The story of an apple

4 chapters are repeated again and again

1. Apple seeds turn into trees

2. The trees come into bloom

3. The flowers turn to fruits

4. The fruits are harvested, transported and eaten.

Chapter 1: Apple seeds come into trees

These are apple seeds, but where did they come from?

From the core

Why do apples have seeds in the core?

Chapter 1: Apple seeds come into trees

In the winter apple seeds are planted in a pot. The seeds start to germinate and tiny apple trees grow up during the Spring. These are called seedlings.

Growth of the seedlings continues and when they are big enough they are pricked out to…?

1. A new bigger pot

2. An orchard

3. A forest

Chapter 1: Apple seeds come into trees

The orchard

Apple orchards consist of hundreds of apple trees. In England and Wales the total area of apple orchards corresponds to 15,166 football fields.

The trees live in the orchard from when they are 0 to about 12 years old.

Which dessert apple variety is grown the most in the UK?

Cox’s Orange Pippin Jonagold Gala

4 chapters

1. Apple seeds turn into trees

2. The trees come into bloom

3. The flowers turn to fruits

4. The fruits are harvested, transported and eaten.

Chapter 2: The trees come into bloom

Small buds appear on the branches during the winter.

The buds are sleeping at first, which is called being “dormant”.

Chapter 2: The trees come into bloom

In the spring the buds open and small leaves appear behind the bud scales.

The leaves grow bigger.

Chapter 2: The trees come into bloom

In the middle of the leaves something else appears.

What is this?

The leaves use sunlight to produce food for the tree so it can grow. This way of producing energy is called photosynthesis.

Chapter 2: The trees come into bloom

The outer layer of leaves surrounding the flowers are septals.

Just beneath this layer, the red petals appears.

Flowers

Chapter 2: The trees come into bloom

The petals slowly open to reveal some fine yellow stems that produces pollen.

At the bottom of the petals there is nectar.

Nectar tastes good! For who?

Apple trees bloom from early May to October depending on the variety. Why is this smart?

4 chapters

1. Apple seeds turn into trees

2. The trees come into bloom

3. The flowers turn to fruits

4. The fruits are harvested, transported and eaten.

Chapter 3: The flowers turn to fruits

After pollination, the petals fall off and apples start to form beneath the flower remnants.

Bees pollinate the flowers by spreading the pollen from the yellow stem between all the trees in the orchard.

Chapter 3: The flowers turn to fruits

Complete, crispy, delicious apples or…

What is wrong?

Chapter 3: The flowers turn to fruits

After about 2-4 months depending on the variety, the apples are ripe.

How can you recognise a ripe apple?

Unripe

Ripe

4 chapters

1. Apple seeds turn into trees

2. The trees come into bloom

3. The flowers turn to fruits

4. The fruits are harvested, transported and eaten.

Chapter 4: The apples are harvested and packaged

The apples are harvested manually and transported to big loading areas where they are sorted and packed.

Chapter 4: Distribution

Supermarkets

Storerooms

Processing plants

Restaurants

Schools and workplaces

The apples are distributed to many places

Can you name some of them?

Chapter 4: We buy the apples and eat them

We do not only eat apples raw. How do we also eat apples?

4 chapters

1. Apple seeds turn into trees

2. The trees come into bloom

3. The flowers turn to fruits

4. The fruits are harvested, transported and eaten.