Trees and fruit are prone to a number of fungal, bacterial and pest problems, which can be controlled by a number of organic and non-organic means.
Different cultivars are bred for various tastes and use, including cooking, eating raw and cider production. There are more than 7,500 known cultivars of apples. Rootstocks are used to control speed of growth and the size of the resulting tree allowing for easier harvesting. Apple trees grown without rootstocks tend to be large and much slower to fruit after planting. Generally then, apple cultivars are propagated by clonal grafting onto rootstocks. Apples have religious and mythological significance in many cultures, including Norse, Greek, and European Christian tradition.Īpples grown from seed tend to be very different from those of the parents, and the resultant fruit frequently lack desired characteristics. Apples have been grown for thousands of years in Asia and Europe and were brought to North America by European colonists. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, Malus sieversii, is still found today.
Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus Malus. An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree ( Malus domestica).
