Sweet Sugar Tyme® Crabapple for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by Mary Van Keuren | Gardener (30+ Years Experience) – last update on November 4, 2022

Planting instructions

Site your tree in soil that drains well and receives at least six hours of direct sunlight a day. Unpot your sapling, and tease out any encircling roots, which can girdle the tree and slowly kill it. Dig a hole that’s as deep as the root ball and twice as wide. Place the tree in the hole, spreading out the roots. Holding the tree upright and steady, fill in around the roots with topsoil that’s been mixed with well-rotted compost or manure, tamping down as you go to eliminate air pockets. Water thoroughly. Apply a two to three-inch layer of organic mulch such as bark chips around the root zone to conserve water and hinder weed growth but keep it from touching the trunk to avoid problems with rot.

Watering and nutrients

For the first year after planting, water your tree weekly throughout the growing season, giving it about an inch of water each time. If you have very hot or dry weather, increase watering to several times a week. Once established, these trees are fairly drought-resistant and shouldn’t need supplemental water unless you’re experiencing very dry weather. Fertilize in early spring before the tree flowers with a balanced, slow-release product designed for landscape trees and shrubs, such as a 5-5-5 formula.

Pollination

The Sweet Sugar Tyme® Crabapple is monoecious, or self-fertile, and you will be able to harvest crabapples with only one tree. You will, however, reap more fruit if you plant another crabapple nearby. Bees and wasps are the primary agents of pollination, moving the pollen from male to female reproductive organs on each tree.

Pruning

Prune out any dead, diseased or damaged branches whenever you see them. You shouldn’t need to prune for shape, but if you wish to lightly prune to open up the canopy for better air circulation, do it after the tree has flowered.

Pests and diseases

Few pests or diseases bother this cultivar, so it’s rare to have any issues with your Sweet Sugar Tyme® Crabapple. Pests that are sometimes seen on crabapples include aphids, mites and Japanese beetles. Traps for the latter are available at most garden stores. Light infestations shouldn’t bother your tree but if insect pressure is heavy, consider releasing beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings to attack them. Diseases of the crabapple include fire blight and cedar apple rust, but these are unlikely to be seen on the Sweet Sugar Tyme® Crabapple since it is resistant to them.

Harvesting

If you are interested in harvesting the fruit from your crabapple, wait to do so until the fruits have turned a vivid red. A ripe crabapple will have dark brown seeds when you cut it open; unripe fruit has light seeds. You can also try biting into one. It should be crisp and firm, but not difficult to bite.

Achieving maximum results

If you live in an area where it’s too cold to grow the Sweet Sugar Tyme® Crabapple outdoors or if you’d like to set up one or more on a patio or deck, you’ll be pleased to know that you can grow crabapples in containers. Choose a pot that is about twice the size of the root ball with good drainage in the bottom. Use a good-quality potting mix and follow our directions for planting. Note that potted plants may need more watering and fertilizer than those planted in the ground. Plan on repotting your tree with fresh soil every four or five years. If you live in a cold region, bring it indoors in the winter to a cool spot such as a basement or garage.

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