Wodarz Apple Tree

Sweet - but won't win any beauty pageants, the knobby green Wodarz Apple (Malus 'Wodarz') features a red blush and not the prettiest shape. But looks aren't everything, right? A popular heirloom Apple selection, Wodarz is very sweet and stores well!

Flavorful and juicy, the firm white flesh is as pretty as the fragrant white spring blossoms! Bees and butterflies flock to these drifts of blooms and fill up on their rich pollen and nectar! The lush green foliage fills out the tree throughout the summer as the fruit ripens in the sun. Fully ripe in the late season month of late September, these are fantastic fresh eating and cooking fruit!

Wodarz Apple displays some Fireblight resistance and is very cold-hardy throughout USDA growing zones 3 to 8. Jointly released in 1978 as Wodarz by the University of North Dakota's Agricultural Experiment Station and the Wodarz family, this Apple is an easy-to-harvest semi-dwarf size! This tree is not entirely self-pollinating and does need a pollination partner.

Planting and Application:

Heirloom Wodarz Apples look as pretty as any other flowering ornamental tree! Their smaller size means a world of landscape uses as long as you have a sunny location in need of some interest! Front yards gain a pretty flowering tree in the spring, a lush yard accent tree all summer, followed by drool-worthy fruiting gems in the autumn that will make all the neighbors jealous!

The smaller size also means easy harvest, and easily accommodating Wodarz with one of its pollinator trees - the Dolgo Crabapple or the Wealthy Apple Tree. This way both trees will produce an exceptional harvest! Plant in groupings or in your orchard where everyone benefits from the increased pollinator-drawing power.

Or try planting a linear orchard by using your fruiting trees and shrubs as an edible hedgerow that doubles as privacy screens and property definition! No room? Try high-density planting techniques to suit even the smallest landscape!

• Fantastic Heirloom Green Apple With Red Blush
• Sweet & Firm For Fresh Eating, Cooking & Stores Well
• Fragrant White Spring Blooms For Pollinators
• Ripens in September
• Pollinates With Wealthy Apple & Dolgo Crabapples
• Specimens, Edible Landscaping, Hedgerows & Groupings

#ProPlantTips for Care:

How to grow Apple Trees? Easy to grow, fruit trees just require full sun and well-drained soil to do their best, and will not tolerate excess water or poor drainage. Plant in rich, organically amended well-drained 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, an important 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 For The Most Blooms & Fruit
• Well-Drained Enriched, Mulched Soil
• Regular Moisture Access
• Chill hours 700-800 hours
• Somewhat Tolerant to Fireblight

Wodarz Apple Trees may not be the prettiest heirloom Apple out there, but they will win your heart with their sweetness and dependability! Order now at Nature Hills!

Wodarz 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 Wodarz 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 Wodarz 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 Wodarz 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

Wodarz Apple Tree Pollinating Info

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

• Dolgo or Chestnut Crabapples
• Wealthy

Harvest Times for Wodarz 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

Wodarz 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 Wodarz 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.