Cortland Apple Tree

How many ways would you like to use your apples? The Cortland Apple (Malus 'Cortland') gives you a multitude of choices! It is a cross between a Ben Davis and a McIntosh, and the variety has been cultivated for the past 100 years.

Originating in the state agricultural experiment station in Geneva, New York for an agricultural breeding program in 1898. It is a midseason variety that when mature, your Cortland Apple tree will be covered with medium to large, bright red fruit with highlights of yellow and red striped.

The white flesh of this variety does not turn brown after peeling as rapidly as most apple varieties, so it is a great apple to use in salads! In addition to salads, the sweet and slightly tart flesh is great for cider, pies, and freezing, so you can enjoy your apples all year long.

In April, you can expect your Cortland Apple tree to be surrounded by bees, pollinating the pink and white blooms. While partially self-fertile, you will probably want to add another variety to improve pollination and yield.

They are reliable bearers and will produce a full crop in 4 to 6 years. You can pair this variety with others that bloom about the same time, such as Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, and Cripp's Pink.

How to Use Cortland Apple Tree In The Landscape

The Cortland Apple is a vigorous variety with a lovely form. Spring blossoms, lush foliage and tasty gems, plus fantastic branching form for 4 season-interest.

These are beautiful specimen trees as well as accents around the garden for low privacy and shade, in addition to a fantastic orchard tree and healthy apples.

Charming cottage garden accents, these shade your vegetable gardens and adorn your garden beds in floral beauty!

Tidy sized for small yards and small orchards as well as it is for tucking into large orchards to extend the harvest.

#ProPlantTips For Care

Fruit trees like Cortland need full sun for the most blooms and therefore the most fruit. Requiring 8 hours of sunlight for the best crops. Do you live in the northern part of the country? The Cortland Apple does well in cold climates and grows well in zones 3-8. Able to survive cold winters.

Plant this variety in rich, well-drained soil. If your soil lacks nutrients, add organic matter like leaves, compost and manure to enrich the soil. While the tree is young, you will need to water weekly as the sapling sinks its roots deep into the aquifer.

It is moderately resistant to fire blight and apple scab, so you will have to worry less about pests and diseases.

The longer you wait to put your Cortland Apple tree in the ground, the longer you will have to wait to enhance your life with the delicious apples that it will produce. Pies, cakes, cider, apple butter, in addition to canned apples and apples fresh from the tree will be yours to enjoy in a few short years.

Nature Hills ships plants that are already 3-5 years old, so you won’t be waiting for long for your first harvest. Plant this lovely Cortland Apple Tree this spring by ordering from Nature Hills now!

Cortland Apple Tree Frequently Asked Questions

When to Plant Cortland Apple Trees

Planting Bareroot trees as soon as you can dig a hole in spring and until hot weather, the earlier the better. Plant container Apple trees throughout the growing season with complete success - that is the benefit of container plants - to extend the planting season. Your County Agricultural Extension Office is a great resource for first and last frost dates in your area.

How to Plant Cortland Apple Trees

Dig a large hole only as deep as needed to accommodate the bareroot or container root ball, and twice as wide. Add Nature Hills Root Booster to speed root establishment. Remove the pot or bag and situate it into the hole so the top of the soil (soil line if bareroot), is level with the new location's soil being careful not to plant too deep. Water in again very well and backfill with the same soil you dug up, tamping down gently to ensure there are no air pockets.

Top off with a 3-4 inch thick layer of Arborist mulch. Consider staking your tree to keep its trunk growing straight for the first year to ensure it stands tall against strong winds and drifting snow.

When to Prune Cortland Apple Trees

Trim off any broken branches from delivery as soon as you take them out of the box. Prune and trim apple trees while dormant, in late winter or early spring, before you see new growth.

How to Prune Cortland Apple Trees

Dormant prune to:

• Remove any double leaders or narrow crotch angles
• Eliminate any crossing branches
• Thin interior branching and leave the fruiting spurs and strong branches in place opening up the canopy
• Branching at least 24-36 inches above the ground

Prune Apple trees in the summer to:

• Control size and shape by reducing the length of longer new growth on vigorous trees
• Remove water sprouts on the main trunk or older branches in the crown
• Remove suckers at the base of the trunk
• Thin fruit during heavy years on established trees

How to Care for Cortland Apple Trees

Growing an apple tree is easy when proper soil, good drainage, attention to moisture, and regular fertility are maintained. Once you've chosen an apple tree that works for your climate, in the size you need for your landscape, and its pollinator (if needed), then you've accomplished half the battle!

• Apple trees do best in full sun and well-drained soil
• Water your apple trees when it gets dry - especially during the fruit production stage, and drought periods to keep it stress-free
• Use arborists' wood chips to mulch over the roots of your apples and have your soil tested to see what your soil may be lacking before adding fertilizers
• Maintenance pruning and shaping

Apple trees will tolerate a wide range of soils, so long as water and nutrients are not limited and the pH level is adequate.

How to Fertilize Cortland Apple Trees

For the first year, water alone is most important. It is always best to get a soil test to see what your soil is lacking before adding more fertilizers. Once established, a fertilizer routine may be beneficial. We do offer some excellent slow-release organic options, applied according to the package directions.

Fruit trees need more phosphate and it's possible to apply too much nitrogen which affects the soil's pH. Test soil acidity or alkalinity using a pH Tester.

Fertilize in spring when you first see new growth emerging.

• Don't overdo it
• Phosphates are your friends
• Pay attention to pH in areas with extremely high or low soil pH
• Follow the directions

Cortland Apple Tree Pollinating Info

Cortland is self-fruiting and doesn't need a pollinating partner, but will bear more fruit when paired with these varieties:

• Granny Smith Apple Tree
• Golden Delicious Apple Tree
• Pink Lady Apple Tree

Harvest Times for Cortland Apple Trees

Cortland's are typically ready to harvest in August.

Early-Season? Mid-Season? Late-Season? The terminology can be confusing for new apple tree growers. Weather, climate and your tree determine when it's ripe.

For Apples:

• Early-season is usually June-July
• Mid-season can be August-September
• Late-season can be from late September-November

The growing season consists of spring, summer, and fall, and varies with climate and weather. Areas with longer growing seasons in the warmer hardiness zones can greatly affect the harvest times for each particular apple variety grown in your area. Learn which growing zone you are in.

What Shipping Options Do You Offer?

NatureHills.com works closely with our growers and nursery professionals to ensure we ship when it is most appropriate for your area. Our goal is to deliver the hardiest plants by avoiding extreme high and low temperatures. Check out our shipping schedule for more information and to learn our wills and won'ts when it comes to shipping plants. Find your Cortland Apple Tree for sale here at NatureHills.com!