{"id":816,"date":"2019-08-27T22:27:05","date_gmt":"2019-08-27T22:27:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/?p=816"},"modified":"2019-09-17T05:26:04","modified_gmt":"2019-09-17T05:26:04","slug":"apple","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/2019\/08\/27\/apple\/","title":{"rendered":"Apple"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

(Malus domestica<\/em>) (Malus pumila, Pyrus malus<\/em>) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Apple is the is the most widely cultivated of the temperate zone tree fruit\nbecause it is the most dependable and reliable. A\nhuge number of varieties have been produced over the years, with varieties for\neating fresh, varieties for cooking and varieties for making hard cider. There\nare varieties that do well in every temperate climate, from frigid Russia to\nwarm Israel. I have never been a big fan of bland commercially produced apples,\nbut a home grown Golden Delicious at its peak is one of the highlights of my\ngardening year (an apple pie made with Bramley apples is another).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

History<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The domesticated\napple has several parents, but it is now believed to be mainly descended from Malus Sieversii<\/em> which is native to\nKazakhstan. In its native land there were once extensive forests consisting of\nwild apple trees (mixed with pear and apricot) of every imaginable shape and\nsize and color and flavor. It\u2019s been estimated that modern apple varieties only\ncontain about 20% of the genetic variety available in apples, while these\nforests contain the other 80%. The city of Alma Ata (which\nmeans father of apples) lies on the silk road in the center of this region and\nit has been suggested that apples travelled along this road to other parts of\nthe world. Predictably the modern world is taking its toll and rapidly\ndestroying these forests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The apple is a\ntasty and reliably productive crop and at one time almost every country garden\nhad at least one tree. It was extremely important in colonial America where the\ntrees were grown almost entirely to make hard cider (they were one of the most\nprofitable crops).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nutritional\ncontent: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A medium sized apple contains\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n  \n Calories 81
\n Carbohydrate 21 grams
\n Dietary Fiber 4 grams
\n Soluble Fiber 
\n Insoluble fiber
\n Calcium 10 mg
\n Phosphorus 10 mg\n <\/td>		\n Iron .25 mg
\n Sodium 0.00 mg
\n Potassium 159 mg
\n Vitamin C 8 mg 
\n Vitamin A 73 IU
\n Folate 4 mcg\n <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

About\nApple <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ease of growing: Easy (in the\nright climate)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zones: 3 \u2013 9<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size Standard – 40ft tall x\n20-30ft wide<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Semi-dwarf \u2013 12-18ft tall x\n12-18ft wide<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dwarf \u2013 6 \u2013 12ft tall x\n6-12ft wide<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blooming period: March- April\n(sometimes May) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fruiting period: July-\nOctober (November)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chill\nrequirements (number of\nhours at 32-45\u00b0F): 400-1000\nhours or more (most need the higher amount)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bearing age: 2-5 years after\nplanting (depending on rootstock)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Life expectancy: 100 years\nfor a standard (30-50 for dwarfs?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Days to harvest: 100-200<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yield per plant: 30 \u2013 200 lb\n(depending on variety and size of tree) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ease\nof growing:\nApples became so popular because they are easy to grow if they get the right\nconditions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trees are\nquite fast growing when young, though this slows considerably when they come\ninto full bearing. Established trees can\nwithstand a considerable amount of neglect and still bear worthwhile crops. A standard tree can live for a century or more and\ndevelops an attractive gnarled appearance with age. Trees on dwarfing\nrootstocks are not so long lived. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apples have their\nshare of potential problems with insects and diseases, but none are\ninsurmountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climate: Though there are apple varieties suited to every\ntemperate climate, they do best in cool, moist,\nconditions, with winters that are cold enough to give them the required amount\nof winter chill. They are very hardy trees, with some varieties able to\ntolerate temperatures as low as -40\u00b0F. The sweetest dessert varieties need\nwarm summers to produce the abundant sugar that makes sweet fruit.