Take time to sample variety of local apples

PAYSON — This story is about a man, his family and his orchard.

The man behind this orchard is Rey Allred, who, with his wife Mary Carol, moved to Payson 52 years ago to start their growing operation.

Along with their extended family, they have helped define fruit growing in the southern end of Utah County for more than half a century.

I visited him to get a few pointers on some of the changes in the fruit-tree industry, what some of the best new varieties might be and how backyard orchardists might improve their crops.

Allred grew up on the family pear farm, which is why he doesn't have pears in his orchard, he jokes.

Over the years, the Allreds have tried many kinds of fruit and many different varieties. Their current selections include apples, peaches and tart or pie cherries.

Over time, they added property and planted more trees, so they now grow fruit on nearly 500 acres. The hard and demanding work is in their blood, and they show no sign of slowing down.

The Allreds direct market some fruit through their retail outlet across from LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, and they also wholesale product through various cooperatives in and out of the state.

As we jumped into Allred's truck to take a tour, I could not help but notice the changes to the orchards since my last visit. Older trees were being removed, and newer trees were taking their place.

While the notion of Johnny Appleseed might be an interesting story, it bears little resemblance to a modern productive orchard.

"There are two kinds of trees," Allred told me. "One group is consumer friendly, meaning that they are tasty new varieties that people love to buy and eat, and the other group is grower friendly."

"Most of the newer kinds of high-quality apples are not easy to grow," he continued. "They are very susceptible to fire blight and powdery mildew. Many of the rootstocks are also susceptible to phytophthora root rot and other problems."

The lesson here is to pay attention to the kinds of tree you plant. While some apples are very appealing, they do not always make a good tree that is easy to care for, one that is easy to prune and one that is productive without a lot of extra work and difficult treatments.

Rootstocks control the size of the tree, and making the right selection is critical. To the best of my recollection, when I first visited Allred's orchard, there were trees on a 20-by-20 spacing, giving 108 trees per acre.

On Allred's newest plantings, he has 1,300 trees per acre. This is one area where home orchard growers can do better: selecting trees that fit their landscapes.

Allred also explains that the variety selection is critical.