Tree Talk: An apple a day

Breakfast is often stated as the most important meal of the day. On a cold morning, a warm bowl of creamy oatmeal flavored with cooked apple and brown sugar really hits the spot! That is, if you are an oatmeal fan.

Many people enjoy apples in baked goods: pies, muffins, cobblers and crisps. Dried apples are a great portable snack for camping and hiking – and can easily be made at home with a dehydrator or an oven. Caramel apples are a treat reserved mostly for county fairs and the circus. Bobbing for apples is an activity too germ-ridden to consider today, but our ancestors enjoyed and survived such entertainment.

The adage "An apple a day" started in Wales in the 1860's, with the original phrase "Eat an apple on going to bed, and you'll keep the doctor from earning his bread." This evolved into "an apple a day, no doctor to pay" and in 1922 (more than 100 years ago!) the phrase changed to "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Ancient Romans and Anglo-Saxons knew about the healthful properties of apples, as did practitioners of traditional Ayurvedic medicine in southern Asia 1,500 years ago. A 2012 study at Ohio State University found that eating an apple a day helped to significantly lower levels of bad cholesterol in middle-aged adults. Apples are a good source of fiber and vitamin C, and contain antioxidants. Leave the skin on apples as it contains half the fiber and most of the polyphenols (antioxidants).

Growing an apple tree in the backyard is an achievable goal for homeowners if the right type of tree is chosen, properly planted and given proper care. Selection should be based on the USDA Hardiness Zone for the location. For most of North Dakota, the updated USDA Hardiness Zone map puts us in Zone 4a, with average annual extreme minimum temperatures of -30 to -25 degrees F. Fruit trees and shrubs need full sun (at least 8 hours a day) to flourish, good drainage, and soils within a 6.5 to 7.5 pH range. Avoid salty soils. Don't try to guess; before planting, do a soils test with the help of your local County Extension office.

Select good-quality plants that were grown at a northern nursery. While attempting to grow an apple from seed is a lovely science experiment, it's an exercise in futility – invest in a proven hardy selection from a nursery. Plant trees at a depth so the soil surface is about 1 inch above where the uppermost major roots (crown roots) appear on the trunk – no deeper than that. Graft unions are located several inches above the crown roots and should be visible above ground once the tree is planted. Fertilizer is generally not needed at the time of planting, but mulching around the tree can literally be a tree life-saver. Spread mulch in a wide ring about 3 inches deep in a donut shape around the tree, leaving an open space around the tree trunk. The layer of mulch will protect the tree from weed trimmers, conserve moisture and moderate soil temperatures to protect tree roots.

Some of the best cultivars for North Dakota include:

Zestar! – from Minnesota, early crisp apple with better storage life than other early apples

Hazen – North Dakota selection good for fresh eating and cooking, but short storage life

Goodland – ripens late in September, good for fresh eating and in pies. Stores for one month.

Honeycrisp – currently the most popular apple in the Midwest. Large fruits, great for fresh eating but ripens in late September to early October. Stores very well, up to 10 months.

Haralson – Easy to grow and stores well; the standard for cooking apples in the Upper Midwest.

The longevity of the phrase "an apple a day," comes from its simplicity. One of the odd things about this proverb is that it means exactly what it says – apples are good for you.

(For more info, see: NDSU Extension H327, 2016: "Tree Fruit Culture and Cultivars in North Dakota," and, hot off the press: NDSU Extension FN1847, 2022: "From Orchard to Table: Apples!")