I’ve been noticing that many of my apples are turning red/orange quite early this year. Some have more color now than they’ve ever had in previous years at any time.
This is a wild apple that has had at the most an orangish cheek on the sunny side of fruits in full sun when fully ripe in early October. This year, many apples look like this. It’s not a great pic, but they are showing red color on tops of the fruit. I don’t have pics of apples on other trees, but the same thing is happening with many of them. Showing lots of color in mid July. Is this sunburn? Is this because of drought (2" of rain since snow melt in late April)? Is this a common occurrence?
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Maybe you’re getting more sunshine?
If I had much color (I don’t) I’d blame it on cooler than average temperatures–only February of the last 7 months has been above normal here I think. July may be near normal, but I think I’ve seen only 1 90-degree day.
I have a Fuji on M111 I planted in 2016 as a 2-year feathered tree finally fruiting, and one of them has some red striping. (Could mean it’s mis-labeled…time will tell). That’s the only coloring except for red Fleshed apples such as Niedzwetzkyana and Odysso. (Internal coloring is not there much this year yet…but outside is red.)
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Maybe. I guess since it has only rained a few times, it would make sense we’ve had more days with more sun than in an “average” year. We did have a historic drought in 2021 and the apples didn’t get this much color this early in the year however. Our drought did start later in the summer that year, maybe that makes a difference.
I’d like to blame all the Canadian smoke, but I doubt that’s the reason.
Low humidity? This leads to hot days but chilly nights under clear skies.
Seems to do the trick in KY and especially in NC in the Aug-Sept time frame.
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We have definitely had a much less humid summer than average. We’ve had more night time lows in the 50s (and a couple in the 40s) in July than I can remember.
edited to add…I suppose I should also include the information that all of the apples and pears on all of my trees are much, much smaller this year as well.
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Sounds like that’s it…low humidity, hot days and chilly nights = good color.
As for size, a late bloom and dry conditions might be the explanation?
Here, size varies…Niedzwetzkyana and Redfield and Arkansas Black small…but some apples are good sized. Light loads, plenty rain, very early bloom here.
So the ones that are small for me are mostly
badly hit by plum curculio.
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Seems reasonable. I wonder if this will also equate to higher brix readings?
Interesting thought. But I’m guessing this is too early in the season for any but the earliest of apples. (Rains in August through harvest time could quickly make a difference. And severe drought might hinder sugar production. Maybe let us know the end of this story when you harvest fruit and test brix?)
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Will do.
There’s no indication in the 10 day of any changes towards getting some rain. It is supposed to get back to the 90s for highs and 60s for lows however. I’ve got pear trees dropping fruit due to the drought now. One tree is likely to drop its leaves and go dormant soon I think. I imagine I’ll start losing more pears and apples in the next few weeks.
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I noticed earlier ripening and finishing… on my early mc apples and raspberries this year.
1.5 weeks or so earlier than usual.
@smsmith … sorry to hear you have trees stressed to that point. 
@TNHunter, the ripening 1.5 early should be the case considering the earliness of bloom this year I’d think. But, I can’t say I notice apples being early. Possibly winesap tree is bigger early than usual.
Cool April, May, June and I expected 62 to 68 day tomatoes I planted March 30th to ripen before July 1st. But they didn’t!
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Thanks.
It is what it is. I’ve decided that whatever trees survive are those best designed for long term growth here. I was just out pruning/rubbing off competing growth from some of this year’s topworks. I noticed that many wild crabs/apples have good crops and don’t appear drought stressed. That’s the kind of tree I need.
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