Gala Apple Tree

Light Needs

Full Sun

(At Least 6 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

10-20 Feet

Mature Spread

8-10 Feet

Growing Zones

5 to 8

Gala Apple Tree brings crisp, honey-sweet flavor straight from your yard. This early-season favorite ripens to a bright red blush with fine-textured flesh that’s perfect for fresh snacks, lunchboxes, and light baking. Spring flowers, glossy summer foliage, and colorful fall fruit make it a four-season standout for small spaces or family orchards.

Choose dwarf for patios and tight beds or semi-dwarf to anchor an edible landscape. With reliable crops, pleasing sweetness, and easy training options, Gala delivers dependable harvests and a polished look without fussy maintenance.

Gala Apple Tree Care

Provide 6–8 hours of direct sun. Plant in well-drained loam or sandy loam with pH 6.0–7.0; avoid soggy sites. Water deeply to keep soil evenly moist, especially during bloom, fruit set, and the final 4–6 weeks before harvest. Mulch 2–3 inches to conserve moisture, keeping mulch a few inches from the trunk. Feed in early spring with a balanced, slow-release fruit tree fertilizer; avoid excess nitrogen that can reduce fruit quality.

Prune in late winter to open the canopy and strengthen scaffold branches; remove crossing and inward-growing wood. Thin fruit after natural June drop to one apple every 6–8 inches for size and branch health. Hardy in Zones 5–9. Not self-fruitful—plant with a compatible pollinizer such as Fuji, Honeycrisp, or Granny Smith within 50–100 feet. Harvest typically late summer to early fall.

Gala Apple Tree Spacing

On dwarf rootstock: space 8–10 ft on center; expect about 8–12 ft tall × 8–10 ft wide. On semi-dwarf: space 12–16 ft on center; expect 12–16 ft tall × 12–14 ft wide. For a single specimen, allow 8–10 ft of clearance from walls or paths for airflow and easy picking.

Espalier along a fence at 6–8 ft spacing where space is tight. Containers (dwarf only): start with an 18–24 in diameter pot, at least 16–18 in deep, with large drainage holes; keep the graft union 2–3 inches above the soil line and remove any suckers below it.

Why Grow Gala Apple Tree?

• Honey-sweet, crisp apples that shine for snacking, salads, and light baking
• Early-season harvest with reliable yields and family-friendly flavor
• Four-season appeal with spring bloom, summer shade, and colorful fruit
• Fits small spaces on dwarf rootstock; trains cleanly as espalier or central leader
• Straightforward care—light annual pruning, timely thinning, and steady moisture

Plant Gala in full sun alongside a good pollinizer, and enjoy baskets of dessert-quality apples that are as easy to grow as they are to love.