Prairie Magic® Apple

Apples so sweet you can eat them before they're completely ripe? Sounds like magic! The Prairie Magic® Apple (Malus x 'Jefdale') really is just what the impatient gardener needs in their orchard! Super hardy introduction from Canada with medium-large green fruit with red blush.

Spring brings scented white blossoms and the bees and butterflies go mad for these nectar and pollen-rich blooms! Prairie Magic® Apples are especially good for fresh eating but also hold up for cooking and baking too! The crispy flesh is white and very sweet!

A cross between the Goodland and Mantet Apple varieties, Prairie Magic® is hardy throughout USDA growing zones 3 to 8. These semi-dwarf trees grow to a semi-dwarf size under 15 feet in height and width. This tree is not self-pollinating and does need a pollination partner for the best harvest. Try pairing with another tree that blooms at the same time for a large yield. No room? Prune smaller or check out high-density planting techniques.

Planting and Application:

These semi-dwarf trees readily tuck into existing orchards or established landscapes with ease and can be pruned smaller yet to accommodate smaller yards and to allow smaller properties to accommodate Prairie Magic's® pollinator tree. Make your front yard a double-duty orchard with these flowering trees, or create linear orchards by using your Apple trees as part of a larger fruiting hedgerow!

Prairie Magic® Apple is as pretty as its fruit is flavorful! Plant this shade-producing specimen anywhere on your property or as a garden bed anchor that provides shade for your perennials. So kick back and read a book beneath the buzzing bees in spring or fall while watching your harvest ripen!

• Green Apples With A Red Blush
• Super Sweet, Crisp White Flesh
• Large Sweet & Abundant Apples
• Ripen Late August til September
• Fragrant White Flowers
• Fantastic For Fresh Eating, Cooking & Baking

#ProPlantTips for Care:

How do you grow Apple Trees? Easy to grow, these fruit trees require full sun and well-drained soil to do their best. Fruit trees do not tolerate excess water or poor drainage as they cannot have soggy soil. Plant in rich, organically amended soil, plus a good layer of mulch over the root system's surface to further hold in moisture and insulate the roots from heat and cold. Apples need consistent watering, especially during summer for higher yields. It's best to protect your investment with a regular watering schedule during times of need.

Because it's such a heavy-producing tree, part of Apple tree care is to thin out the fruit in the spring. Branches can break under the weight of all that beautiful fruit. Pruning is best done in late winter when the tree is dormant in the late winter or very early spring. Prune to keep an open canopy that allows plenty of sunshine and air circulation.

• Full Sun Trees
• Enriched Well-Drained Soil
• Regular Water & Appreciates Mulch
• Prune When Dormant
• Moderate Resistance to Apple Scab
• 700-800 Chill Hour Needs

Honeygold Apple Trees are your answer for a cold-hardy golden Apple that won't take up a lot of space! Order quality plants with mature root systems to your doorstep from Nature Hills Nursery!

Prairie Magic® Apple Tree Frequently Asked Questions

When to Plant 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 Prairie Magic® 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 Prairie Magic® 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 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 Fertilize Prairie Magic® 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

Prairie Magic® Apple Tree Pollinating Info

Prairie Magic® is not self-fruiting and needs a pollinating partner. Pair with one of these varieties:

• Dolgo or Chestnut Crabapples
• Wealthy
• Northwest Greening

Harvest Times for Prairie Magic® Apple Trees

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

Prairie Magic® Apples are typically ready to harvest in September and considered late-season. 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 Prairie Magic® Apple Tree for sale here at NatureHills.com!

Rootstocks Explained

Apple trees have been grafted onto different rootstocks since before the mid-1800s. Different rootstocks are used to improve the anchoring of trees, eliminate diseases, and reduce the natural mature size of the tree itself. While there are many different types of rootstock, they are all labeled as being either Dwarf, Semi-Dwarf, or Standard.

The Apple descriptions, including flowering, pollination, and Apple characteristics are the same whether the plant is grown on a standard rootstock or some varying dwarfing rootstock. The overall size can vary by climate and soil but the understock used is ultimately what affects the mature size.

There will be some variation in sizes but as a guide, we are suggesting the overall mature size of these apple varieties are:

Semi-Dwarf Apples

• Height: 12-18 feet
• Spread: 10 - 15 feet

Standard Apples

• Height 18 - 25 feet
• Spread: 15 - 18 feet

Remember that all fruit tree sizes can easily be altered if needed by simple pruning as the trees grow and develop.