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APPLE Thumbelina® Mini Apple Candy Crunch™

A cute new variety producing heavy crops of bite-sized apples that kids love.  The fruit is ripe after the leaves have fallen in autumn, usually in May in most regions. Sweet, crisp and juicy fruit with bright red skin.  Pretty white and pink spring blossoms.   Grafted onto dwarf rootstock growing to just 2m tall.

EXCLUSIVELY GROWN BY WAIMEA NURSERIES

Protected by NZ Plant Variety Rights (Mini Stripe)

Late Red Dwarf Sweet
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Planting                        
Harvesting                    

Pollination

Pollinators include Thumbelina Golden Crunch, as well as Crabapple trees.

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Rootstock

Waimea Nurseries has one of the best selections of apple rootstocks available, from being a tree grower for commercial orchardists. We grow this variety on the following rootstock. Main reasons for different rootstocks being used is to control mature tree size, fruiting age, soil conditions and disease resistance.

 

MM106 Semi Dwarf Rootstock

Tree height: 3m

Starts to fruit in its third to fourth year. 
Requires temporary staking. 
Spacing required - 3m+ between trees. 
Resistant to woolly apple aphid.
Good on most soils, except poorly drained sites.

Not all rootstock and variety combinations are available each year.

Planting & Tree Care

SOIL

Soil preference depends on the rootstock that the variety is grafted onto. Dwarf rootstocks require fertile, well draining soils. M116 & M793 types are suitable for heavy clay soils. 

PLANTING SITE

Sunny sheltered sites are best. 

CLIMATE

Apples are best in a temperate environment. Some varieties with ‘low chill requirements’ can be grown in warmer Northern areas. 

WATERING

Water well during the early stages, during long dry periods and when the fruit is developing.

PESTS & DISEASES

Some varieties require a spray program to control pests and diseases that affect the tree, leaves and fruit. The Rezista range of varieties are resistant to some diseases. 

PLANTING IDEAS

Apple trees can be espalier trained against a wall or fence. Ballerina® columnar varieties are fantastic planted in rows or in pots as garden or entry features. 

FRUIT

Harvest time is from February to April. Trees on dwarf rootstocks will produce fruit within 2 years, others may take 3-4 years to produce  significant numbers of fruit. 

POLLINATION

In most residential areas Apples will often be pollinated by bees from nearby Apple and Crabapple trees. Some varieties are self fertile. 

TREE SIZE

The ultimate size of the tree depends on the rootstock the variety is grafted onto, the site and the pruning & training of the tree. Dwarf trees can be kept to just 1.5m, while more vigorous trees can grow to 5-6m.

General Apple tree information:

Apple trees will start to produce fruit between its second to fifth year depending on rootstock.  (Please refer to rootstock tab).

Fruit will produce on either tips or spurs. Some varieties produces fruit on both. (Please refer to description above).

Fruit is ripe when the shaded side turns from green to a greeny/yellow colour.

The later the Apple trees fruit ripens, the longer the storage life.

Planting:

Apple trees perform best in temperate areas. Most varieties need plenty of winter chill, but there are low chill varieties available for warmer climates. (Check out description above).

Apple trees like planting sites that are sunny, and sheltered. Soil preferences depends on rootstocks. (Please refer to rootstock tab).

General Care:

Water Apples well during early planting stages, long dry periods and when fruit is developing.

Some Apple varieties require a spray program to control pests and diseases that affect the tree, leaves and fruit.

To ensure large apples each year and prevent biennial bearing, thin apple bunches by half.

Pruning and Training:

Best to prune Apple trees in late winter so cuts heal faster with spring flush. To minimise disease entering tree, paint cuts with pruning paste.

  • Spur bearing: Reduce growth made the year before, by a third. Cut just after a good strong bud, that points in the direction you want the new branch to go.
  • Tip bearing: All of last years growth on main shoots should be pruned off to the first/second strong and healthy bud. (Unless new shoots are less than 12 inches long).

Prune into a modified central leader or vase shaped tree, or espailer against a wall or fence in triple horizontal cordon, candelarra or double-U shape.

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