Apple trees suitable for organic growing

These are apple varieties which are suitable for growing organically. They are either strong old-fashioned trouble-free varieties which do not seem to be bothered by the usual apple diseases of scab, canker, or mildew - or modern disease-resistant varieties.

Apple trees

Akane apple tree

Akane is an attractive early-season eating apple with a good pedigree and a sweet/sharp flavor.
Apple trees

Enterprise apple tree

Enterprise is a modern American disease-resistant apple, good for eating fresh and cooking.
Apple trees

Florina apple tree

A modern disease-resistant variety related to Jonathan and Golden Delicious.
Apple trees

GoldRush apple tree

GoldRush is a modern disease-resistant apple, like Golden Delicious but with a better tart/sweet balance.
Apple trees

Liberty apple tree

Liberty is a popular disease-resistant apple, large crops of bright red apples, similar to McIntosh.
Apple trees

Redfree apple tree

A highly disease resistant summer apple with a sweet flavor.
Apple trees

Sweet Sixteen apple tree

A sweet-flavored apple, with good cold hardiness.
Apple trees

Wolf River apple tree

Wolf River is the perfect cooking apple for the north - reliable, cold-hardy, disease resistant.



More about Apple trees suitable for organic growing

One of the great attractions of growing your own fruit trees is that you can decide exactly how you want the trees to grow. Many gardeners now prefer an organic, or better still, an "un-treated" or "no spray" regime where the trees are grown without the use of any chemical pesticides and herbicides. Most new community orchard projects also adopt organic or no-spray principles.

In a backyard or community orchard situation where outright production is not the main priority, almost any apple variety can be grown organically. You will probably get a slightly reduced crop - but you will have the benefit of knowing that the fruit has been grown entirely free of chemical contamination and is as healthy as possible.

However there are some varieties which are particularly worth considering if you want to grow apple trees without chemicals and sprays. These are generally trouble-free and disease-resistant varieties that do not seem to be bothered by the usual apple diseases of scab, canker, or mildew. Interestingly whilst some of the varieties we recommend are very modern ones which have been specifically developed to incorporate genes for disease resistance, some are older varieties which have a proven track record of being disease-free.

It is worth noting that most crab apples are also suitable for growing without herbicides and pesticides.

Finally remember that disease-resistant does not mean disease-proof - your trees will still benefit from a helping hand. Applying a protective mulch around the base is one of the best ways to help them establish, as it suppresses competing weeds and strong healthy trees are better able to fight of diseases.