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Site: Apples can tolerate light shade but are most\nproductive in full sun. This is particularly important for the sweeter\nvarieties, as they need that solar energy to make enough sugar. Not\nsurprisingly cooking apples can tolerate more shade, as the fruit doesn\u2019t need\nto get as sweet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where you place the trees is\nmost significant in cold climates. The trees should not be planted in frost\npockets (or behind frost dams) as a late frost can damage the flowers. The\nmiddle of a slope is a good spot (and not so good for other things) as it\nallows for good air drainage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In windy areas a windbreak is\nhelpful to protect the plants (and their insect pollinators) during the\ncritical pollination period. However you want good air circulation as it means\nless frost and disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your soil isn\u2019t very well\ndrained you might consider planting on a hillside, or on a mound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

pH: 6.0-7.0   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apple trees can grow in\nmost soil types (light or heavy), so long as they aren\u2019t too wet. It doesn\u2019t\nneed to be highly fertile, as this can encourage vegetative growth at the expense\nof fruiting. The ideal soil will also be slightly acidic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Site preparation: If your\nsoil is very light you should incorporate lots of organic matter. The best way\nto do this is to dig the entire planting area and incorporate 3\u201d of compost or\naged manure. This is much better than simply amending the planting hole, as it\nencourages the roots to spread out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is no longer considered a\ngood idea to amend the planting hole with nutrients and organic matter “to\ngive the tree a head start”. The abundance of readily available nutrients\nmay simply encourage the roots to stay in the planting hole, rather than\nspreading out like they should.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spacing: How far apart you space the trees depends upon the\nultimate size of the tree (obviously). This depends upon the type of rootstock\nused and can vary enormously. Dwarf plants could be as close as 6-10 ft apart,\nsemi dwarfs 15-20ft apart, while standard trees might be 20-40ft apart. Apples\nshould ideally be planted within 50ft of each other to ensure good cross-pollination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When: In mild winter areas dormant bare root trees are\nusually planted in January or February. In colder climates they wait a little\nlater and plant in early spring. Mail order trees are available for a long\nperiod from fall to spring, but you should still plant at these times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plants in containers are\nconvenient in that they can be planted at any time of year, but are more\nexpensive than bare root plants and don\u2019t usually do as well. In some cases\nthey are simply unsold left over bare root stock that has been potted up\n(rather than discarded or sold cheaply) . These will often cost twice as much\nas bare root plants and usually won\u2019t work as well (it depends how long they\nhave been sitting).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How: Dig the planting hole 2\u20113 times as wide as the root\nball, to give the roots plenty of loose soil to grow into. You want the hole to\nbe the same depth as the root ball (or roots if bare root), so it can be set\ninto the ground at the same depth it was growing in the nursery. This is most\neasily measured by laying a stick across the hole to get the right height. The\ngraft union should be 3-6\u201d above the soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In poorly drained soils you\nmay have to plant on a mound, to keep the collar of the tree from staying wet\nfor long periods (too much water could cause it to rot). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start planting by throwing a\ncouple of shovels of soil (possibly mixed with some organic matter if the soil\nis poor \u2013 to help it hold moisture) into the bottom of the hole. Make this into\na slight mound and then spread the roots out evenly over it. You then put some\nsoil in the hole to anchor the tree in place and firm it down. Then re-fill the\nhole with the rest of the soil (make sure the tree remains vertical). You may\nalso want to add some rock phosphate to the soil as you go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you have finished\nplanting the tree should be on a slight mound, so as the soil settles it\nbecomes flat. If it starts out flat it may end up as a slight depression where\nwater can collect (which can be a problem on poorly drained soils).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You then water the tree\nthoroughly, not only to supply water to the plant, but also to settle the soil\nand establish contact between roots and soil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final step is to spread\nout a mulch to conserve water, and keep down weed competition (keep this six\ninches away from the trunk). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also a very good idea\nto put a permanent label on the tree saying the variety and rootstock (and\nwrite it down in your garden journal).