The nutrient status (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, K, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu) of 26 Cox's Orange Pippin and 20 Braeburn apple orchard sites in the Canterbury region of New Zealand was evaluated by soil, leaf and fruit analysis. Concentrations of available nutrients in soils ranged widely but those in leaves and fruit were generally confined to a relatively narrow range. Concentrations of leaf N were high in the study area, as were levels of extractable soil P, and it is suggested that reductions in fertilizer additions of these nutrients would generally be appropriate.