Although the botanical origins are complex, it is assumed the domestic apple is the progeny of wild crabapples grown in the cool climates of the Caucasus and Turkestan in Asia.
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The Romans, who were familiar with at least 20 varieties of apples in their day, were accomplished gardeners who had perfected the art of grafting. By the 17th century as many as 78 varieties had been listed, each with its own unique flavor and harvest time.
Today it is somewhat disappointing that of hundreds, the comparatively small number of eight-10 grown commercially is governed not just by flavor but by which ones travel well and still hold their crispness in what might be long term storage.
Growing apples is not a task to be taken lightly – the trees will need pruning , training and spraying to keep them free of pests each year. However, research reveals cultivars that are less susceptible to seasonal problems, ripen either early, mid or late season (even into early winter), and with the desired amount of sweetness.
Families with small gardens but a love of apples can gather crops for many months of the year from a boundary of espaliered trees on dwarf stock, grafted with a number of selected cultivars. Triple grafted trees are often sold in nurseries or you can plant two different varieties in the one hole and prune them as a single tree.
For those anxious to grow even more of a selection, there are many types of graft, but a simple wedge or cleft graft is as easy as it gets. Follow a diagram from a good library book or alternatively from the internet. Scions (shoots from other varieties) can be taken when dormant, wrapped and stored in the crisper of the refrigerator until early spring, when they can be ‘wedged’ then taped into the stock of the ‘parent’ tree.
Although it is not always helpful to offer a list of varieties you might like – so much depends on preferences and what might be available – one can always note a few pros and cons.
Those who like apples in salads will appreciate the benefits of a Batlow apple called ‘Bonza’. Unlike ‘Jonathan’, one of its parents, it is not susceptible to powdery mildew, nor does the flesh brown off when cut.
‘Sturmer Pippin’ is resistant to woolly aphid and lasts on the tree. Eat fresh or cooked. ‘Cox’s Orange Pippin’, a popular aromatic crisp and juicy English apple, needs a cool climate. ‘Granny Smith’ prefers a warm climate and is known to keep well.