An Apple Tree In The Garden

The apple is one of the oldest and most widely cultivated fruits in the world. Horticulturists believe that domestic apples were cultivated from wild stock still found in mountainous regions of central Asia and Kazakhstan. Alexander the Great is said to have brought dwarfed apple trees to Macedonia from Kazakhstan in 328 BC, and all common dwarfed apple tree rootstock originated from this source.

Commercial apple orchards either grow full sized trees or dwarfed trees. Wild varieties of apples grow readily from seeds. Commercial domestic apples, however, do not. Apples grown from seeds of domestic varieties differ from the parent plants and only rarely produce a tree of any commercial value. For this reason, commercial apple trees are usually propagated by grafting a branch of the desired variety onto full sized or dwarfed tree rootstock. Dwarfed rootstock is usually used, because the growth of the tree is limited to a height conducive to easy harvesting. In the effort to produce new apple varieties, seedling are frequently sown after cross pollination with other varieties for their desirable traits.

China is the largest commercial producer of apples, followed by the United States, Iran and Turkey. After many thousands of years, with careful improvements, there are today over seven thousand apple varieties. From Cross pollination, gardeners have deliberately produced apples to be able to grow in subtropical and temperate climes. Most domestic apple cultivars originated in Turkey.

Most apple varieties are cultivated for consumption as "dessert" fruits, which simply mean that they are eaten fresh. With a crisp flesh and soft inner, vibrant colour, resitant to diseases and the typical apple shape. Older varieties are generally tarter, because modern cultivars have been developed to fit modern tastes for sweet fruits. Certain varieties of apples have been cultivated especially for cooking or for cider production. The astringent quality of cider apples make them less paliatable to be eaaten fresh but perfect for cider production.

Older varieties also often lack the "typical" apple shape. Typically they do not maintain their freshness and are open to diseases. Many home gardeners grow these old cultivars as heirloom fruits because of their unique tastes and appearances. Heirloom varieties have been grown on family farms or in family orchards for generations, and they can be found in local produce markets throughout the country. Given the fact that the apple trees are not disease resitant, the apples are not prime for shipping, and with todays consumer unaccustomed to the look, these particular varieties are not used in large scale production.

Apple trees will not pollinate themselves. In order to produce fruit, they must cross-pollinate with another variety that is in bloom at the same time. Apples are grouped by the growers into 7 pollinating groups, matched to the day of optimal bloom in an average of 30 days blossoming period. Varieties selected for cross-pollinating usually have a minimum of a 6-day blossom overlap period. It is important when planting apple trees to plant in multiples from the same pollinating groups for fruit to set.