Are you trying to grow apples, but Mother Nature isn’t exactly cooperating? Whether you’re dealing with unpredictable frosts, torrential rain, or temperamental temperatures, growing apples in less-than-ideal conditions is difficult but (believe it or not), absolutely possible. All you need is a bit of strategy and the right mindset.

Let us take a deep dive into how you can coax those beautiful fruits from your trees, with our top tips for growing apples in bad weather…

Choose Your Varieties Wisely

This is, hands down, the most important advice we can give you. All apples are not created equal when it comes to weathering the storms. If you are in an area with the problem of late frosts, be the envy of your neighbours by planting apples like ‘Enterprise’ or ‘GoldRush’ that bloom later on in the season. Too much rain and/or humidity the root (excuse the pun) of your problem? Disease-resistant apples like ‘Liberty’ and ‘Freedom’ will become your BFFs because they’re simply better at fighting off scab and mildew. And to combat cold, miserable weather in general, ‘Honeycrisp’ and ‘Haralson’ laugh in the face of winter. Do a little research on what thrives in your area and save yourself a lot of headaches later.

Location, Location, Location

“If you can’t beat the weather, at least work with the land.” Consider planting your apple trees on hillsides and at elevated locations. Cold winter air sinks naturally, which is a game-changer in terms of frost protection. Or consider placing your trees in an area which gets full sun exposure and good air circulation. Good air circulation is vital in drying leaves faster, which greatly reduces disease.

Protect Those Precious Blossoms

Those darn spring frosts, the bane of every apple grower’s life. Should a frost occur, and your trees are in flower, you do have some options: you can cover those smaller trees with frost blankets or old bed sheets, or even irrigate with sprinklers because the resultant ice actually does protect the blossoms. And for the really serious enthusiasts, orchard heaters and wind machines merit consideration, although these are best suited to larger orchids.

Embrace Proper Pruning

Good pruning isn’t just about shaping your tree—it’s your secret weapon against bad weather. Opening up the canopy lets air flow through, helping leaves dry quickly and reducing fungal diseases that thrive in damp conditions. Prune out any dead or diseased wood immediately, and thin your tree annually to prevent overcrowding. Think of it as giving your tree the breathing room it needs to stay healthy despite whatever weather comes its way.

Stay On Top of Disease Management

Wet, humid weather is basically an open invitation for apple scab, fire blight, and powdery mildew. Don’t wait until you see problems—be proactive! Organic options like copper sprays and sulfur can work wonders when applied preventatively. Keep fallen leaves and fruit cleaned up from around your trees since these harbor disease spores. And remember those disease-resistant varieties we talked about? Yeah, they’re looking pretty good right now, aren’t they?

Thin Your Fruit

We know it feels wrong to remove perfectly good baby apples, but trust us on this one. When the weather’s been rough, your tree is already stressed. Thinning fruit means the apples you do grow will be bigger, healthier, and better able to withstand whatever nature throws at them. Plus, it prevents branch breakage during storms, which becomes a real risk when branches are overloaded.

Mulch and Feed Thoughtfully

A good layer of mulch helps regulate soil temperature and moisture, which gives your trees more stability during weather extremes. Just keep it a few inches away from the trunk to prevent rot. Feed your trees appropriately too—well-nourished trees are simply more resilient. But avoid overdoing nitrogen in wet climates, as it encourages lush growth that’s more susceptible to disease.

Finally, and most importantly – DON’T GIVE UP!!! The thing with the bad weather and growing apples is, some years are going to be great, and some years are going to be a washout (sometimes quite literally!). That is just the nature of the game for any sort of fruit growing. That being said, the years you do have success are well worth waiting for.