How New Roots Are Driving An Apple Renaissance
The apple renaissance of recent years has given us new varieties of fruit. But that's only half of the story, and half of the tree. Another revolution is happening below ground, in the tree roots.
"That's the old industry," Tom Auvil tells me, nodding toward an apple orchard that we're driving past. We're near Wenatchee, Wash., which calls itself the Apple Capital of the World. Auvil grew up in the apple business, and until recently, he was a horticulturist for the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission.
The trees do look old, but that's not what Auvil is getting at. He's talking about their size and shape. They're large and round, far enough apart to let their branches spread. In the fall, workers will
