... like to have winter at temperatures below 40 degrees to encourage them to set fruit. Then they need at least five to six hours of full sun a day once they've blossomed. Apple trees also blossom later than some other types of fruit trees, making them more likely to avoid a killing frost. Many types of apple trees are hardy at our elevation of 6100 +/- feet, making it difficult to choose a favorite.
During a recent visit with Bob Morris out at Red Mountain Ranches we spent some time enjoying the view from his summer office on the porch and ‘talkin’ apples’. As a family orchard spanning five generations Bob has seen many changes in the apple industry, both nationally and locally. On a local level, many of the open fields and newly constructed subdivisions in the Surface Creek area, Bob says, “…used to be orchards.” A combination of economy and insects have reduced the acreages but not the quality of the apples produced in the region.
While the local altitude has a lot to do with the variety of apples grown here the attitude of apple aficionados is also a contributing factor. When I was a kid, I knew about two kinds of apples: red and green; but at least 15-20 different varieties are grown in our area with both new AND old varieties on the horizon.
Why do we need so many kinds of apples? According to Bob, “Because there are so many different kinds of folks”. Like anything, people are always looking for something new and growers like Bob are experienced, progressive and alert to those consumer demands.
Over the past few years the Honeycrisp has been an extremely popular variety. It’s a crisp and sweet, modern variety developed specifically for growers in cold climates and it’s one of the most cold-hardy. Rumor has it that there’s another new variety of trees that will produce an apple called Evercrisp. This new apple is a combination of Honeycrisp and Fuji that will provide the flavor of the Honeycrisp and a more durable skin that comes from a Fuji, making it easier to store. The search for new and stronger varieties is ongoing but looking to the past also takes place in the apple industry.
As American tastes change, more people are excited to try heirloom varieties of apples that are rich with flavors that intrigue and delight. When you have a chance to try some, you can't believe the difference in the flavors and the quality of these varieties that, in the past, have been set aside and replaced with new varieties.
One looks at all these age-old heirloom varieties with their wildly differing shapes and colors, stripes and spots and unfamiliar names, and wonders, where did they go? Mostly, they died out, the victims of changes in taste and mass marketing. But some fine apples remain, which is why there is a new push to grow and propagate the heirloom apple varieties. It's the differences among apples that we should value, both the old, late-season varieties and the yet to be discovered treats that our local orchardists continue to pursue.
Biting into a crisp apple right off the tree, one that snaps in your teeth and sprays juice everywhere, is a wonderful experience. So plan to stop by one of the many orchards and farm stands in the area and experience, not just the apples, but the abundance of plums, peaches, cherries and vegetables that are available in the Surface Creek area.
During a recent visit with Bob Morris out at Red Mountain Ranches we spent some time enjoying the view from his summer office on the porch and ‘talkin’ apples’. As a family orchard spanning five generations Bob has seen many changes in the apple industry, both nationally and locally. On a local level, many of the open fields and newly constructed subdivisions in the Surface Creek area, Bob says, “…used to be orchards.” A combination of economy and insects have reduced the acreages but not the quality of the apples produced in the region.
While the local altitude has a lot to do with the variety of apples grown here the attitude of apple aficionados is also a contributing factor. When I was a kid, I knew about two kinds of apples: red and green; but at least 15-20 different varieties are grown in our area with both new AND old varieties on the horizon.
Why do we need so many kinds of apples? According to Bob, “Because there are so many different kinds of folks”. Like anything, people are always looking for something new and growers like Bob are experienced, progressive and alert to those consumer demands.
Over the past few years the Honeycrisp has been an extremely popular variety. It’s a crisp and sweet, modern variety developed specifically for growers in cold climates and it’s one of the most cold-hardy. Rumor has it that there’s another new variety of trees that will produce an apple called Evercrisp. This new apple is a combination of Honeycrisp and Fuji that will provide the flavor of the Honeycrisp and a more durable skin that comes from a Fuji, making it easier to store. The search for new and stronger varieties is ongoing but looking to the past also takes place in the apple industry.
As American tastes change, more people are excited to try heirloom varieties of apples that are rich with flavors that intrigue and delight. When you have a chance to try some, you can't believe the difference in the flavors and the quality of these varieties that, in the past, have been set aside and replaced with new varieties.
One looks at all these age-old heirloom varieties with their wildly differing shapes and colors, stripes and spots and unfamiliar names, and wonders, where did they go? Mostly, they died out, the victims of changes in taste and mass marketing. But some fine apples remain, which is why there is a new push to grow and propagate the heirloom apple varieties. It's the differences among apples that we should value, both the old, late-season varieties and the yet to be discovered treats that our local orchardists continue to pursue.
Biting into a crisp apple right off the tree, one that snaps in your teeth and sprays juice everywhere, is a wonderful experience. So plan to stop by one of the many orchards and farm stands in the area and experience, not just the apples, but the abundance of plums, peaches, cherries and vegetables that are available in the Surface Creek area.