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Support: Newly planted trees were once routinely supplied\nwith a stake to support them, but it is now thought that trees become stronger\nmore rapidly if not staked. Staking is only usually necessary on very windy\nsites (especially for dwarf trees which grow on weak rootstocks).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protection: If gophers live in your area you will have to plant\nyour trees in gopher wire baskets (I make my own to whatever size I need). If\nother rodents are a problem (they may chew on the bark, stunting or even\nkilling the tree) you may have to use various kinds of metal or plastic mouse\nguards. These should go several inches into the ground and should have gravel\naround them to deter digging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maintenance: Apples aren\u2019t usually very demanding plants, though\na few pests and diseases can be troublesome in some areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watering: Young trees need a regular supply of water to help\nthem get established, so irrigate if necessary watering (I like to use a circle\nof in-line drip emitter tubing). Established trees are actually quite drought\ntolerant, but will be more productive with an occasional deep. Trees on the\nless vigorous dwarfing rootstocks need watering more than thos eon standards as\ntheir roots aren\u2019t as strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trees grown without\nirrigation may produce less and smaller fruit, but it may be sweeter and better\nflavored because they contain less water. I don\u2019t water my older trees at all\n(they go without rain for up to five months) as they seem able to tap into\ngroundwater. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feeding: If your trees are putting on a reasonable amount of\ngrowth annually (at least 9-12\u201d of growth) then they don\u2019t need any additional\nfeeding. Young plants don’t usually need any supplemental feeding either.\nHowever heavily producing trees can use a lot of nutrients and may benefit from\na rich mulch of compost or aged manure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your trees aren\u2019t growing\nwell (less than 9\u201d of growth) then you might want to feed them with a standard\nfertilizer mix to supply additional nitrogen, potassium and other nutrients.\nThis is scattered around the tree out near the drip line. A rule of thumb says\nto use 1 lb 10-10-10 fertilizer the first year (in early spring), 2lb the next\nyear, 3lb the year after, increasing by 1 lb every year up to 5lb. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A foliar feed of seaweed can\nalso improve yields. Wood ashes are good too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weeding:\nApple trees don\u2019t grow well near grass because\nit competes for soil nutrients and moisture in the same part of the soil. The\nbest way to control grass and other weeds around the trees is with mulch (hand\npulling is good too). The worst way is with a string trimmer which will almost\ninevitably damage the bark and any drip irrigation lines (and only chops off\nthe top part of the grass anyway).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mulch: Is very helpful because it supplies nutrients,\ncontrols weeds and conserves soil moisture all at the same time. It should\nstart 6\u201d out from the trunk and go out to the drip-line. Don\u2019t put it right up\nto the trunk as it may hold moisture and cause crown rot, or provide a hiding\nplace for rodents who may eat the bark in spring. The mulch layer should be\nreplenished annually in spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Training:\nThe most important aspect of pruning is to encourage the tree to assume the\ndesired shape, which means a strong framework of well spaced, wide angled\nbranches. You also want light and air to be able to reach fruit in the center\nof the tree. The commonest way to do this is to prune to an open center or vase\nshape, (which apple trees tend to assume naturally). You can also train them to\ngrow as a central leader. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apples can be grown in small\nspaces by training them to grow flat against a wall, as fans, cordons,\nespaliers and more. These take up less space and can look quite spectacular,\nbut the tradeoff is that they require a lot more work to train and maintain\nthem, all for less fruit. They only really make sense if you want to grow fruit\nin limited space. If you place the trees against a south or west facing wall,\nthey will get additional warmth, which can be important in cool climates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pruning: Once\nyou have the tree trained to the desired shape, they are usually pruned\nannually. This is done to admit light, give good air circulation, thin out\noverly dense areas of foliage and to maintain a proportion of fruiting wood.\nYou also remove diseased, crossed and spindly branches. It is sometimes said\nthat a bird should be able to fly through the middle of a properly pruned tree!