Chehalis Apple Tree

Add value to your landscape with fruiting plants. The marvelous heirloom, Chelalis Apple (Malus domestica 'Chehalis') produces large, greenish-yellow apples with an occasional pink blush.

These crisp apples are great for fresh eating, baking and cooking. They are versatile, as the flavor turns from mildly tart to sweet depending on when you pick them.

Lift them up to test for ripeness. If they pop off easily in your hand, they are ripe and will be sweeter. For pie apples, consider harvesting a bit earlier.

Blend them with other tart apples in fantastic pies. Pick them when ripe for a sweeter, sub-acid treat. Or, allow them to sit for a few days to soften for applesauce. No need to add sugar!

This heirloom variety is highly apple scab resistant and produces clean fruit and foliage. You'll appreciate the reduced need for spraying chemicals. These apples ripen in September.

Chehalis is a self-pollinating variety. Although you can get some fruit when planted alone, you will get a better fruit set if you add a partner tree close by. Try Liberty or Honeycrisp for more fruit from your land.

Order Chehalis Apple from the expert growers at Nature Hills today!

How to Use Chehalis Apple Tree in the Landscape

Enjoy the good looks of this upright, spreading variety. Beautiful white flowers in early spring are very showy, and it's fascinating to watch the developing fruit throughout the season.

Use it as a single specimen, or plant it with other varieties. Plant them 12 feet apart on center, measuring from the center of one to the center of the next.

You can also keep your trees smaller in size with a regular schedule of summer pruning. Size control allows for an easier harvest. Keep your trees from 6 to 8 feet tall.

#ProPlantTips for Care

Full sun and well-drained soils is best for fruit production. Chehalis can grow in clay soils, as long as they do not remain wet.

Look for full sun locations that favor the early morning sun. This is the drying sun and helps to cut down on moisture related diseases.

It's best to plant in a location with good air circulation. Avoid areas that trap air, and ensure there is at least 15 feet space distance from structures.

Add 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 cut down surface evaporation. Mulch also extends the period between watering to save on water.

Summer pruning is the best way to control height and spread. In winter, prune to keep the canopy open to improve airflow and increase sunlight.

Chehalis has earned its reputation as a solid performer for the edible landscape. Order yours today!

Self-pollinating, but recommended pollination partners to improve fruit set include: Liberty, Honeycrisp

Chehalis Apple Tree Frequently Asked Questions

When to Plant Chehalis 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 Chehalis 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 Chehalis 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 Chehalis 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 Chehalis 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 Chehalis 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

Chehalis Apple Tree Pollinating Info

Chehalis is self-fruiting and doesn't need a pollinating partner, but will bear more fruit when paired with these varieties:

• Honeycrisp Apple Tree
• Liberty Apple Tree

Harvest Times for Chehalis Apple Trees

Chehalis’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. Learn which growing zone you are in.

What Shipping Options Do You Offer?

NatureHills.com works closely with our growers and nursery professionals to ensure we ship when it is most appropriate for your area. Our goal is to deliver the hardiest plants by avoiding extreme high and low temperatures. Check out our shipping schedule for more information and to learn our wills and won'ts when it comes to shipping plants. Find your Chehalis Apple Tree for sale here at NatureHills.com!