Description

Crisp Gala Apples: First Year Growth with an Organic Twist

Earlier fruit that lasts a lifetime – the Gala Apple Tree offers fast, full growth that’s healthful and organic. One of the most popular apples, the Gala is crisp and refreshing; the quintessential treat for sweet, healthy snacking.

Plus, this Gala Apple Tree produces fruit earlier than many other trees. Not only is it low maintenance and organically grown, but it’s ultra-bountiful and productive. The organic Gala Apple Tree produces fruit in late spring for picking from August to September. You’ll get 6-12 bushels of Gala Apples once your tree reaches maturity, and you won’t have to use chemicals in the process.

And what’s sweeter than the taste of these well-liked apples? Their firm texture. Gala apples resist softening, bruising and other defects that befall other, similar apples, and they can be stored for up to six months, so they’re ideal for eating straight from the tree or saving for oven-baked treats, season to season.

Gala Apple Trees are easily grown and highly adaptable. Your new tree will mature quickly, reaching an ideal height of up to 15 feet in a full, oval silhouette, merging curb appeal with the utilitarianism of harvesting your own fruit.

Pruned thoroughly and trained to develop a large branching structure, the Gala Apple Tree is meticulously nurtured so it’s happy and healthy once it reaches your door. And your new tree will receive one final pruning before it’s shipped, at no additional cost to you. This final pruning ensures your tee remains dwarfed, which means you’ll have more apples at an easier, safer picking height.

With proper care, your Gala Apple Tree will produce fruit after the first season, or as soon as the first year under optimal conditions.

Order today – only limited quantities of the organic Gala Apple Tree are available!

Planting & Care

The Gala Apple Tree (Malus Gala ) is one of the most popular and top-ranking apples in America. They are recommended for USDA growing zones 5-8 and are semi-dwarf, reaching a mature height of 10-15 feet and width of 8-10 feet. In the spring there are clusters of lightly scented, white and blush pink blooms which begin to give way to fruit in late spring. The apples are ready for harvesting between August and October. Their skin is a yellow-orange color with stripes of red and is firm tender. Eat the sweet and juicy apples right off the tree or enjoy them in cobblers, pies and crisps. They will also store well for several months. Gala apple trees are self fertile which means they will produce the apples on their own but will yield a bigger harvest with another or a pollinator nearby.

Location: Be sure that the location you plan to plant your tree will receive full sun which means at least six hours of direct sun each day. If the area receives more than half a day’s shade then the tree will not perform well. Drainage is essential so if you have an overabundance of clay, some soil amending may be required. The pH range of the soil (for the best results) is 6.0-6.5 and a soil test can determine this easily. Testing kits can be found at your local gardening center to test the acidity of your soil. If the soil is mostly sand then amending peat moss into the sand will help with moisture retention otherwise more frequent irrigation will be needed.

Planting Directions (in ground): Now that you have found your ideal planting location for the Gala apple there are some basic steps for planting the tree. You can raise the acidity of the soil if necessary using lime or wood ash. To lower the pH you can amend sulfur, sphagnum peat or aluminum iron sulfate into the soil.

1) Make your planting site hole twice the width of the root ball and just as deep.
2) Gently comb your hands over the root ball to free up the roots before planting. Take care not to be to rough with the roots.
3) Place your new Gala apple tree in the hole and be sure it’s straight as you begin to back fill the hole. Tamp down the soil as you fill the hole to prevent air pockets from forming.
4) Water the planting site to settle the soil and then mulch around the base to prevent competing weeds and grasses from growing around the area.
*Tip: Make sure your mulch is not touching the base of the trunk as this can encourage rot and fungus from forming.

Planting Directions (potted tree): Most wouldn’t think you cannot grow an apple tree that isn’t a dwarf variety in a pot. With the Gala apple you can definitely grow a happy, healthy apple tree in a pot! Growing this way will also help maintain the tree at a more manageable height.

1) You will want to start off with a fairly large pot for the apple tree to have enough space to stretch out its root system. A ten gallon or even a fifteen gallon pot will be a good size to start with. Plastic pots may not be a good selection as they can get hot in the sun and aren’t insulated against the cold.
2) Select a well draining, quality potting soil mix to fill the pot.
3) Some light trimming of the roots is encouraged before potting the tree to prevent it from becoming a root bound mess in the pot. Snip the roots so they are about ½ inch from the inside wall of the pot.
4) Be sure you add enough soil to the bottom of the pot so the graft union will be level with the rim of the pot. Fill the pot until there is about a 2 inch space from the rim to the top of the soil.

Watering (in ground): Your Gala apple will benefit from a regular watering habit each week. You may need to water more often in times of extreme heat or drought. The soil surrounding your tree should be moist, but never saturated. Light green leaves can be a sign of over watering, while drooping leaves can be a sign of both over or under watering.

Watering (potted): Water slowly when you irrigate the tree to ensure even moisturizing of the soil. When the tree is in a dormant state, only provide enough water to keep the soil slightly moistened. As soon as you see newer growth coming out of the tree you can water whenever the top 2 inches of the soil feels dry.

Pruning (in ground): Once your tree has become established and is starting to bear fruit, it will need some periodic, moderate pruning. Only prune the tree during times of dormancy making sure to remove any vigorous, upright stems which are quite common in the upper portion of the tree. Weak, damaged or dead branches should also be removed. Low hanging, droopy branches should also be removed. As a branch declines with age it should be cutback to let younger branches take over and produce better.

Pruning (potted): Once you have your tree potted and comfortable, prune the branches back to about