ABSTRACT
Apples (Malus domestica) are available for human consumption in most parts of the world throughout the year because of exceptional storage and shipping qualities, and production in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. In the USA, apples comprise about 25% of all deciduous fruit and nut production, exceeded only by grapes. Apple production is limited to areas where there is adequate chilling to break the rest period, minimum winter injury to the trees, adequate number of frost-free days from bloom to maturity, and well drained soils with adequate soil moisture. The limits of apple planting should be in areas where the minimum temperatures do not drop below -37°C for the hardiest cultivars and -32°C for most other cultivars. Winter injury may be in the form of bud killing, injury to the conducting tissues or complete killing. For maximum production the physical characteristics of the soil are more important than the fertility level.
