Frequently Asked Questions

No. Our apple trees are grown from grafts of existing trees.  Common apple varieties you are familiar with are always non-GMO. GMO is not something that is common to apple production. There is really only one GMO variety of apple that exists (one that has been modified so that it does not turn brown after cutting). This is not a variety we grow at Tuttles or really one that is grown in many places – it is mostly just for research at this point. 

We grow our apples sustainably, but we are not organic. We use the integrated pest management system (IPM) here at the orchard to care for our plants and trees.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management defines IPM as: “a system that focuses on reducing pests by using a series of pest management techniques that are safe for the environment and children and use both non-chemical and chemical methods.” In following IPM practices, we use a combination of biological, chemical, behavioral, cultural, and genetic factors to control pests in the orchard. In using IPM, spraying is not our only method of eliminating bugs and other pests. Instead, we use things like sampling plant nutrition, planting more disease resistant varieties, using natural predators to control pests, and others to control pests. A great deal of research has been done by Purdue University and other universities in the country to develop safe, good growing practices that can bring a balance to controlling pests through chemicals and other methods.

The term Organic refers to growing produce without the use of genetically modified organisms or synthetic pesticides. There are three main reasons why we do not grow our apples to be labeled organic. Here are the three:

Location:  The warm, wet weather conditions with frequent rains during our growing season here in the Midwest are ideal for growing crops; however, they are also ideal for the growth of insects, diseases, and weeds. Because of our Indiana climate, growing saleable quality organic apples in a large setting is almost impossible. There are also some very dangerous fungi and bacteria such as fire blight that can affect and often kill the trees. Organically grown apples in the grocery store most often come from dry-aired climates where disease and insects are fewer and trees are often watered through irrigation. They are often shipped long distances losing some of their nutritional value.

At Tuttles, we work within our Indiana climate to use sustainable, healthy growing practices. Our trees are sprayed with carefully tested, approved fungicides and insecticides several times over the growing season. However, we do our best to reduce our use of chemicals as much as possible and spray only when necessary…especially since they are very expensive. It is important to recognize that organic apples are also sprayed with copper or lime sulfur to protect the trees and apples. Many of the pesticides we use are a synthetic form of copper.

Quantity: Here at the orchard, we have about fifty acres of apple trees. That’s approximately 8,000 trees. It can take a lot of time to care for each tree. In the world of growing organic apples, there are practices that may be practical to apply in your backyard garden which are not possible when you have over 8,000 trees. For example, some pests can be trapped or manually removed from the tree to prevent them from damaging the fruit. However, it’s just not practical for us to pull bugs off trees all day long. Instead, we use an integrated pest management system which is a combination of cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical controls to keep pests at bay. For example, to control the red spider mites that like to attack the trees and suck juices from the leaves, we find that they have many natural predators like ladybugs, lacewings, and other mites. We also try to use disease control options that don’t kill these natural predators but encourage them to kill the harmful mites. All of our apples are safe to eat right from the tree. Any disease and insect control options that are used have been applied early in the season and have broken down to a safe level prescribed by the manufacturer before you pick them in the fall.

Quality:  Apples grown organically on a large scale in Indiana tend to be very poor quality. They might be suitable for processing but would not be apples you would want to purchase for eating. Here at Tuttles, our goal is to grow high-quality apples that families can enjoy picking and eating right from the tree, and we think we’ve succeeded. We follow all government regulations and suggested practices to ensure that when you’re enjoying that fresh picked apple you are eating a healthy, safe fall treat.

We have some great resources for caring for your home fruit trees in our resources section.