by Lori Rose
John Chapman, a.k.a. Johnny Appleseed, had nothing but good intentions when he traveled west in two canoes lashed together, one for him and one for a mound of apple seeds. Johnny journeyed throughout the uncharted Midwest with a sack of apple seeds slung over his shoulder, planting them anywhere his bare feet would take him.
During frontier days, apples had many uses, not the least of which was making hard cider. Apples were something people drank and, as Johnny knew, good cider requires the right mix of many different apples, with sweet, spicy and bitter flavors blended together. Hard cider was the principle use for apples right up to the days of Prohibition.
The saying “As American as apple pie” is probably untrue. Settlers brought the apple tree over from Europe, where it had already been grown for centuries, and established it right here in our area. Apple trees love our climate, and are a rewarding addition to yards and gardens.
Heritage, antique, or heirloom apples were often the center of a family's diet, and were eaten at every meal for most of the year. Apples were originally stored in cellars or barns. These apples were allowed to fully ripen and develop the complex flavors that can't be found in supermarket varieties.
Most of America's original apples were planted from seed and as a result became wild, one-of-a-kind trees that took several years to bear fruit, many of which were unnamed varieties unique to a particular village, farm or estate. During the18th century, farmers and others participated in a nationwide experiment, planting and growing thousands of seedlings. By the 19th century, popular seedlings were grafted onto rootstock and professional nurseries were distributing varieties throughout their regions.
At the beginning of the 20th century, up to eight thousand varieties of apples thrived in America. These apples were mostly small, multi-colored fruits with a fragrance and taste as individual as their historical names. Apples were nothing like the sturdy picture-perfect fruits we have today, but with advancements in industry and trade, the heritage apple began to suffer. Cold storage and easy transportation helped the professional grower. Growers began to focus their attention on heavy-bearing and reliable varieties. The ultimate decline of heritage apples was consumer demand for perfection. The glossy and comparatively tasteless apples that dominate the produce aisles of supermarkets have little of the unique flavor or complexity of these old-time apples. But superficial appeal is often short-lived, and it was only a matter of time before heritage apples resurfaced and found a following once again.
The resurgence of heirloom apples is probably due to the popularity of heirloom tomatoes, which while imperfect in appearance, can have outstanding flavor. The local farmers markets have been the main source of awakening us to these old treasures.
A lovely little heirloom can still be found at your local supermarket during the holiday season. The Lady apple from France, circa 1628, is also known as Pomme d’Api or the Christmas Apple). It is a famous old apple, very small in size with a slight flattened appearance, bright red skin highlighted with yellow, and crisp, juicy, white flesh. The Lady apple has a wonderful flavor and is highly aromatic. It is popular as an ornament on wreaths and Christmas trees.
Although New York is wont to steal our apples and consider them its own, it is said that these heirloom apples originated right here in Pennsylvania:
Fallawater originated in Bucks County, probably before 1842. The fruit is very large, sometimes over 6 inches in diameter. It is green shaded with red or bronze with greenish white, tender, juicy flesh. The Fallawater apple was a great favorite in our area in the 19th century, and was considered a “good keeper”, meaning it could be stored for a long time without losing its flavor. It is good for applesauce and cooking, and best of all for eating out of hand.
Priestly, also called Priestly’s American, Red Cathead, or Bartlett also originated in Bucks County, and was first described 1817. This fine fresh eating apple is noted for its keeping ability, staying fresh and quite juicy in storage until late spring. The fruit is medium to large, covered with red and darker red stripes. The yellowish-white flesh is firm, coarse and very juicy.
The Smokehouse apple originated in about 1837, and was discovered by William Gibbons of Lancaster County. The original tree grew up near Mr. Gibbons' smokehouse, thus its name. Also known as Gibbons Smokehouse, Mill Creek or Red Vandevere, it is a very flavorful fresh, baking or cooking apple. The greenish-yellow skin is covered with shades and stripes of red, and the flesh is yellowish, crisp and firm with a pleasantly spicy flavor.
Apple trees can be planted now in our area, or in March and April. Since they need six hours of sunlight a day, a southern or western exposure is best. Most apple varieties can be pollinated by any other variety if they flower at or near the same time. Most white-blossomed crabapple trees are also good pollinators for many apple varieties. Crabapples are lovely native ornamental apple trees.
Take these tips into consideration when planting a new apple tree: Plant your apple tree when it is cool and cloudy. Dig a hole as deep as the tree’s roots and at least twice as wide to give the roots room to grow. Loosen the soil on the bottom and sides of the hole. Fill the planting hole with water. If it doesn't drain within an hour, choose another site for your apple tree. Remove any labels attached to the tree before you plant it. Wires and even twine can bite into and damage the tree as it grows. Water the tree in its pot or ball the day before and the day of planting.
To plant the tree, remove it from the pot and gently loosen the root ball to allow the roots to grow outward instead of continuing in a circle. If your tree is balled with burlap and tied with twine, plant the whole thing as is, then untie the twine and move it and the burlap away from the trunk before filling the planting hole.
Set the tree in the soil at the same level that it grew in the nursery. Setting it higher may cause the tree to topple, and setting it too deeply can kill it. Then check it from all angles to see that it is standing straight before filling the hole. After filling the hole, create a shallow ridge around the tree to prevent water from flowing away. Give the tree a good soak right after planting, and again the next day. Water the tree every second or third day (if it doesn't rain) for the first few months until the tree is established. Add mulch to retain moisture and protect the tree from weeds. Keep mulch about four inches away from the trunk of the tree.
Plant an apple tree or two this season. Depending on the size of the tree, you can expect a small harvest next year, and increasingly larger harvests each year to come.
Lori Rose, the Midnight Gardener, is a Temple University Certified Master Home Gardener and member of GardenComm: Garden Communicators International. She has gardened since childhood, and has been writing about gardening for over twenty years.