How to Grow Apples Without Chemicals

Fertilizing

• 1

  Fertilize young trees at planting with a high-nitrogen fertilizer. According to Texas A&M's horticulture extension, most apple trees will only ever need nitrogen fertilizer. Organic fertilizers with a high nitrogen content include corn gluten meal, cottonseed meal, soybean meal, bat guano and blood meal. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for fertilizer applications on young trees.

• 2

  Fertilize 1-year-old to 3-year-old trees with a high-nitrogen fertilizer monthly from March through June. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for application rates.

• 3

  Fertilize mature trees, or those older than 3 years, with a high-nitrogen fertilizer in early spring and again in May. Trees that had a higher-than-average yield the year before only need to be fertilized in May. Those that set little fruit need only the early-spring application. Follow the manufacturer's directions for application rates.

Disease Control

• 4

  Practice good sanitation by regularly cleaning up and destroying leaf litter from under your apple tree. Leaf litter can harbor fungi that can infect your tree.

• 5

  Prune your tree regularly to ensure an open canopy with adequate airflow. Dense, moist foliage is a breeding ground for fungi and bacteria.

• 6

  Avoid wetting foliage when you water. Water splashing on leaves can spread fungal spores.

• 7

  Minimize injury to your trees. Keep them properly pruned, don't use lawn mowers or weed trimmers near the trunk and protect them during freezes. Injuries are common entry sites for pathogens.

• 8

  Apply copper sprays as needed for control of bacterial diseases like fire blight. Copper is a common organic antibacterial. Always follow the manufacturer's directions when applying a bactericide.

• 9

  Apply fungicides like sulfur and sulfur lime as needed for control of fungal infections like apple scab. These are accepted organic controls for fungi. Always read and follow the manufacturer's directions when applying fungicides.

Pest Control

• 10

  Spray insecticides containing the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis or the granulosis virus as needed to control caterpillars like the leafroller and coddling moth larvae. These insecticides only target caterpillars and are safe for humans and animals. Formulations of spinosad are organic and can help control insects like the apple maggot. Follow the manufacturer's directions when using insecticides.

• 11

  Practice good sanitation and regularly pick up any fruit, leaves or twigs that drop to the ground. Beetle larvae, like the plum curculio, infest apples and can pupate in dropped fruit. Destroying dropped apples can destroy larvae too. Many other insects overwinter in crop debris, so removing it forces them to look elsewhere for overwintering sites.

• 12

  Protect natural predators by avoiding broad-spectrum insecticides everywhere in your garden. These insecticides kill pests, but they kill predatory insects and pollinators as well.

• 13

  Attract predatory insects by planting a broad range of nectar plants near your apple trees. Many predators, like wasps and even ladybugs, will also dine on pollen and are attracted to flowers. Allow for some open dirt areas in your garden. Some species of solitary wasps nest in the ground and are good predatory insects to have around.