Wheel of the Garden: September Apple

September Apple

By Jenny Krueger

Welcome, Fall! This time of transition from long summer days to crisp after-school evenings is filled with energy and excitement. The custom of presenting your new teacher with an apple may have faded, but the association of school and apples has not. What is the very first phonics lesson most students learn? A is for Apple, of course. 

The history and cultivation of apples is vast. Grown in more parts of the world than any other fruit, the apple often represents wisdom as well as nourishment. Johnny Appleseed, an American icon, planted countless orchards over his lifetime because he wanted to help people have enough food to eat. Likewise, in our area and era, the Skagit Gleaners are busy harvesting apples to offer food to those who need it. Apples are full of fiber, vitamin C, and many antioxidants. To get the most Vitamin C, be sure to eat the apple with the skin on. Or, if peeling apples to cook, invite your family to snack on the peels as you work. I loved to do that as a child sitting beside my mom at the kitchen table, and my son does too. (Fun fact: the world’s longest apple peel was 172 feet 4 inches long! How long can you peel a continuous strip?)

More than 7,500 varieties of apples are grown around the world, though modern agriculture has severely narrowed what is grown commercially. I applaud the folks who actively track down old apple trees and propagate them to keep these varieties and their genetic diversity alive. In my first garden in Anacortes, there were two enormous ‘King’ apple trees between which we stretched a hammock. Years later, on a garden tour, I heard from a local authority that there are many old ‘King’ apple trees on Fidalgo Island, because families used to sell the apples to the fruit cannery for side income. I was not able to find any record of this recollection, but I did remember those old trees – which are still growing and producing – and enjoyed reading an Island Grown post that details more local history about apple cultivation.

The apple tree, Malus domestica, is part of the Rose Family. Like other members of this family, including blackberry, the apple blossom has five petals and many stamens. The fleshy fruit that develops is called a pome. Other pomes include pear, quince, and loquat. The apple is so ubiquitous as a tree fruit that the horticultural study of fruit trees and nuts is called pomology. Though apple trees can be grown by seed (and are incredibly diverse if grown that way), they are more often grafted onto rootstock so that the tree produces the intended variety of apple. In modern times, gardeners can find varieties grafted onto standard, dwarf, and semi-dwarf rootstocks – which determines the ultimate size of the tree. A standard tree typically grows twenty feet tall and twenty feet wide. Many orchards use semi-dwarf trees so that they can be spaced closer together to increase yield. 

For those who would like to grow a backyard apple tree, spending time preparing the planting site and carefully selecting the tree is a worthwhile investment. Be sure to have another apple tree nearby, or a tree that doesn’t need pollination. There are early, mid, and late ripening varieties, as well as apples suited for baking, sauce, cider, and fresh eating. (WSU's catalog of varieties lays out the most commonly grown.) The early ripening varieties tend not to store as long as the later ripening varieties, so it’s best to eat or cook the first apples right away throughout fall, and plan to store the later harvest for winter. I’m blessed with a backyard apple tree that my husband’s grandfather grafted himself: it has four apple varieties that ripen in succession from August to November. This is called a multi-fruit tree, and they can sometimes be found for sale in nurseries. As a planting note, the graft union of the tree should be above the soil level – never buried.

Apple trees appreciate deep, well-drained soil, but can survive in many conditions. I recently advised a new homeowner who was envisioning a few backyard apple trees about soil preparation. The ground was severely compacted due to the necessary, but unfortunate, use of heavy equipment on saturated soil. To mitigate the issue, as well as take time to make sure the tree placement worked well, I suggested placing compost towers made of wire rings, about 3 feet in diameter, in the location of each future tree. This fall, the compost towers can be filled with yard debris – especially leaves and grass mown over together – to begin the process of softening the soil. Compost critters will start working it into the soil to moderate the heavy texture. In the late spring, it can be raked out as a mulch.  Next year, hopefully the ground will be ready to plant containerized saplings in the fall or bare-root saplings the following winter. 

