Fresh apples in autumn are a real treat, especially if they’re organic. However, with so many pests and diseases that can negatively affect your apple trees, it can be hard to avoid using pesticides. In this video, we’ll provide some great tips for making sure you get the ultimate apple harvest, without having to use pesticides. To see even more tips for growing apple trees, read this article.

Apples (Malus spp. and cvs., Zones 3–9) are a constant presence in the supermarket, but one taste of a just-picked, perfectly ripe apple in autumn will make you eschew grocery-store apples for good and will send you running to the garden center for an apple tree for your own backyard. While growing apples in your garden isn’t hard, there are a few things you should know before you take on the commitment so that you’ll have edible apples in the end. I talked to Elmer Kidd, chief production officer at Stark Bro’s Nurseries & Orchards Co. in Louisiana, Missouri, where the company has been growing apples for 200 years, to get the scoop on what home gardeners need to know about growing this delicious crop. Read more.

Easy, Organic Apples

Learn how to harvest delicious organic apples without worrying about pests with this step-by-step guide.

Materials needed

Brown paper lunch bags
Stapler

Process

1. Fit a brown paper bag over a young apple growing on the branch.
2. Be gentle in order to avoid knocking the apple off of the tree.
3. Staple the open end of the bag so it won’t fall off of the fruit.
4. Seal the bag close to the branch attachment so that nothing can enter the bag and get to the apple. The bag will help protect the apple from pests and diseases.
5. If wind or rain dislodges the bag, simply replace it with a fresh bag.
6. Remove the paper bag about two weeks before harvest time.
7. Enjoy your organic apples at harvest time!