How to Plant a Grafted Crabapple Tree

Buy a grafted crabapple tree from a commercial nursery. This typically consists of a one-year-old crabapple sapling grafted to a compatible rootstock. Check the characteristics of the graft and rootstock to ensure they will meet your needs.

Select a planting site for the crabapple tree in full sun, although they will also tolerate light shade. A slope that provides north or east exposure is frequently the best choice for meeting the sun and drainage requirements of a crabapple tree.

Prepare the planting site with clay loam for the best growth, although crabapple trees can tolerate a range of soil types. Adjust the soil pH so that it is between 6.0 and 8.0. Peat moss will lower the soil pH and limestone will raise the soil pH.

Dig a hole for the grafted crabapple tree that is as deep as the root ball and twice as wide. Remove the tree from its nursery container without disturbing the roots more than necessary. Adjust the tree so that its soil line is level with the soil and fill in the hole with native soil. Pack the soil around the tree and water it thoroughly.

Provide the crabapple tree with at least 1 inch of water per week during the first growing season. The tree should fully establish its root system in the first year, and will only require 15 to 20 inches water per year after this point.