When to plant and prune Crab Apple
Crab Apple flowers from late April to mid May and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Crab Apple is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early October to late December | late April to mid May | mid November to late February |
| South Coast and Channel | early October to late December | late April to mid May | mid November to late February |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early October to late December | late April to mid May | mid November to late February |
| South East and Home Counties | early October to late December | late April to mid May | mid November to late February |
| East Anglia | early October to late December | late April to mid May | mid November to late February |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early October to late December | late April to mid May | mid November to late February |
| Wales and West Coast | early October to late December | late April to mid May | mid November to late February |
| Northern England | early October to late December | late April to mid May | mid November to late February |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early October to late December | late April to mid May | mid November to late February |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early October to late December | late April to mid May | mid November to late February |
| Northern Ireland | early October to late December | late April to mid May | mid November to late February |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early October to late December | late April to mid May | mid November to late February |
Growing notes
One of the best all-round wildlife trees for a garden: heavy spring blossom for bees and long-lasting autumn fruit for birds, and it pollinates nearby eating apples. Reaches 4-8m in the ground, so for a balcony or large pot look for a tree grafted on a dwarfing M27 rootstock.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 400 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 600 cm
- Eventual spread
- 500 cm
- Hardiness
- H6
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 90 litres or more
- Balcony rating
- 2 out of 5
Feeding
Not needed in the first year; on poor soil apply a balanced feed over the root area in spring.
Pruning group
RHS pruning group 1: minimal pruning while dormant in winter
Bare-root season
Bare-root stock is lifted and sold while dormant, from early November to early March. Container-grown plants can go in at other times of year, but bare-root is cheaper and establishes well.
What usually goes wrong
- apple scab
- apple canker
- fireblight
- aphids including woolly aphid
- honey fungus
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for crab apple.