Apple Trees: Save money on utilities and get free food!

One of the first things I did after I bought my house was to plant an apple tree in the back yard; I love granny smith apples, and the ones from the store are never sour enough for me. The tree cost me $20 from a home center, and I spent about $15 in tree fertilizer spikes to help get it's roots established. I haven't done anything with that tree in years except pick apples. What about saving utilities? Apple trees can get fairly tall, certainly taller than a single story home, but their branches don't tend to get anywhere near as big as other trees. What you end up with is very dense foliage (you will need to trim some of it out to keep the leaves and apples healthy), limbs that won't harm your house if they break out, and a tree that if maintained (the work is minimal) will last you a good portion of your life. All of that translates into an effective shade producer for a sun absorbing wall / roof that will help to keep some heat from entering your home for at least part of the day. Over the life of the tree you will save WELL over the $20-$40 you spend on it. Factor in the apples, which you can eat or sell if you want to, and the tree turns into a money maker.

You will need to know some things before you plant a tree, like how close to plant it to your house. Different species of apples trees grow to different widths and heights. Check out the varieties of trees online and pick which is best for you. Where do you put the tree? The sunniest wall of your house is best, but you will need to check for underground gas lines / plumbing, electrical, and other obstacles that can ruin your whole week if you dig before getting the area marked. Also, remember that if you don't pick all the apples from the tree that they will fall off and rot on the ground. You'll have to go around and pick them up by hand so that you keep the flies from infesting your yard, but they fall a few at a time so it's pretty easy to just go out and pick them up before you mow. I also have a peach tree in my back yard, and while I love the flowers it makes in the spring, and the peaches I get from it, it does not make a good shade tree. I would highly recommend avoiding nut trees; it takes them far to long to grow, the limbs will break out and cause damage to your roof, and the only way to get the nuts out is to hire a tree shaker. Not worth it to me. In conclusion, you can use an apple tree to effectively shade your home and lower your utility bills, get free apples, and even pick up the dead sticks and use them to add apple wood smoke flavor to your BBQ. All for just $20. If you liked this article then check out The Blog! where I make daily posts about making money online / from home, passive income streams, my hobbies, and much more.