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pruning can have a big effect\non the vigor of a plant. Pruning while the tree is dormant in the winter\nstimulates vegetative growth. Pruning in summer while it is in leaf makes it\nless vigorous and slows it down. Hard pruning encourages vigorous vegetative\ngrowth, but reduces fruiting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t have to prune your\napple trees, they will still produce as much weight of fruit if unpruned, but\nthe individual apples will be smaller (unless vigorously thinned), they may be\nmore prone to disease (due to crowding). The tree may also be poorly shaped,\nunless you allowed it to grow naturally right from the beginning (once you\nstart pruning and upset the trees natural shape, you have to keep on doing it).\nIf the tree grows very rapidly the overly long and slender branches may be weak\nand may break under the heavy load. The tree may also revert to biennial\nbearing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When\nto prune: Apple trees are most often\npruned while they are dormant. In mild climates this can be any time after they\ndrop their leaves and go dormant, from late fall to early spring. In colder\nareas they are usually pruned in late winter or early spring (after danger of\nextreme cold is past). Trees are sometimes pruned in summer too, to reduce\ntheir vigor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to prune:\nHow you prune for fruiting depends upon whether a tree is a spur bearer or a\ntip bearer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most apples are\nspur bearers and produce fruit on short stubby twigs (spurs) that are produced\non branches that are at least two years old. These tend to bear more heavily\nthan tip bearers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip bearers\nproduce fruit at the ends of the previous years growth (though they may also\nproduce some on spurs). These don\u2019t need as frequent pruning as spur bearers. Which ones<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pruning can follow a regular\npattern:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • Remove any dead,\ndiseased or broken branches.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    • Remove suckers\n(shoots from roots) and watersprouts (vertical shoots).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
      • Remove any\nbranches that for acute angle crotches.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
        • Remove crossed\nbranches that touch or rub.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
          • Don\u2019t remove more\nthan a third of a tree in a single season. Always cut to just above a bud that\nfaces the direction you want.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            Pollination: Though apple flowers are\ncomplete (have both male and female parts) most varieties are self-infertile\nand so require cross-pollination by insects (mainly bees). This means you must\nhave at least two different, but compatible, varieties and they must be\nplanted close together (ideally within 50 ft). Of course they must also bloom\nat roughly the same time. Triploid varieties\n(Gravenstein, Bramley and others) produce sterile pollen and aren\u2019t good\npollinators. Apparently they also require pollen\nfrom two different varieties to produce fruit.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            If you have limited room it\nis possible to graft a branch of a suitable pollinator onto a tree, or even\nhave several varieties. There are also a few self-pollinated\nvarieties Which ones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Apples generally bloom fairly\nlate so the flowers aren\u2019t often damaged by frost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Propagation:\nApple varieties are propagated by\ngrafting the scion on to a suitable rootstock. There are no good vegetative\nmethods of propagation for apples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Apples can easily be grown\nfrom seed, but the fruit the trees produce will vary enormously (apples are\nhybrids) and will usually be inferior to the parent trees (these can be used\nfor rootstocks if you want a full sized tree). Of course some may produce good\nfruit and this is where all cultivars were produced originally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            If you want to try growing\nyour own trees, sow the ripe seed in autumn in a protected place and it should\ngerminate the following spring. You can also stratify the seed for 6-8 weeks at\njust above freezing (though it may take a year or more to germinate).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Fruit\nthinning; A newly planted tree shouldn\u2019t\nbe allowed to produce any fruit in its first two summers, so it can devote all\nof its energy to vegetative growth. Any fruit that appears should be removed\npromptly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            An established tree will\noften set more fruit than it can really handle and this should be thinned out\nconscientiously. This is done to improve the size and quality of the fruit,\nprevent limbs breaking, and to discourage biennial bearing (if you allow a tree\nto produce too much fruit one year, it may not produce any the following year).