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Japanese Flowering Crabapple requires
very little pruning but any that is needed should be
completed before late spring, to ensure dormant flower buds
are not removed. Trees used as street trees should be
trained to develop a central trunk and should be
occasionally thinned to eliminate water sprouts or
crossed-branches, and to open up the crown. This allows for
better air circulation through the crown and helps reduce
disease.
Crabapples are also useful as median trees where the fruit
will fall away from pedestrians. Placed in the lawn area as
an accent so they receive occasional irrigation, Crabapple
will give you years of wonderful flowers and showy fruit. It
is best to locate them away from a patio or other hard
surface so the fruits will not fall and cause a mess. Set it
back just far enough so the crown will not overhang the
walk, but close enough so the flowers and fruit can be
enjoyed. Japanese Flowering Crabapple grows in moist,
well-drained, acid soil in full sun locations for best
flowering. They are not recommended for sandy soil due to
their inability to tolerate drought, but any other soil is
suitable, including clay. Crabapples grow well in the Texas
panhandle but are not extremely drought tolerant and are not
well suited for high pH soil. |