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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2020 FARMERS AND CONSUMERS MARKET BULLETIN – 404-656-3722 – agr.georgia.gov PAGE 9
Guest coluMn: How ’bout them apples?

By Josh Fuder ters like “King David,” “Jonathan,” “Grimes Golden,” “Lady”
UGA Extension Agent and others. And just like characters in a good book these vari-
eties came with interesting histories, flavors and personalities.
Up until about five years ago I had never really given much The history of “Grimes Golden” is particularly well docu-
thought or consideration to apples. I was born with horticultur- mented. The best information is that a pioneer settler, Edward
al genes inherited from my mother and grandfather, but apples Cranford, planted an orchard from seeds in Brooks County,
were green and tart or red and sweet to me. I knew more about W.Va., around 1790. The farm was sold to Thomas Grimes in
the various devices bearing an apple logo than the history and 1802, who found one particular tree that produced a fine, gold-
intricacies of apples. That all changed when my wife and I en fruit with excellent quality and keeping ability. These qual-
bought our house that happened to come with 20-some apple ities led to it being replicated by grafting with entire orchards
trees of various varieties. being planted for commercial purposes.
As my apples started ripening that first summer into fall, I Eventually the original “parent” tree met its end in 1905
became introduced to the wide world of apples through charac- when it was blown over with a full load of nearly ripe apples.
The tree was so important that gavels were made from the
wood of the old tree and given to prominent men in the area.
And to this day there is a granite monument where that old tree
lived on State Route 27 two-and-a-half miles east of Wellsburg
in the Grimes Golden Apple Park.
The apple has high genetic variability which is part of the
reason why we have more than 7,500 known varieties and Apple scions used for grafting to produce new varieties.
cultivars, many of which are chance seedlings. At one point (Photo by Leslie Wade)
there were close to 1,600 cultivars grown in the South. In 2010
the genome of “Golden Delicious,” whose parent is “Grimes 8 p.m. Each session will start with a lecture on the science
Golden,” was sequenced. It contained about 57,000 genes, the behind grafting and will then be fully hands-on.
highest number of any plant genome studied to date and more Participants will be provided with all the materials needed
genes than humans. to graft including five semi-dwarf rootstocks and a wide vari-
Since apples must be cross-pollinated, we cannot plant the ety of scions to choose from. So if you would like to acquire
seeds from that fruit and expect the variety to have the same a “Grime’s Golden” or another of the 46 varieties that will be
characteristics of the mother tree. So when a desirable variety available, don’t miss out on this class.
is discovered, or bred in more modern times, cuttings from that This type of propagation sounds advanced. I assure you it
tree are taken and propagated asexually. This type of propa- is quite simple. Last year we had 62 people attend our grafting
gation, also referred to as clonal, can be done by rooting these class from across the state and all but a handful had no prior
cuttings but most often it is through grafting. Grafting is a hor- grafting experience. In following up with everyone since last
ticultural technique that attaches the desired variety or scion year the average success rate of the grafts was 80 percent.
to a rootstock or branch to another variety. So the “Grimes Register online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/uga-
Golden” in my backyard is an exact clone of the original tree extension-cherokee-county-is-hosting-a-grafting-workshop-
that was planted as a seed around 1790 and died in 1905. registration-85664044463. Call the Cherokee County
If you are interested in learning how to graft, Cherokee Extension office at 770.721.7803 for more information.
County Extension will be hosting two apple grafting sessions -Josh Fuder is the Agriculture and Natural Resources
Two-year-old Graham Fuder and friend Shelby are connoisseurs of fruit on Thursday, March 26 at the Ball Ground Community Center. Agent in the University of Georgia Extension Office in Cher-
from Josh Fuder’s apple orchard. (Provided photo) Classes will be from 2 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. until okee County.

Jeff Register

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