands of Maria Ann Smith. It prefers a long and hot growing season, and ripens later than most apples. In the United States, the West, the East Coast, and areas of the South have optimal conditions for growing this variety. 

Characteristics

I value my ‘Granny Smith’ tree for its ornamental beauty and its bountiful fruit production. It is deciduous, and the leaves turn a buttery yellow each fall. In the spring, it sprouts pinkish-white blossoms that bees and pollinators love. 

This variety grows to 12 feet tall as a dwarf, and 16 as a semi-dwarf. Standard ‘Granny Smith’ trees can grow over 20 feet tall! Dwarfs make excellent espaliers. Semi-dwarfs and standards spread to be anywhere from 15 to 20 feet wide. 

‘Granny Smith’ apples ripen to a distinctive glossy green color. Tiny white spots speckle over the bright green skin. Pick them in the late fall after they’ve swelled to a good size. If left on the tree, the apples may turn yellowish-green and lose their tang. 

Dwarf trees may need additional staking when young and are more susceptible to storm damage than semi-dwarfs and standards. Choose the right type for your garden size, and you’ll treasure your tree for decades to come. 

While ‘Granny Smith’ apple trees are self-pollinating, apples benefit from another pollinator tree nearby for maximum fruit production.

Propagation

How do you best propagate an apple variety? To achieve the same genetics as your parent tree, you’ll need to take cuttings from a ‘Granny Smith.’

Apples grow from seed in the wild and are hybrids of their two parent trees. Growing apples from seed is a fun activity, but not a reliable means for fruit production. 

I am not discouraging you from growing apples from seed! Just know that your daughter tree will not look like ‘Granny Smith’, and its apples may look and taste completely different.

Cuttings

For reliable propagation, take six-inch cuttings of a parent tree after it has lost its leaves. Place cuttings in an airtight bag in the fridge until spring. 

In the spring, take your cuttings out of the fridge and prepare them for planting. Fill pots with soil and place your cuttings an inch or two into the soil. Water them, then place humidity covers over them. Domes or clear bags work well for this purpose. 

Situate your baby cuttings in a dappled shady area, and keep them moist but not soggy. Remove any flower buds that form so the plants can focus on rooting. 

If the cuttings grow leaves for a few weeks, they’re most likely rooted! It may take up to six months for them to root. Keep an eye on them to ensure you notice powdery mildew or damp conditions before issues emerge. Remove the humidity covers if you see stunted or infected new growth.

Once well-rooted, transplant them into larger pots or plant them directly into the ground in an area with full sun. By next spring, your sapling will be full of leaves and growing handsomely in the landscape.

Planting

The best time to plant an apple tree is in the fall. The tree may look asleep during its winter slumber, but it is still growing underground! The tree’s roots penetrate the soil in the fall and anchor it to the ground.

The type of hole you dig depends on the type of tree you have. Most nurseries sell ‘Granny Smith’ as either bare-root or container-grown. Learn how to take care of your type with these easy instructions below!

Bare-Root

Bare-root trees grow in fields when they are young. Orchardists train them to branch at an earlier age, and they shape them to be tall, straight trees. In the fall, they dig up these trees and shake the roots free of soil. This makes them cheaper and easier to transport.

Bare-root trees establish themselves faster than container-grown ones. Their roots come in direct contact with the ground’s soil, and they only have one type of soil to grow into. Their only downside is their availability, typically only fall through early spring. 

Plant your bare-root tree as soon as you can. Soak the roots for an hour or two. While it is soaking, prepare a hole as deep as the roots and twice as wide. Keep the center of the hole raised for the tree to sit on, and dig deeper at the hole’s edges like a moat.

Lower your tree into the hole and extend the roots into the moat at the edges. Cover the tree with soil halfway, then water well. If your tree’s trunk sinks below the soil, raise it a little so it is at ground level.

Fill in the hole up to ground level and water again. You won’t have to water your tree again until the growing season. Add mulch around the tree, leaving space around the trunk for the tree to breathe.

Container-Grown

Container-grown trees are bare-root specimens that lived for a season or two inside a pot. Buying a container allows you to see how the tree performs throughout the growing season. Container trees are also available at most nurseries year-round. 

To plant a container-grown tree, prepare a hole the same depth and three times as wide as the tree’s root ball. Digging this wide aerates the soil and makes it easier for the tree to put down roots.

Place your tree in the center of the hole. If you are staking it, add stakes into the hard soil at the bottom of the hole. Fill the hole halfway, then water well and let the soil settle. 

Fill the hole again until it reaches the base of the apple tree trunk. Water the soil again, and add more dirt if necessary. You can also add mulch around the base of the tree. Just be sure to leave space around the trunk for the tree to breathe. 

How to Grow

Growing a ‘Granny Smith’ is a treat in and of itself! This tree is a favorite in warm climates of the U.S. for good reason. It produces a reliable crop of apples that store well in the refrigerator. 

Although it is frost-hardy, this tree’s apples mature late in the season. In zones 4 through 6, it is a risky choice, and it may not set as much fruit as an early-ripening variety like ‘Gala.’

