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Apples

Description: Advice about and experience of growing apples. The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus ... more

Apples ... domestica in the rose family Rosaceae. It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits. The tree is small and deciduous, reaching 5-12 m tall, with a broad, often densely twiggy crown. The leaves are alternately arranged simple ovals 5-12 cm long and 3-6 cm broad on a 2-5 cm petiole with an acute tip, serrated margin and a slightly downy underside. Flowers are produced in spring simultaneous with the budding of the leaves. The flowers are white, five petaled, 2.5-3.5 cm in diameter, white with a pink tinge that gradually fades. The fruit matures in autumn, and is typically 5-9 cm diameter (rarely up to 15 cm). The centre of the fruit contains five carpels arranged in a five-point star, each carpel containing one to three seeds. An old proverb attests to the health benefits of the fruit: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Research suggests that apples may reduce the risk of colon cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer.[1] Like many fruits, apples contain Vitamin C as well as a host of other antioxidant compounds, which may reduce the risk of cancer by preventing DNA damage. The fibre content, while less than in most other fruits, helps regulate bowel movements and may thus reduce the risk of colon cancer. They may also help with heart disease, weight loss and controlling cholesterol, as they do not have any cholesterol, have fibre (which reduces cholesterol by preventing reabsorption), and are bulky for their caloric content like most fruits and vegetables.

Newest Review: ... years and they are deeply embedded in our folklore, remember Snow White? Let's have a look at what makes this fruit so ... more

... outstanding and what one can do besides just biting into it. Many people are content with just biting into a fresh apple provided it doesn't come from an orchard where pesticides are used, it's a crunchy, refreshing and healthy snack. Depending on the kind of apple you've got the taste varies between honey sweet and spicy tart. They're high in fibre, vitamin C and potassium, low in sodium and almost fat free. The ancients who coined the phrase 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away' only observed what good eating appl...more

Read Reviews for Apples

Apples: Autumn apples (834 words)
by lellagrace - written on 16/09/07 (Very useful, 170 readings)
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MEDICINAL PROPERTIES An apple a day keeps the doctor away - an old saying which this week has been announced to be true. Apples are one way of obtaining your five-a-day and have numerous health benefits, some of which have been included in the introduction to the review category. It has long been the case that apple sauce accompanies rich food such as pork. This is because the apple helps aid digestion. Apples help prevent constipation and are good for the teeth, as they supposedly help prevent gum disease. TREES Now is the time of year when apple trees in gardens and orchards will be laden with fruit. Also, if you ...

Adam's Apple (1080 words)
by MALU - written on 20/01/08 (Very useful, 230 readings)
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Did Eve give Adam an apple in paradise? The bible doesn't mention one, only the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. In the 5th century AD people began to become interested in the kind of fruit she gave him, considering the flora and geographical conditions of Asia Minor where the Garden of Eden was supposed to be they thought it could have been a fig, a grape or a citron, monks in Northern Italy, however, were convinced that the fruit was an apple. The reason for this may have been a wordplay, the Latin word 'malus' means 'apple' and 'evil' and the saying was coined "ex malo malum" - evil comes from the apple. Convincing as it sounds ...

Apples: This teacher loves apples! (2661 words)
by jammaker49 - written on 16/03/03 (Very useful, 525 readings)
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Many of you who were Dooyooing last year will have read my ops on various fruits. I grow many varieties of fruit organically, as we have 2 allotments just at the back of our garden, and to date we have 5 different varieties of apple bushes (trees grafted onto dwarf root stock to produce smaller plants than great orchard apple trees.) As well as giving advice and stuff about how to grow apples etc, I thought I would add a bit more detail to this op, so sit back and take a tour round the life and history of apples. DIARY OF AN APPLE TREE SPRING The year can be thought of as a cycle. We will start the year in the orchard with Spring, the season of ...

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