Melrose Apple Tree

Yes, it's the official Ohio State Apple! The Melrose Apple tree (Malus 'Melrose') is beloved for its flavor. With russeted yellow and green skin, and fiery red streaks, these Apples are a huge hit at farmer's markets.

Why not grow your own for a plentiful supply of this cherished variety?

These long-keeping Apples taste amazing, long into wintertime! The pretty creamy flesh is firm and juicy and features a wonderfully fruity aroma.

The flavor is well-balanced, with a slightly acidic zip to bring out the full complexity of the fruit sugars. Use them for sauces, baking, on fruit and cheese trays and as an eating Apple from January through April.

Melrose is a great value, as the productive tree provides for you and your family. This tree is an annual bearer.

Let the fruit hang on the tree, or pick and store in a cool, dry place. They’ll store in your refrigerator for months!

As with other russet-skinned apples, the flowery aroma and flavor feature a nutty, sugary richness. Delicious!

You'll feel good about including this very special variety in your Edible Landscape. After all, it's a great feeling to know that you have stores put by.

Backyard growers, feel confident about your choice of Melrose Apple for taste, aroma and value. These special apples are planted extensively on the West Coast. Order yours from the expert growers at Nature Hills today!

How to Use Melrose Apple in the Landscape

Melrose has a spreading growth habit and can become a cherished specimen tree (with edible benefits!) Apple trees are beautiful and very showy in both flower and fruit.

Use several of them in an informal grouping. Plant 12-15 feet on center for a grouping. Measure from the trunk of one tree to the trunk of the next.

Or, use high-density plantings to maximize space in your landscape. You'll also love the look. Plant 5 feet apart on center to create a solid screen.

Allow about 20 feet of clearance from the fence or house to ensure good air circulation. You'll want to have plenty of room to harvest them, too.

Keep fruiting trees as small as you like with annual pruning in the summer growing season. This is a well-established practice for backyard orchards. Watch our YouTube videos on Pruning for Size Control.

The large fruits are yellowish-green and streaked with red and russet spots and the flesh is sweet and juicy. Melrose is an excellent apple for pies, sauces and baking, and for snacking after storage.

#ProPlantTips for Care

Apples love a full sun location with good soil drainage. Look for locations that receive morning sun. This is the drying sun and helps keep your trees healthy.

Plant fruiting trees where they'll receive good air circulation. Avoid low-lying areas that trap frosty spring air.

Give your trees a moderate amount of water on a regular basis. Apply a layer of mulch 3 to 4 inches deep. Spread it out 3 feet outside of the canopy. This will keep the root system cool and extend the period between watering. Mulch will help you save on water.

Summer prune to control the overall height of the tree below 10 feet tall, for ease of maintenance and harvest. In winter, prune to keep the canopy open to improve airflow and increase sunlight.

These Apples were an Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station introduction that is a cross between a Red Delicious and a Jonathan. The fruit is flattened and a good keeper and they actually taste their fruity best if stored after harvest.

Enjoy the beloved Melrose Apple, homegrown from your own tree! Add one as a pollinator for other varieties, too.

Melrose Apple Tree Frequently Asked Questions

When to Plant Melrose Apple Trees

Planting Bareroot trees as soon as you can dig a hole in spring and until hot weather, the earlier the better. Plant container Apple trees throughout the growing season with complete success - that is the benefit of container plants - to extend the planting season. Your County Agricultural Extension Office is a great resource for first and last frost dates in your area.

How to Plant Melrose Apple Trees

Dig a large hole only as deep as needed to accommodate the bareroot or container root ball, and twice as wide. Add Nature Hills Root Booster to speed root establishment. Remove the pot or bag and situate it into the hole so the top of the soil (soil line if bareroot), is level with the new location's soil being careful not to plant too deep. Water in again very well and backfill with the same soil you dug up, tamping down gently to ensure there are no air pockets.

Top off with a 3-4 inch thick layer of Arborist mulch. Consider staking your tree to keep its trunk growing straight for the first year to ensure it stands tall against strong winds and drifting snow.

When to Prune Melrose Apple Trees

Trim off any broken branches from delivery as soon as you take them out of the box. Prune and trim apple trees while dormant, in late winter or early spring, before you see new growth.

How to Prune Melrose Apple Trees

Dormant prune to:

• Remove any double leaders or narrow crotch angles
• Eliminate any crossing branches
• Thin interior branching and leave the fruiting spurs and strong branches in place opening up the canopy
• Branching at least 24-36 inches above the ground

Prune Apple trees in the summer to:

• Control size and shape by reducing the length of longer new growth on vigorous trees
• Remove water sprouts on the main trunk or older branches in the crown
• Remove suckers at the base of the trunk
• Thin fruit during heavy years on established trees

How to Care for Melrose Apple Trees

Growing an apple tree is easy when proper soil, good drainage, attention to moisture, and regular fertility are maintained. Once you've chosen an apple tree that works for your climate, in the size you need for your landscape, and its pollinator (if needed), then you've accomplished half the battle!

• Apple trees do best in full sun and well-drained soil
• Water your apple trees when it gets dry - especially during the fruit production stage, and drought periods to keep it stress-free
• Use arborists' wood chips to mulch over the roots of your apples and have your soil tested to see what your soil may be lacking before adding fertilizers
• Maintenance pruning and shaping

Apple trees will tolerate a wide range of soils, so long as water and nutrients are not limited and the pH level is adequate.

How to Fertilize Melrose Apple Trees

For the first year, water alone is most important. It is always best to get a soil test to see what your soil is lacking before adding more fertilizers. Once established, a fertilizer routine may be beneficial. We do offer some excellent slow-release organic options, applied according to the package directions.

Fruit trees need more phosphate and it's possible to apply too much nitrogen which affects the soil's pH. Test soil acidity or alkalinity using a pH Tester.

Fertilize in spring when you first see new growth emerging.

• Don't overdo it
• Phosphates are your friends
• Pay attention to pH in areas with extremely high or low soil pH
• Follow the directions

Melrose Apple Tree Pollinating Info

Melrose is not self-fruiting and does need a pollinating partner, get more fruit when paired with these varieties:

• White Flowering Crabapples like Centennial, Chestnut, or Dolgo Crabapples
• Cortland
• Cox's Orange Pippin
• Cripps Pink and Red
• Empire
• Freedom
• Fuji
• Frostbite
• Gala
• Golden Delicious
• Granny Smith
• Honeycrisp
• Mcintosh
• Pixie Crunch
• Red Delicious
• SnowSweet
• Wealthy
• WineCrisp
• Wolf River
  

Harvest Times for Melrose Apple Trees

Melrose’s are typically ready to harvest in October.

Early-Season? Mid-Season? Late-Season? The terminology can be confusing for new apple tree growers. Weather, climate and your tree determine when it's ripe.

For Apples:

• Early-season is usually June-July
• Mid-season can be August-September
• Late-season can be from late September-November

The growing season consists of spring, summer, and fall, and varies with climate and weather. Areas with longer growing seasons in the warmer hardiness zones can greatly affect the harvest times for each particular apple variety grown in your area.