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Thinning should be done\nfairly early (while the fruit is less than 1\u201d in diameter) to avoid wasting the\ntrees energy. Don\u2019t thin too early though, as some fruit will fall off\nnaturally (this is known as June drop). How much fruit you allow a tree to\nproduce will depend upon its size and condition. If branches are sagging\nsignificantly it has too much fruit and should have been thinned more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            How to thin: Apple blossom occurs\nin clusters of up to 6 individual flowers and all may set fruit. These clusters\nshould be thinned to leave just one fruitlet (or sometimes two) at each node,\nso fruit is spaced 4 to 6 inches apart (6-9 for large cooking apples) along the\nbranch. This results in the best and largest fruit and ensures the tree has\nenough energy to do the same again next year. When you thin a fruit cluster you\nshould leaves the biggest and best fruitlet on the tree and remove any\nmisshapen, damaged or otherwise inferior ones (you can remove these even before\nthe June drop).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Support; In a good year the branches may become so heavily\nladen with fruit, that there is a chance they might break under their own\nweight. You don\u2019t want this to happen as it will spoil the shape of the tree\nand maybe allow infection to enter through wounds (you also lose the fruit of\ncourse). Avoid this by supporting the straining branches with wooden props.\nThese are usually long poles with a fork at the end, which is padded in some\nway to prevent damage to the branch. You can also have one tall pole and tie\nall of the branches to it. Of course the best way to avoid having to do this is\nto thin the fruit properly beforehand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Pests: Apples are vulnerable to attack from a number of\npests and diseases, especially when growing in less than ideal circumstances.\nGood sanitation is very important in this regard, so clean up fallen apples and\nleaves and remove any diseased or infected branches. In many areas even organic\ngardeners often have to resort to a regular program of spraying to keep\nproblems under control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            If all of these\npests were dealt with in a separate section I wouldn\u2019t have to keep repeating\nthem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Scale<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Apple maggot (Rhagoletis pomonella<\/em>) These are the larvae of a small fly and shouldn\u2019t be confused with\nCodling Moth. They are small (1\/4\u201d) and make a series of small tunnels in the\nfruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Fruitworms<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Plum\ncurculios<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Leafhoppers<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Mites<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Aphids:\nThese are a common problem, and in sufficient numbers they can cause growing\ntips to wither and die. The simplest remedy is to spray them off the plant with\na strong jet of water. You might also band the trunk to prevent ants herding\nthem in the trees.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Codling moth:\nThis is a serious problem in many areas and is commonly responsible for the\nworms you occasionally find in apples. In some commercial fruit growing areas\nyou are required by law to control them! Always remove fruit debris from under\ntrees where they can over winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Birds and wasps\n\u2013 These will often attack fruit, either individually or wasps will come in\nafter the birds have pecked holes in the fruit. You could try netting the whole\ntree to keep birds off, but it’s easier to simply enclose each individual fruit\nin a waxed paper bag. As an added benefit this can produce perfect fruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Diseases<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Several\ndiseases can be problematic and if one is particularly bad in your area it\nreally helps to choose resistant varieties. You should also prune to give good\nsun and air circulation and to remove diseased parts. Also use good sanitation,\nremoving any dead leaves and dropped fruit that could be a source of infection.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Cedar Apple\nRust<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Canker<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Powdery mildew<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Fire blight Can\nbe serious in some areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Scab \u2013 This\nmanifests itself as brown lesions on leaves (these eventually drop off) and\nfruit and is a common problem in areas with wet spring weather. Some varieties\nare resistant and you can spray with sulphur. Fortunately this is a disease you\ncan often ignore as the damage is usually cosmetic).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Biennial\nbearing: When a tree bears a large crop\nevery alternate year and almost nothing in between, it is said to be biennial\nbearing. This usually occurs when a tree is overloaded with fruit one year\n(often combined with water stress or poor fertility) and so doesn\u2019t produce\nfruit buds at the same time. It then needs a year to recover and produce new\nfruit buds. Some varieties are prone to this?