How to Grow Fuji Apple Trees
Grow 'Fuji' apple trees in freely draining, moist soil in sunny spots. Water the trees regularly, and apply a general, slow-release fertilizer in spring.
Providing medium-sized, red fruit with a sweet, tart flavor, 'Fuji' apple trees (Malus x domestica 'Fuji') grow well in organically rich, moist, freely draining soil in sunny spots. The ideal soil pH for apple trees if 6.5. 'Fuji' apple trees are semi-dwarf, and grow 12 to 14 feet tall and 12 feet wide. They are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8, and produce large crops of apples mid- to late fall.
'Fuji' Pollinators
Most apple trees must grow near other apple varieties to produce an apple crop. Bees visit one tree, then carry the pollen to another apple tree and pollinate its flowers with the first tree's pollen. The maximum distance between the trees for pollination to happen is 100 feet, but the closer together the trees grow the more flowers are pollinated, resulting in larger crops. These other apple varieties supply the pollen that pollinates 'Fuji' trees:
'Gala' (Malus domestica 'Gala, USDA zones 6 to 9)
'Golden Delicious' (Malus x domestica 'Golden Delicious, USDA zones 4 to 9)
'Red Delicious' (Malus x domestica 'Red Delicious,' USDA zones 4 to 9)
'Lodi' (Malus x domestica 'Lodi,' USDA zones 3 through 8)
If a neighbor has one of these trees or another 'Fuji' pollinator growing within 100 feet of your 'Fuji', you don't need to do anything. Otherwise, plant a compatible pollinator.
'Fuji' apple trees should be spaced so that their trunks are at least 12 feet from the trunk of the next tree.
Growing Spots
Growing spots for 'Fuji' apple trees should receive at least six hours of direct sunlight every day, and the trees need a certain number of chilling hours per year to produce a crop. A period of temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit triggers blooming and new leaves in apples. 'Fuji' apple trees that don't experience at least 600 hours at chilling temperatures won't flower or fruit well, and maybe not at all. When they receive the correct amount of chilling, 'Fuji' trees produce fruit 140 to 160 days after flowering.
Water Needs
'Fuji' apple trees thrive and produce heavy yields when watered deeply and regularly. These trees don't tolerate drought. Water newly planted 'Fuji' trees when the soil is dry to a depth of 1 inch. Evenly spray water over the soil using a garden hose fitted with a soft spray attachment. Apply enough water to moisten the soil to the depth of the trees' root balls.
Water 3-year-old and older trees when the soil is dry to a depth of 2 or 3 inches. Spray the soil evenly beneath the tree's canopy to moisten it across the width and to the depth of the roots. Apple tree roots usually grow about as wide as their canopies and 12 to 18 inches deep.
Remove weeds from beneath the canopies to prevent competition for water and nutrients, and spread a mulch, such as a 2-inch layer of garden compost, to conserve soil moisture.
Warning
Don't pile the mulch against the 'Fuji' tree trunks. This can cause rotting.
Fertilizer for 'Fuji' Trees
A general fertilizer applied in spring supplies 'Fuji' apple trees' nutrient needs. In the absence of a soil test, apply 1 pound of 10-10-10 fertilizer for every year of the tree's life, up to a maximum of 6 pounds. Apply the fertilizer before new growth appears.
Step 1
Evenly sprinkle the fertilizer over the soil beneath the tree's canopy.
Step 2
Water the fertilizer into the soil with a garden hose fitted with a soft-spray attachment.
Warning
Don't fertilize 'Fuji' apple trees that grow 18 inches or more per year. These trees are already receiving sufficient nutrients from the soil and overfertilization could cause excessive leafy growth and few fruits.
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