Arkansas Black Apple Tree for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by John Haryasz | Horticulture Writer and Landscape Designer – last update on April 19, 2022

Planting instructions

An Arkansas Black apple tree will grow best where there is plenty of sunlight and soil with excellent drainage and nutrient content. When choosing a location, be sure to give this species plenty of space to expand so that its roots do not run into any foundations or compete with surrounding plants for soil space. Dig a planting hole that is significantly wider than the root ball but about as deep before you start planting. It also helps to rough the edges of the root ball and the planting hole to loosen the roots and encourage them to spread horizontally.

Watering and nutrients

Often, you’ll need to give an Arkansas Black apple tree water at least once per week, both when it is young and when it is established. When watering, it is best to soak the area around your tree completely to promote healthy root development. For fertilization, you can use just about any fertilizer mix that is specific to apple trees. The best time to fertilize an Arkansas Black apple tree is in the early spring.

Pollination

Pollination can be quite difficult with an Arkansas Black apple tree. This cultivar is not self-fertile and is incapable of pollinating without the presence of another type of apple tree. As such, if you wish to harvest your Arkansas Black apple year after year, you’ll need to plant one or more apple tree varieties nearby. Also, some apple varieties are more capable than others of pollinating an Arkansas Black apple tree. Fuji apples, Gala apples, Granny Smith apples, and Red Delicious apples are among the best kinds to use.

Pruning

Prune your Arkansas Black apple tree in the late winter, just before the new growth begins to form. As always, you should use sterile pruning shears to remove any part of the tree that has damage or is dying. With apple trees, it is also wise to prune them to make for a better harvest. Typically, you should remove suckers and any other weak growth and promote a few sturdy main branches to support future fruits.

Pests, diseases, and animals

As is true for many apple varieties, Arkansas Black apple trees can have issues with apple scab. Apple scab is the result of a fungal infection that manifests with leaf spots and foliage discoloration. If you fail to treat this issue, your tree will weaken significantly after several seasons. Along with this problem, Arkansas Black apple trees can also come down with fire blight. Typically, the best way to overcome fire blight is through selective pruning.

Harvesting

Arkansas Black apple trees tend to become ready for harvest later in the season. You can expect yours to offer fruits that are ready for picking around the month of November. Arkansas Black apples usually have a dark purple color and can feature slight green blushes where they have received less light. These apples should be relatively easy to remove from the branches, and they have many culinary uses once you bring them into your kitchen.

Achieving maximum results

Interestingly, people don’t usually eat Arkansas Black apples raw. Instead, they will oftendry these fruits for later consumption, as was popular before refrigerators were widely available. Arkansas Black apples are also ideal for baking and making cider. However, you can enjoy them raw as well. The best way to do that is to refrigerate them for a few weeks after harvest. During those weeks, the apples will develop a sweeter and much more favorable flavor.

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