Though neglected apple trees can still produce fruit, it’s best to prune trees in the late winter, thin fruit as it develops, and keep a lookout for pests such as the codling moth. Planting an apple tree – especially if you want “perfect” fruit – is a commitment! In my home garden, I aim to prune in January so that it’s for sure done by the end of February. I keep an eye out for tent caterpillars, removing as needed, but have not found it necessary to do any other pest control. There are dormant oil sprays suitable for organic gardening, but I’ve never needed them. If some apples are lost to pests, there are always plenty more! 

It’s not all work, though. Children of all ages love to play under an apple tree. They are often good for climbing, fascinating to observe throughout the seasons, and just plain fun to be around. I have vivid and joyful memories of playing under my Grandpa’s apple trees, next to the laundry line. It was just a place that drew me in and held me. And when I was a senior in high school, I chose to have my portrait taken with the shoulder-high apple blossoms of a slow-but-steady-growing apple tree that I helped to plant as a young girl. The soft-pink flowers of the apple are some of the prettiest of the spring.

Espaliered apple trees (tightly pruned to grow “flat” against a fence or wall) help line the edges of the AMS Garden, where I work. They are perhaps the most easily identified food plant by the students and truly a feature of the garden. This fall, as I step into the role of Garden Coordinator, adding to my original responsibilities of Lead Gardener/Educator, I want to take a moment to acknowledge all those who have come before me and who have generously offered mentorship and hard-won wisdom. 

Here’s to Anne Chase-Stapleton, who created the AMS Garden from scratch! To Laurie Sherman and Warren Carr, who have invigorated and sustained the Garden for many years! To Cindy Health, who has stewarded the garden into a new era of productivity! To Molly Robbins, who has welcomed countless volunteers to her classroom so graciously after the retirement of Ms. C-S! And of course, a round of applause for the volunteers who work with students throughout the year and those who keep the garden growing throughout the summer! I am grafted onto the sturdy and vigorous rootstock of these folks, who continue to nourish all that the Garden so abundantly grows. Many thanks from the heart, and an apple to the wonderful teacher in all of you.

And now, on to the yummy part! How do you like to eat your apples? Straight off the tree? Sliced with cheese or peanut butter? Baked with a streusel core? Tucked into crisps or pies? Caramelized? Dried? Cooked into apple butter? My Grandma Maki simply sliced backyard apples, sprinkled them with cinnamon and sugar, and then baked them in a dish as a snack or dessert for a family of eight. I like to combine my backyard fruit in an extra-delicious sauce: apples and Asian pears. I also dice some up for the freezer, so that I can make an apple-blackberry variation of the Baked Oatmeal recipe that I shared in August. In that case, I use apples for the fruity base, and blackberries sprinkled on top. 

What I keep thinking about right now, though, is salads with apples, as in Gere-a-Deli’s popular salad, The NW Chop. A base of romaine is tossed with chopped apples, bacon, gorgonzola, toasted walnuts, dried cranberries, and a maple-citrus dressing. Amazing. Or a Waldorf salad, or a broccoli and apple salad. I like Apple-Celeriac slaw—a recipe shared by Billy of Moondance Farms. One time at the Farmer’s Market, I asked him what he liked to do with celeriac (a new vegetable to me at the time), and he said, “Just grate it up with an apple and toss with an apple cider vinaigrette."  I tried it that weekend at my book club potluck dinner, and it was a hit! 

I’ve been craving that salad, but celeriac is not quite in season yet. Instead, I recently tried chopped apple in a clean-out-the-fridge chef salad. The ham, egg, cheese, red pepper, celery, onion, and butter lettuce with a honey mustard dressing was good – but when my eye wandered over to the backyard apple that I had sliced up for my son, inspiration hit. I chopped some up, tossed it in, and the salad went up a level. The sweet-tart crunch lifted the heaviness of the ham and egg wonderfully. 

So while we are leaning into learning this September, I have a non-recipe suggestion: play with apples in salads. Combine with a single ingredient, like Billy’s Apple-Celeriac Slaw, or add a fall twist to a regular recipe. Use your senses and your imagination. Eat apples!