\nThe best way to avoid it is to thin and prune carefully so it doesn\u2019t produce\ntoo much fruit in any one year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Of course if you always have\nlots of fruit on other trees then biennial bearing may not be a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Unusual\ngrowing ideas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Family\ntrees: You can graft several varieties on\nto one tree, to get good pollination and an extended harvest season. The\nvarieties have to be compatible and grow at roughly the same rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Landscape\nuses: The white blossoms are tinged with\npink and make the plant a spectacular ornamental in spring. The fruit can also\nbe pretty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Harvest<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            The fruit matures\nin anywhere from 100 – 200 days, depending upon the variety (not surprisingly northern\nvarieties tend to be earlier, while southern ones take longer). The earliest\ntypes might ripen as early as July, while the latest varieties may take until\nNovember. Obviously it\u2019s hard to predict exactly when they will reach maturity\nbecause it depends upon the weather (when winter ended, how warm it\u2019s been). If\nyou have the room you can plant several varieties, with different maturation\ndates and have fresh apples for many months. Careful storage can extend this\neven further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            The apples on a tree won\u2019t\nall ripen at once, those in sun will usually be first, while very shaded fruit\nwill be last. You will soon learn when a fruit is\nripe and ready for eating. Apples for eating immediately should be fully\nripe, which means they will separate from the tree if lifted and twisted ever\nso slightly. The skin will change from a uniform\ngreen to yellow, red or a variety of shades in between. The seeds of a\nripe fruit will be blackish rather than white, and the\nflesh will become whiter and softer as it ripens. Of course it will also start\nto taste sweet and good (if it tastes good it is ready). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            When apples start to fall it\nis a good indicator that they are ripe (though they may also fall after being\ndamaged, or be knocked off by birds or animals). When picking an apple the\nstalk should remain on the fruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Dessert apples shouldn\u2019t stay\non the tree too long, or they will deteriorate. This applies particularly to\nthe early varieties, which are often picked just before fully ripe. Apples for\nstorage are also often picked when slightly unripe. Late apples mature further\noff the tree and can take several weeks to reach their peak flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Cider or juice apples are\noften left to fall from the tree on their own and gathered from the ground.\nThey don\u2019t need to be perfect as no one will see them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Storage:\nApples can be stored in a cool humid\nplace for weeks (or even months), so long as they are completely free of\nbruises or blemishes (they should also be picked slightly unripe). Small\nquantities can be stored in perforated plastic bags (to retain humidity, but\nallow them to breathe) in the fridge (or in the vegetable drawer). A storage\narea for larger quantities should be well ventilated, a cool 35-40\u00b0F\nand have some humidity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Apples can also be made into\napple sauce, sliced and frozen or dried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Food\nuses: The fruit is rich in pectin and can\nbe added to other fruits when making jam to help them set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Rootstocks<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Commercial apple trees are\npretty much all grafted and consist of a scion and a rootstock which grow\ntogether to form one plant. The scion is the top part of the tree and will be\nthe variety you chose. The rootstock (the lower part of course) used to be a\nseedling, but now it is usually a dwarfing rootstock of some kind. These affect\nthe eventual size of plants by their vigor (a less efficient and vigorous\nrootstock will produce a smaller tree) and can dwarf a\ntree by as much as 90%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Not only are there hundred of\nvarieties of Apple, there are also many different rootstocks. These determine\nthe eventual size of the tree and give you great flexibility in planning your\nedible garden, by enabling you to grow apples in a variety of shapes and sizes,\nranging from standard trees down to dwarfs, fans and stopovers (which as the\nname suggests are low enough to actually step over).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Apples were the\nfirst fruits to be grown on dwarfing rootstocks and are now available in a\nrange of sizes to fit any garden. The rootstock doesn\u2019t just control the\neventual size of the tree, but also enables it to bear at an earlier age and\nmay also improve resistance to pest, disease and adverse growing conditions.