Types

• Purdue University maintains a list of apple cultivars suitable for growing in Indiana. Recommended varieties include Paula Red, Gala, Honeycrisp, Cortland, Red Delicious, Mutsu, Fuji, Rome, Braeburn and Granny Smith. All the recommended cultivars grow well in Indiana's climate, and can survive the cold winters. Since apple trees need pollination from a different apple type to bear fruit, gardeners should plan on planting two different apple trees.
  
  

Time Frame

• Apple trees come to nursery in the spring and fall seasons. Indiana gardeners should look for trees in the early spring for planting at that time, so trees adapt to the new environment before winter.
  
  

Choosing

• Nothing gets your apple orchard off to a good start like choosing a healthy tree. Healthy trees have one main trunk with branches evenly spaced around the tree. If the trees have leaves already, choose trees with bright green, non-wilted leaves. Check the roots by grasping the tree trunk and pushing the tree sideways toward the ground, then getting go: a tree with healthy roots will return to center. A tree with compromised roots will list slightly sideways.