Show Time™ Crabapple Tree for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by John Haryasz | Horticulture Writer and Landscape Designer – last update on November 17, 2022

Planting instructions

The Show Time™ Crabapple Tree should grow in an area of full sunlight, meaning that the location receives at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. This tree also prefers soils that are slightly acidic with good drainage and a reasonable amount of nutrients. To plant a Show Time™ Crabapple Tree, dig a hole that is twice as wide as the root ball and deep enough that the tree’s root flare rest at or just above the soil’s surface once planting is complete.

Watering and nutrients

After you plant a Show Time™ Crabapple Tree, you should water it multiple times per week to maintain consistent soil moisture and aid root establishment. Following the first season, you can reduce your watering schedule to about once per week and maintain that rate throughout the rest of this plant’s life. Regarding fertilization, it is best to give your Show Time™ Crabapple Tree a single annual feeding of a balanced fertilizer during the early spring months.

Pollination

The Show Time™ Crabapple Tree is a self-fertile plant, meaning that you need only one to produce fruits that relies on insects to conduct pollination. Since the springtime flowers of this plant are so good at attracting those insects, pollination typically occurs easily. Following successful pollination, your Show Time™ Crabapple Tree will produce a set of red fruits that will dangle from the branches for many weeks during fall and early winter. In the case that you plant multiple trees near one another, you can expect cross-pollination to occur, often resulting in much larger fruit production in each plant.

Pruning

Most of the pruning you do for your Show Time™ Crabapple Tree should take place during the winter when this plant is in a dormant growth phase. At that time, you should perform light pruning to remove dead, damaged and diseased limbs and thin the canopy as needed. Later, during this plant’s spring bloom period, you can deadhead spent flowers to encourage more blooms to open. Fortunately, this plant has a naturally pleasing shape, which means you won’t need to spend much time shaping it.

Pests, diseases and animals

Unfortunately, most crabapples can encounter disease issues in their lives. Some of the most pervasive of these problems are apple scab and cedar apple rust, the latter of which occurs when you grow this plant near a cedar tree. Along with those potential infections, a crabapple can also have pest problems. Some of the most common crabapple pests are aphids, scale insects and mites. However, with that said, the Show Time™ Crabapple Tree is often better at resisting pests and diseases than other crabapples.

Harvesting

Harvest is not a typical goal for those who grow the Show Time™ Crabapple Tree. However, this plant’s fruits are edible, and there is no reason why you cannot pick them and enjoy them in your kitchen. The ripe fruits of this tree will be red and will dangle from the branches throughout fall and early winter. Although these fruits are quite sour in their raw form, they are much more enjoyable when you make them into jam.

Achieving maximum results

Like many crabapples, the Show Time™ Crabapple Tree will likely produce some suckers from the base of its trunks. If that occurs, you should always remove those suckers during your winter pruning, as suckers take up vital growing energy while not contributing to your plant’s overall structure and appearance. Also, those interested in harvesting fruit from this tree may want to consider covering their trees with netting during the fall to prevent birds from eating the fruits before you have a chance to pick them.

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