Audacious Apples

Audacious Apples

Please check out the brief video above, to learn what this premium gardening guide is all about—the video will give you a glimpse into all the content in this gardening guide, including history and background, planting tips, specific plant profiles, recipes, nutrition and health information, and resources to help you be the best food gardener you can be.

Curator’s Corner

Welcome to the wonderful world of apples! Apples seem to be with us no matter where we are. We can visit the Big Apple. We know that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree; we also know that one bad apple can… READ MORE

Norann Oleson, Editorial Director of Food Gardening Network

Introduction

The apple plays a starring role in history, legend, literature, and—of course—gastronomy. Delicious, nutritious, versatile, and hardy—what’s not to love about apples? The apple, Malus domestica, is a member of the rose family, along with pears, plums, peaches, cherries, strawberries, and raspberries. That’s quite a delicious family!… READ MORE

Features

Growing Zones for Apples

Apples are typically grown in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 3 to 8. Here are some examples of U.S. states within these recommended growing zones: Zone 3: Some states in this zone are: Northern parts of Minnesota Northern parts of North Dakota Northern parts of Montana Zone 4: Some states in this zone are: Wisconsin Michigan… READ MORE

Types of Apples

There are two general categories of apples: dessert or fresh eating apples; and culinary apples for cooking, baking, and canning. There are some apples that are cultivated specifically for making cider, but you can actually make cider from whichever apples you prefer. READ MORE

Growing Apples from Seeds, Grafting, or Saplings

Can you grow apples from seed? Yes. Should you? Probably not. Apple trees grown from seed will not be the same as the tree from which the source apple came; they do not grow true to type. On top of that, it will take years before the tree is mature enough to produce fruit—and even then, what you get will be a surprise. READ MORE