I am curious if any one has had success with the Knobbed Russet. What’s the disease resistance of the tree like, growth habit and of course what does the apple taste like?
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I’m pretty sure I had the pleasure of eating a Knobbed Russet recently. I’m not positive it was one, but it seemed to fit the physical and taste description.
Some call it the ugliest apple, but I think it was beautiful, and I really like the way most of the russets look. It didn’t look that appetizing when I picked it off the tree, but once it was washed, it cleaned up well.
I may have picked it a little late. The birds or insects seemed to really love the tree, I think it was the birds, as most of them looked like they had pecking damage. I didn’t look closely, but even the damaged ones still looked edible and weren’t rotting very bad due to the wound.
The birds have good taste in my opinion, as I really liked these apples as well. The first bite was kind of shocking, a very intense sweet/tart and good flavor, as I hadn’t tasted such an intensely flavored apple before. The flesh was dry but pleasant in a weird way. I think it is probably one of the best apples I’ve tasted, especially if you like your apples with a strong flavor kick.
Anyone else growing these apples with a report on disease resistance or other info?
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Thanks for the post. It seems that few people on the forum grow this apple although I do see a fair number of posts talk about people getting scionwood of it. I would of thought there would be more people with actual trees but since you’re the first reply to my July post I guess not. Here are links to the Orange Pippin and Pomiferous descriptions of the knobbed russet. The Orange Pippin one has a couple of reviews of the apple and a list of some people that have planted it.
https://www.orangepippin.com/varieties/apples/knobbed-russet
https://pomiferous.com/applebyname/knobbed-russet-id-3782
Part of the problem I think is it is rarely offered as a finished tree. Although I did find that Maple Valley Nursery offers it as a benchgraft.
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Anyone know how susceptible it is to the common diseases and if it’s an insect magnet?
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I have a weakness for strong flavor and for russet apples; I’m also curious as I will likely try to graft some if it holds up well
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I have some two year old grafts of knobbed russet. It is yet to fruit (may flower this spring), but no signs of much CAR susceptibility on foliage or anything like that. I will report back in the fall. Anyone else growing knobbed russet???
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I’m hoping to take my first stab at grafting to graft one onto a crabapple that’s growing in the yard this spring. Assuming I’m succesful it will be a few years but I’m curious to try it. Thus far I’ve found that Russet apples tend to be ones i enjoy eating. Hoping it’s not a big problem magnet since I’m in the humid midatlantic, but time will tell.
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Im right there with you on the humid mid atlantic!
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Just saw this thread. I do have one Knobbed Russet tree. I got scionwood from Nick Botner in 2003 so this tree is that old. You would never know it though as the tree is on M9 rootstock and it looks like the little tree that couldn’t. Apparently it is a very low vigor variety.
The apples look more like dirt clods than apples. Nothing like the above pic. Very gnarly, contorted, large knobbs, lobes, the russet is akin to shoe leather. I cant imagine an insect ever finding its way through to the flesh. Although I do have to qualify that with saying the contortions can be more or less depending on the spring weather. I average (if there is such a thing anymore) 70" of rain at my farm which falls mostly in fall and spring.
To be honest its been so long since i bothered eating one i cant remember any specifics. I have lots of russets and this one doesnt ring any bells as far as unique, as I recall?
Ill do better and get some pics this year. Its funny this thread is here, I have been meaning to remove the tree for years.
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@jcf If you could post some pics and taste a few of them I would really appreciate it. I think the forum would too. Unfortunately, I lost my benchgraft of it but I would like to try to get it again.
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I ordered a scion for the Spring along with a couple other russets. So, hopefully, I’ll get to try it in a year or two. The pictures I’d seen looked pretty gnarly. Like an apple got cancer and then started melting. Also heard it tastes pretty good.
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