Apple trees suitable for bonsai?

[jasonpg]

My brother-in-law just purchased a house located on an old apple orchard. Lots of old gnarly trees with branches that could be air layered into bonsai.

Do Apple trees make good bonsai? These are pretty standard apple trees for the area (Michigan), Red Delicious, etc.

Thanks.

 

[Dav4]

Yes, they can make great bonsai subjects. Nick Lenz has an entire chapter dedicated to apple bonsai in his book "bonsai from the wild".

 

[JudyB]

Yes agree, they do make good subjects... but, are prone to all types of maladies that tend to be attracted to fruit trees. Like bugs (aphids!!!) and fungus, and mildew, you name it, and apple trees will have it. They do have their moment, but to get an apple tree to the end of the year with good looking leaves is a testament to amazing care (or luck).

 

[jk_lewis]

Jerry Stowell's The Beginner's Guide to American Bonsai has a lot to say about apple bonsai. His were not from layers but from self-seeded wildlings in long abandoned orchards.

The book is out of print, but readily available used.

 

[Dav4]

Yes agree, they do make good subjects... but, are prone to all types of maladies that tend to be attracted to fruit trees. Like bugs (aphids!!!) and fungus, and mildew, you name it, and apple trees will have it. They do have their moment, but to get an apple tree to the end of the year with good looking leaves is a testament to amazing care (or luck).

...and rodents. I'm pretty sure Lenz mentions losing several exceptional apple bonsai to rodent damage while they were in winter storage. I've never kept an apple bonsai, but the one's I've seen periodically here and at shows make me think they are worth the effort if you get stock with a good trunk.

 

[tom tynan]

The leaves and apples on an orchard tree are probably too coarse and large for a convincing image. You would be better served looking for wild seedlings that have been chewed by deer to get a smaller more compact tree. The named varieties best suited for bonsai are well described on the Evergreen Gardenworks website as well....Tom

 

[Eric Schrader]

I have an apple, with some crab apple grafts on it. It's an old orchard tree that has a graft union between the root stock and the orchard stock. Then the person who dug it up put crabapple grafts on it. So it has three different varieties all in one. For me, the crabapple portion has not been growing well while the orchard apple (which I think is a golden delicious) has been growing well. Either would make a fine bonsai in my opinion, but I have to choose which one to keep.

As long as apples grow well in your locale I see no reason you can't make a bonsai out of one. Keep in mind that some varieties require a pollinator to set fruit.

 

[CHUCHIN]

I believe the two best subjects are Nagasaki and Toringo(not sure of spelling).. Be ready to spray it down all the time

James

 

[sikadelic]

I'll let you know. I started a fun project with my son (5 yr old) and planted seeds from a Fuji apple. They're on their second year now and have been growing very strongly.

Check back for an update in 15 years.

 

[Gene Deci]

I have two apples collected from MI fields. I have no idea what kind they are but they are not the same. They both are nice trees in many ways but neither has ever blossomed. I have heard that is not unusual. Just a word of caution if you are after a flowering tree.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Apples to make good bonsai.

They air layer fairly easily. Best to set up the air layer in late spring, so that you can cut it off before the end of August. This will give the new air layer time to harden off roots before winter sets in.

I have done a couple air layers of apples, several of commercial apple grafting understock. They air layer well.

Big Plus of taking an air layer from a tree that is flowering and fruiting - the air layer will bloom, and set fruit, just as soon as the air layer gains enough strength to flower, it will. Usually they begin blooming by the 3rd year after being air layered. An apple from seed might not flower until the tree is over 20 years old.

Personally, I would look for an interesting branch on a crab apple, the fruit are more in scale. The standard apples are good, and fine as a flowering bonsai, but the standard size fruit is so large that if you allow it to develop, you risk damage to the tree. The heavy fruit may break off the branch it is on, or the tree may weaken from putting all its energy into large fruit. But if you remove the fruit most years, and only allow one to develop when the tree is particularly vigorous, you can use standard apple trees as bonsai.

The comment was made that standard apples have leaves that are too large and branching that is too coarse. If you let the tree do what it wants, this will be true. See Morten Albek's Shohin Bonsai Blog, http://shohinblog.com/ he shows photos of apples that have been trained as shohin. Notice his before and after images of defoliating to reduce leaf size. If you are consistent at applying technique, even standard apples can be made into Shohin (under 10 inches tall) bonsai. Of course it is easier to make a big bonsai from standard apples. IF you shoot for a tree that is 3 or 4 feet tall, the big fruit is not much of a problem.

Only real draw back of apples in general (including crab apples) is the fact that they are so disease prone. But if you are growing apples for fruit, you already have all the spray remedies you need, just be sure to hit your bonsai when you spray your backyard orchard. The same sprays you use on the field trees, will work, even at the same concentrations you use in the field.

Apple are good - I always encourage people to raise as bonsai edible species. EAT YOUR BONSAI.