Malus domestica "Red Love"

• Type: Apple tree
• Latin name: Malus domestica
• Cultivar: Red Love
• Ripening: autumn (September)
• Light: sunny
• Winter hardiness: USDA 3–7 (hardy in Estonia)

Planting Plant in spring (late April – May) or autumn (September) in a sunny, sheltered spot in fertile, well-drained soil with the water table deeper than 1.5 m. Dig a 60×60 cm hole, mix in compost and set the tree so the graft union stays 5–8 cm above soil level. Most cultivars need a pollinator, so plant at least one other apple variety that flowers at the same time nearby. Space trees 4–5 m apart.

Watering Water young trees regularly for the first two years – 20–30 L once a week and more often in dry spells. Established trees need water after flowering, during fruit growth and before winter (a deep autumn soak). Mulch around the trunk, keeping mulch away from the bark.

Pruning Prune in late winter to early spring before bud break: build the crown from 4–5 main branches, remove dead, crossing and inward-growing shoots and keep the crown open for light and air. Never remove more than a quarter of the crown a year. Seal larger cuts with pruning paint.

Feeding and winter care Feed in spring with nitrogen (compost, organic fertiliser), in June–July with a balanced fertiliser, and in August–September with a potassium-phosphorus fertiliser; do not give nitrogen in autumn. Cultivars are hardy in Estonian conditions; protect the trunk of young trees with whitewash or spruce boughs against hares and frost cracks, and clear fallen leaves to reduce scab.