\nThe rootstock doesn\u2019t have any effect on the flavor of the fruit, which is\ndecided solely by the scion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Dwarf trees: These are usually under 10ft high when full grown\n(they include M9, M26 and M27) are useful for small gardens (or even\ncontainers). However their roots are weak and so the trees need rich soil and\ncareful maintenance (they can\u2019t compete with grass either). The small trees are\neasy to prune and pick and though production from each individual tree is\nlimited, you can get several trees in the space of one full size tree. They are\nspaced 8-10ft apart and can yield from 40-60lb of fruit annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Semi-dwarf trees (M7, MM106) grow into intermediate size trees 12-18ft\ntall and should be spaced 15-20ft apart. They require a moderately large garden\nand can tolerate planting in grass. They start bearing in 3-5 years (depending\non variety, climate and individual rootstock).and can produce 70-90lb of fruit\nannually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Standard trees (MM111, M2) can grow up to 40 ft in height, but may\nbe kept smaller by pruning. They are very vigorous and are only suitable for\nlarge gardens. They may be planted 20-30ft apart. They can be used as the\ncanopy layer of a forest garden, but of course it may be hard to harvest fruit\nif the tree is so tall. They may take 5 years or more to start bearing. and\nyield 60-120lb of fruit annually. Because they are so large they are hard to\nprune and pick (a pole picker works well).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Common rootstocks include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Antonovka: 25-30\nfeet Cold hardy (also produces good fruit itself) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            MM 111: (65-85%)\n20ft tall x 20ft wide. Vigorous, most soils, tolerates heavy soil. Starts\nbearing in 4-6 yrs, Fireblight and drought resistant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            M 25: 25ft tall x\n20ft wide. Vigorous. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            MM 106: (45-65%)\n15-180ft tall x 15ft wide. Precocious, heavy bearing, tolerates wet heavy soil.\nStarts bearing in 3-4 yrs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            M7A: (50-60%)\n15ft precocious Starts bearing in 3-4 yrs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            M.9: (25- 35%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            M 26: (30-40%)\n12ft tall x 12ft wide. Semi dwarf, precocious, hardy, heavy bearing, well\ndrained soil, shallow roots. Starts bearing in 2-3 yrs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            M27: (15%) 4-6ft\nVery precocious. Starts bearing in 2-3 yrs. Works well in containers<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Seedling: (any\nseed) 30ft Vigorous, slow to bear, taking 6-10 yrs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Varieties: There are literally thousands of Apple varieties in\nexistence, but only a few are readily available. If you want some of the rarer\nvarieties there are a number of nurseries that specialize in them (just look\nonline). There are several factors to take account when choose suitable\nvarieties for your garden: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            In my opinion the most\nobvious (and important) is flavor, if you are going to all of the trouble to\nplant and tend a tree (which takes up space in your garden) then you should\nmake sure it is of exceptional quality and flavor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Almost as important as\nflavor, is choosing a variety that will do well in your climate, taking into\naccount humidity, heat and chill requirements and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            You will also want to\nconsider when you want to harvest the fruit (ideally you will choose several\ntrees that fruit in succession), pollination compatibility (some varieties\ndon\u2019t produce viable pollen or produce at different times) and disease\nresistance (this can be very important in some situations). You will also want\nthe trees to grow to a certain size, so the rootstock is also a consideration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Triploid varieties tend to be\nvery vigorous and aren\u2019t usually grown as espaliers or other restricted forms.\nThey are hybrids and produce sterile seeds. They also require two pollenizers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Don\u2019t forget you will need to\nplant at least two compatible trees to ensure good pollination, unless you use\none of the few self-fertile varieties (these include Golden Delicious???  and Queen Cox).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            (Malus domestica) (Malus pumila, Pyrus malus) Introduction The Apple is the is the most widely cultivated of the temperate zone tree fruit because it is the most dependable and reliable. … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1658,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-816","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fruit-trees","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Apple.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/816","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=816"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/816\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1757,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/816\/revisions\/1757"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}