Notes on Apple Tree Care

I am confused about my apple tree. The apple tree is about done producing for the year and I have not been able to get many apples. They never seemed ripe enough to eat. I kept waiting for the skin to lose the brown color and for the green to emerge. During that time the birds and squirrels were enjoying them. What's going on is unclear to me. So I thought I would do some online research and make notes for next year.

• Winter Pruning: Prune the tree in the winter while it is dormant. Late winter or early spring is best. After the frost season.
• Spraying: A regular spray program is essential for high fruit quality and healthy trees. Use a multipurpose fungicide and insecticide labeled for apples. These can be obtained from a garden center and will include application instructions.
• Spraying: A horticultural oil should also be sprayed on apple trees at the first sign of green growth in the spring to suffocate scale insects and reduce overwintering mite and aphid eggs. For homeowners with only a few trees, premixed orchard sprays are available from many garden centers. Begin applications after full bloom is over and spray every 10 to 14 days through-out the summer.
• Fertilize: Apply one pound of fertilizer in early spring before growth begins. Broadcast it evenly on the soil surface under the entire branch spread of the tree. Keep it away from the base of the tree to avoid burning. A complete garden fertilizer such as 10-10-10 is best.
  
• Thin Fruit: Apple trees often set a heavier crop of fruit than the limbs can withstand. To ensure good fruit size, return bloom for the following year, and to prevent tree breakage, it is necessary to thin the fruit. Every apple blossom results in a bloom cluster of 5 to 6 blossoms. Apples should be thinned when they are about the size of a dime. Cut off enough fruit so that the remaining apples are spaced 4 to 6 inches apart, and leave only one fruit per cluster. It may seem like very few fruit remain, but you will harvest higher-quality fruit, potentially reduce insect and disease problems, and increase the chances for a full crop the next season.
• Fertilize end of season: Give fruiting and spring flowering plants a dose of E.B. Stone Ultra Bloom before they drop their leaves for winter and go dormant. This gives it the right nutrients to store in order to put on a better show in the spring or to produce better fruit in the coming year.

Site:
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8301.html