Light

‘Granny Smith’ thrives with six to eight hours of direct sun during the growing season. It can tolerate partial sun but may set less fruit compared to a full sun location. The area should have a spread of at least fifteen feet to allow your tree to grow and ramble. 

In zones 9 and 10, where summers are incredibly hot and dry, plant your tree in an area with dappled shade in the afternoon. This will allow the tree some protection against sunscald and moisture loss.

Water

During flowering and fruiting, apple trees require regular water. They need little water when dormant in the winter. Gardeners with rainy conditions will only need to irrigate during low rainfall. Gardeners in dry areas should plan on irrigating so that the soil is moist throughout the growing season.

The best way to water is with a slow trickle. Turn your hose on low and place it by the root zone. Let it trickle for thirty minutes to an hour so that the soil soaks up most of the water. When the soil dries, water it again on low for the same amount of time.

Soil

Apples appreciate fertile, well-drained soil. This green-fruited variety tolerates clay soil and most other soil types, making it a versatile fruit tree. If your soil dries quickly, you may need to water more during the spring and summer. Water less if the ground holds onto moisture like clay soils do.

Avoid mixing other dirt or compost into the soil when planting the tree. Instead, add mulch on top of the soil at planting and repeat mulch applications every spring. Over time, organic mulch decomposes and creates a beneficial ecosystem in the dirt below. 

Temperature and Humidity

‘Granny Smith’ has a low chill requirement. It requires at least 400 hours of temperatures below 45 °F (7°C) in the winter to properly set fruit. This makes it a perfect choice for mild winter gardens. 

This cultivar loves the heat of summer. Where summers are warm, its fruit ripens midseason, and where they are cool, fruit ripens late. Apples in hot zones ripen quickly but also need more water than those growing in cool zones. 

Fertilizing

Apples appreciate organic fertilizer while they establish themselves. Apply the correct amount of fertilizer according to the package’s directions for the size of your tree. Then, apply annually in early spring.

One example of a good dosage is ¼ pound of 10-10-10 at planting and every spring thereafter. You can stop fertilizing when your tree starts to produce a sizable crop of apples each year. This indicates it has accessed deeper soil mineral reserves.

Maintenance

Apples don’t need much maintenance outside of their preferred growing conditions to survive. Add mulch every year in the spring, leaving a few inches of space between the mulch and the trunk. Prune off any dead or diseased wood in the winter. 

This cultivar benefits from pruning for an optimal shape. Aim to prune in the late winter, and follow these simple instructions to shape your tree for optimal fruit production. 

Pruning

The best pruning method for an apple tree is the modified central leader shape. This is like a central leader shape, where a central trunk grows straight up with branches scaffolding outward. 

In the modified central leader shape, the apple tree has multiple leaders at the top, with branches growing off of them. Encourage this shape by pruning the central leader on your tree when it is taller than you. Branches will grow up and out from the central leader, and over time, they will become strong leaders themselves. 

For dwarf trees, an espalier method is also a superb choice. This requires a trellis or post for the tree to grow off of. Tie it to the post so that its shape is two-dimensional, and keep it well-pruned. With time, your espalier apple tree will produce nearly the same amount of fruit as a semi-dwarf. 

Harvesting

This is a mid to late-season ripening variety. I live in zone 8, and the apples on my tree are ready for harvest in September. In regions with cooler summers, harvests may extend later than this. 

Uses

These apples are incredibly versatile. Eat them fresh for a tangy and refreshing taste, and use them in cooked apple recipes for sweet and tart flavors. This cultivar famously makes excellent caramel apples. I like to make jam with them for a delicious apple jam and peanut butter sandwich. 

Common Problems

Your apple tree may experience some issues with diseases and pests. Do not worry, though; the right care and conditions will get your tree back on track to producing healthy apples. 

Fireblight

Fireblight is a bacterial disease that infects apples through their flowers. Cut infected wood off to remove all signs of infection. This bacteria can spread if infected tissue is left on the tree, so prune all of it off to effectively remove the disease. 

Pests

‘Granny Smith’ may be visited by aphids, coddling moths, and apple maggots. One clever and chemical-free way to get rid of pests is micromesh netting. The tiny holes of this mesh prevent bugs from laying eggs on or eating your apples.

Place micromesh on each apple after it has started to swell. If there are a lot of apples, place mesh over the entire tree. This is easier to accomplish on smaller trees. Be careful not to apply mesh too early, as this prevents pollinators from accessing the flowers. 

Other Diseases

Cedar-apple rust, powdery mildew, black rot, and flyspeck (a.k.a., sooty blotch) are other diseases to look out for when you grow apple trees. Cedar-apple rust appears on leaf undersides, which display raised yellow splotches. The disease is often spread by juniper trees that carry the Gymnosporangium pathogen. It can spread to fruit and branches as well. The only treatment for this ailment is pruning away diseased tree parts, and spraying systemic fungicides.

Pruning also treats powdery mildew, which covers the surfaces of leaves and sometimes spreads in a white powdery substance onto branches and fruit. Maintaining good air circulation in the tree’s structure will keep black rot off of fruit, and flyspeck away as well.

Frequently Asked Questions