'Akane' Apple

General Fruit Growing
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My poor Akane tree is this little 2 foot tall cordon that is overly shaded by it’s neighbors, but it managed to produce three apples this season. The raccoons ravaged two of them, and since they usually have pretty good taste, I had high hopes for the third one. I wasn’t disappointed; it tasted like an apple should taste. Sweet, very tart, very spicy, with lots of classic apple aftertaste, kind of reminding me of Sierra Beauty in the late fall. I had heard for years that it was low-chill and disease resistant, but never got to them in time since this isn’t necessarily the time of year I’m on the watch for apples.

This one is definitely going to Uganda for trials.

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That’s good color this time of yr considering your heat.

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Pretty apple. I have Akane on my 5x1 apple tree but it’s too young to produce. It’s an apple I haven’t heard anyone talk about so I appreciate you giving us an overview of the apple.

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I really like Akane. I find it to be one of the best highly productive early apples. Most modern apples don’t really have a distinctive taste. It also has a very distinctive texture. I bought a tree because it has Jonagold and Akane on it, and I haven’t been disappointed at all with either one. I’m going to have to agree with Bob Vance that Jonagold is quite a bit more flavorful and tart than Honeycrisp. I like it much better. Jonagold grows best in climates like mine that aren’t very hot in Sept. Oct. when it’s picked, according to Warren Marnhart, author of Apples for the 21st Century, which I highly recommend for apple lovers, if you can find it.
JohN S
PDX OR

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I love the taste of Akane, but in my climate it just withered. The skin is very thin and soft and most of the apples would rot. While enough spraying would prevent this there are many other apple varieties not needing sprays. If it is hot and humid in Uganda I wouldn’t recommend trying it. If it has only one of those two it might do well.

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Uganda is humid, but usually tops out around 80 degrees. Scab and powdery mildew are a problem. Thanks for the input.

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Nice looking apple, Rob. How does it taste?

On a side note, did you get any pluots this year?

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It’s a pretty good early dessert apple, but I still think William’s Pride is a little better and it’s much earlier. I got about 5 FK, one FS, and probably around 10 DDs. FS is the best and earliest, but poor setter. I need to graft more than 1 branch though, since they are so rich!

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Also, FK is almost right there with FS. When both are really drop ripe, they really are awesome!

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Thanks for the replies. What other apples do you have, and will you be harvesting any?

I planted FK, DD and Geo Pride trees this spring. They are doing alright, but were assaulted by J beetles, which were really bad this year. They’ve recovered pretty well since the beetles have left. Can’t wait for them to produce something soon, maybe next year?

FS sounds like a good one, I might have to try a few grafts of those in the future. We planted a wild plum in our yard last year and it’s taken off this year, so it could be my Frankenplum tree eventually.

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I’ve got more apples than I can tell you off the top of my head. I’ve got 2 trees. One is a dwarf, and I’ve got Honeycrisp, GD, Gala, RD, Mutsu, Liberty, Jonagold, Spitzenburg to yield this year. I’ve got others that I’ve grafted on there: King David, Grimes Golden, Winter Banana, Court Pendu Plat, Ginger Gold, Kerry Pippin, Mollie’s Delicious, Blue Pearmain, Hawkeye, Zestar!, and Northern Spy. Then I have a Semi-dwarf Fuji with a lot of other varieties (not all producing this year): Akane, Cortland, Hudson’s Golden Gem, Kidd’s Orange Red, Sansa, Shizuka, Ambrosia, Arkansas Black, Arlies Red Flesh, Cripp’s Pink, William’s Pride, Pink Pearl, Pink Princess, Pristine, Spokane Beauty, Strawberry Parfait, Irish Peach, Enterprise, Wealthy, Sweet 16, Roxbury Russet, Egremont Russet, Pitmasten Pinapple, Winesap, Cox Orange, Golden Russet, McIntosh, Macoun, Yellow Transparent, and Ashmead’s Kernel. I may be forgetting 1 or 2.

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Wow, that’s a lot of interesting varieties on two trees. Got any pics of yer Frankenapples? You have been a grafting machine, it sounds like. How do you keep track of all those grafts?

The only grafting I’ve ever done is three apple bench grafts done back in March. I potted them up in April, and they’re still alive. The Goldrush and Suncrisp have both grown about two feet, and the Stayman is about half that big. I’m hoping to plant them this fall.

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The bigger apple tree is in the background of my Akane pic, but here’s a better pic:

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Here’s the dwarf:
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And here’s how I identify them:
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. Yeah, I love grafting and tasting all sorts of different varieties.

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Thanks for posting the pics. Looks like your big apple tree is about to run out of room! Good idea on how you ID your grafts.

I have 16 varieties of apples (see my profile info), of which you have 11 of them. I’d be interested in hearing how yours turn out. I’m hoping next year we will get our first apple, and maybe peach and some pear harvested.

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Anyone growing Akane apple in Virginia? I am wondering how it does and if it can be grown without spray?

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I have this Akane… here in southern middle TN z7a.

Started it spring 2020… no fruit yet.

I summer pruned it last summer and this summer… and it has fruit buds now… hopefully I get some fruit next year.

The tall wood left on it now… will be collected for scionwood in January. If any of you want some Akane scion… keep me in mind… for a possible trade.

TNHunter

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My Akane trees grew apples with good size this year but…they just sat there. They never really turned yellow, definitely not red. They finally started to shrivel on the tree (still green) and I removed all but one a week ago.

I thought Akane was supposed to be ripe in September.

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Sorry, Vaulty

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Eh, it is what it is. I was wondering if this has happened to anyone else though.