Spring Snow Flowering Crabapple Tree for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by Mary Van Keuren | Gardener (30+ Years Experience) – last update on August 16, 2022

Planting instructions

Site your Spring Snow crabapple tree in a spot with good sun, in soil that drains well. Unpot your sapling, and tease out any encircling roots, which can girdle the tree and slowly kill it. Dig a hole that’s as deep as the root ball and twice as wide. Place your tree in the hole, spreading out the roots carefully. Fill in around the roots with topsoil, tamping down as you go to eliminate air pockets. Water thoroughly. Apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of an organic mulch, such as bark chips, around the root zone, keeping it from touching the trunk itself to avoid rot.

Watering and nutrients

Water a newly-planted tree several times a week until you start to see robust new growth on the branches. Then taper back to once a week, giving the tree about an inch of water each time. A mature Spring Snow crabapple tree will only need supplemental watering during very hot or dry weather. Crabapple trees are not heavy feeders, but you can give your tree a light feeding in spring of a balanced, slow-release formula designed for landscape trees and shrubs, such as a 10-10-10 formula.

Pollination

As a sterile hybrid, this cultivar doesn’t require pollination, although you may see pollinating insects on the flowers. You will not, however, end up with the small apples that are the end result of pollination for most crabapples.

Pruning

The Spring Snow crabapple tree has a pleasing oval shape naturally, so you will need to do little pruning for shape. Prune out any broken, diseased, or damaged branches whenever you see them.

Pests, diseases, and animals

Insects that may appear on your crabapple include aphids, webworms, and scale insects. A healthy tree can fight off minor infestations, and an application of horticultural oil will help eliminate scale insects. If you see evidence of tent caterpillars, spray your tree with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to remove them. The Spring Snow cultivar is resistant to many common crabapple diseases. Watch for fire blight, which manifests as brown leaves that appear to have burned. Prune out infected branches.

Achieving maximum results

Knowing the best way to include a new plant into your existing landscape is one way to achieve maximum results. The Spring Snow flowering crabapple works well as a specimen tree, planted either alone or in groupings of three or five in a prominent spot in your front yard, where it will be easily visible during its spring bloom time. Try planting shade-loving perennials, such as astilbes and hostas, under it to provide added interest. Because it is tolerant of urban pollution, this cultivar is often used near roadways and on highway medians. It’s also a good choice to line a driveway, walkway, or patio because there is no need to sweep up messy fruit in fall.

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