An apple tree can not only be grown outdoors in its usual shape with a large tree crown. Special apple varieties are also suitable for decorating the course of the seasons as bonsai on the terrace and on the windowsill.
Which apple varieties are suitable for bonsai?
Small-fruited crabapple varieties such as Malus spectabilis, Malus halliana, Malus “Evereste” and Malus sieboldii are suitable for a bonsai apple tree. Raising a bonsai requires regular cutting, wiring and sufficient watering to achieve a realistic miniature shape.
Not every apple tree can become a bonsai
An apple tree that has been refined as a standard tree is of course not suitable as a starting material for the training cut of a bonsai due to its growth habit. If you would like to grow an apple tree yourself from a core, this is generally possible as an approach to growing bonsai. However, large-fruited varieties are not suitable for this, as the disproportion between tree size and fruit size would only provide a very unsatisfactory picture for a bonsai.
Choosing the right apple variety for a bonsai
In total, the list of apple varieties bred worldwide today includes more than 20,000 varieties. The small-fruited varieties, also known as ornamental apples, are primarily suitable for a bonsai design. Despite being called crab apples or crab apples, some of the fruits are also suitable for consumption, so that delicious jams and jellies can also be made from the harvest of the bonsai apple tree. Suitable varieties for creating a bonsai apple tree in a pot are:
- Malus spectabilis
- Malus halliana
- Malus “Evereste”
- Malus sieboldii
The slow training of the apple tree to become a bonsai
You definitely need some patience to create a bonsai from an apple tree. It can sometimes take up to ten years until the designed bonsai resembles a gnarled, old miniature apple tree. To do this, it is necessary to regularly cut off the branches of the tree relatively close to the rootstock. The trunk can be raised into a slightly inclined position using a sturdy iron wire (€12.00 at Amazon) and the branches also get a realistic miniature shape by lowering them with wire. Through carefully considered pruning, you can achieve fine branches on your Bonsai apple tree, where the flowers and apples look particularly attractive.
Tips & Tricks
Apple trees of all growth forms and sizes require a relatively large amount of water. Since bonsais are typically planted in a rather shallow bowl, bonsai-shaped apple trees should be regularly and adequately watered. In winter, ornamental apple varieties in pots must be protected from frost; a bright, cool place in the cellar or stairwell is suitable for this.
