National Apple Tree Day
Today is National Apple Tree Day!
Apple Tree Day started as a celebration of an old apple tree almost two centuries old, and has grown to become a celebration of the apple itself.
Let's learn about this juicy tree fruit together!
How Many Varieties of Apples?
You're not going to see this many kinds of apples in the grocery store, but there are 7,500 varieties of apples in existence throughout the world—2,500 of which are grown in the United States.
When to Plant Apple Trees?
You can plant container-grown apple trees any time of the year these days, but winter is still the best time to do it. That's because during this dormant season you can plant bare-rooted trees that are considerably less expensive than pot-grown trees.
Apples grown from seed tend to be very different from those of the parents, and the resultant fruit frequently lack desired characteristics. Generally then, apple cultivars are propagated by clonal grafting onto rootstocks.
What Are Rootstocks?
A rootstock is part of a plant, often an underground part, from which new above-ground growth can be produced.
Apples grown from seed tend to be very different from those of the parents, and the resultant fruit frequently lack desired characteristics. Generally then, apple cultivars are propagated by clonal grafting onto rootstocks.
Apple trees grown without rootstocks tend to be larger and much slower to fruit after planting. Rootstocks are used to control speed of growth and the size of the resulting tree allowing for easier harvesting.
How Many Apples Were Produced in 2018?
The worldwide production of apples in 2018 was 86 million tons, with China accounting for nearly half of this total!