This answer will depend on the species of apple tree. Honeycrisp and some other varieties typically fruit in their first year, but for common edible apples like the Northern Spy, they may take up to three years until they start to bear fruit. Keep in mind that even though an apple tree bears flowers soon after planting, trees need time after flowering to grow before they’ll be able to produce any fruit. That means an orchard won’t have ripe apples for many years after being planted–though you’ll get a lot of satisfaction from seeing all your hard work come forth!..