Sweet Sixteen Apple

Sweet and crunchy and very flavorful, the Sweet Sixteen Apple (Malus 'Sweet Sixteen') is a delightful smaller tree that produces a bounty of yellow and pinkish-red streaked apples with creamy yellow flesh. Bursting with flavors like vanilla, anise and molasses, these are fantastic fresh eating and cooking fruits!

Late spring brings a cloud of white blossoms that are fragrant and attract swarms of early emerging pollinators looking for nectar and pollen. Soon the handsome green foliage arrives and sets the stage for the rosy red and yellow apples to form among the branches in early fall.

Sweet Sixteen Apples are mid-sized and super sweet. Use them fresh in salads and as snacks or bake into desserts that will barely need any added sweetener! The trees themselves are good-sized and can be pruned smaller. Plant with one of these trees pollinators to ensure a larger yield per tree.

Planting and Application:

Apple trees cast great shade and cooling relief over garden beds and are always picturesque in the landscape! Cast shady relief over garden beds, or anchor the corner of your home with these lovely dual-purpose blooming trees!

Sweet Sixteen will grow into a mighty specimen tree and act as a focal point for front and back yard landscaping! You can keep these pruned smaller to accommodate any sized yard, especially since you will need to plant this tree with a pollinator.

• Drifts of Fragrant White Blossoms
• Full-Sized Tree
• Yellow & Pinkish Red Streaked Fruit
• Super Sweet, Creamy Yellow Flesh
• Requires a Pollinator

#ProPlantTips for Care:

Apple trees have the most flowers and therefore fruit when planted in at least 6 hours of full sun a day. Provide moist, well-drained and enriched soil with a healthy topdressing of mulch for best results.

• Full Sun
• Moist Well-Drained Soil & Mulch
• Prune When Dormant
• Provide Ample Fertility

Sweet Sixteen Apple Trees are delightful full-sized specimens, shade trees and of course, loaded in white blooms and sweet, crunch fruit! Order your new favorite orchard plants today at NatureHills.com!

Sweet Sixteen Apple Tree Frequently Asked Questions

When to Plant Sweet Sixteen 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 Sweet Sixteen 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 Sweet Sixteen 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 Sweet Sixteen 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 Sweet Sixteen 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 Sweet Sixteen 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

Sweet Sixteen Apple Tree Pollinating Info

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

• Empire Apple Tree
• Fuji Apple Tree
• Gala Apple Tree
• Ginger Gold Apple Tree
• Golden Delicious Apple Tree
• McIntosh Apple Tree
• Pixie Crunch Apple Tree
• Winecrisp™ Apple Tree
• Wolf River Apple Tree

Harvest Times for Sweet Sixteen Apple Trees

Sweet Sixteen’s are typically ready to harvest in September.

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.